DYS

Hey, tough guy, you think you know hardcore? The boys in DYS wrote the book on hardcore before you learned to walk, let alone slam dance. Coming out of Boston's tough and rather violent punk scene in the '80s, DYS seemed to be an unstoppable force, spreading their message of unity, clean living and positivity, penned by Dave Smalley, who would later go on to front reputable bands Dag Nasty, ALL and Down by Law. Two decades since their demise, DYS reunited and released a live offering of their sold-out homecoming performance, aptly titled More Than Fashion, which acts as a catalogue spanning the band's career, from speedy hardcore to heavy metal crossover. Smalley, although now middle-aged, still knows how to handle a crowd, as the hyped- up frontman belts out straightedge anthems like "No Pain, No Gain," "Brotherhood" and "Wolf Pack" with the same urgency and ferocity he possessed as a teenager. The sound quality trumps the band's original recordings and the energy is extremely high, with Smalley and his crew feed ingstrongly off of the frenzied crowd, who collectively know that DYS are hardcore.