According to the Phoenix New Times, hardcore/metal crossover pioneers D.R.I. (DIRTY ROTTEN IMBECILES) are putting the finishing touches on a new EP, to be released later in the year. "[It's] just a handful of songs to test the waters," vocalist Kurt Brecht says. "We haven't put out anything new in so long, so we wanted to see how much interest there really is in it." Regarding the musical direction of the new D.R.I. material, Brecht says: "It's more old-school hardcore. It's straightforward, without the metal guitar sound." He adds: "I'm more into the hardcore myself, but it's okay if we keep the metal because we mix it all together." Asked why it has taken so long for D.R.I. to record the follow-up to 1995's "Full Speed Ahead", Brecht says: "We'd taken a good amount of time off. And when we came back together, we had many offers to play, so we started doing that and have just been busy trying to make a living playing and touring. Bands like us make most of our money touring and selling merchandise at live shows." D.R.I.'s current lineup still features original guitarist Spike Cassidy. Harald Oimoen has played bass for the band since 1999, while drummer Walter Ryan joined in 2015. D.R.I.'s forthcoming EP is expected to include the song "As Seen On TV", which the band has been performing live. Brecht told BoulevardBrutal.com in a 2014 interview about the inspiration for his new lyrics: "It's a similar vein of lyrics, I'd say [to my other band PASADENA NAPALM DIVISION] — basically, just talking bad about society and human beings in general, that sort of thing, but never really offer any kind of solution… 'cause I can't think of one. Advertising, I talk shit about a lot… Mass marketing and stuff, even though I do it, so I'm a total hypocrite. I advertise the band, I sell our products at the shows and all that kind of stuff." He continued: "For [the upcoming D.R.I.] EP, some of the lyrics — at least one of the songs — is, I think, one of my best lyrical tunes yet. It's called 'As Seen On TV' [see video below]. I won't tell you the lyrics right now, but it's basically about advertising, that sort of thing. I went to school for it, and that's why I talk about it a lot, 'cause I learned a lot [when I was there]." In 2004, Cassidy was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent surgery (a one-foot section of large intestine was removed through an eight-inch incision in his stomach on March 27, 2006), radiation and chemotherapy and is said to be winning the battle against the disease. D.R.I.'s classic 1987 album "Crossover" was reissued in April 2010 via Beer City Records. Available on LP, CD and as a digital download, the LP was remastered by Bill Metoyer, who was the engineer for the original recordings. The CD and digital version of the reissue include the original 13 songs plus 11 bonus tracks.
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