Crossover

Yes, here we have a very influencial D.R.I. release. It’s not my favorite one but it really was their most memorable one in terms of importance and consequences. Infamous obviously for the term ‘crossover’ but it is of course highly debatable if this was the truly the first album in this style.

Some state the honour must go to S.O.D., being two years earlier when D.R.I. were still playing SSDecontrol and Negative Approach influenced furious hardcore punk with only a tiny hint of metal in some riffs. In any case S.O.D. were metal musicians and D.R.I. a hardcore punk group at first. They both were extremely important by growing towards eachother and I myself thank both for it. And I don’t want to ignore all the others like Suicidal, C.O.C. etc etc obviously nor what was happening in the U.K. as well with bands such as Antisect.

Whoever was first, D.R.I. were and are one of the most famous crossover bands and not without a reason. They wrote some damn good tunes back in the day although from this album on the band would develop the tendency to make a lot of songs way too long which pretty much damaged most of their next three studio albums. Here on ‘Crossover’ they’re still able to contain that negative aspect save a few misses. It works though on opener “The Five Year Plan” which, despite its length, is briliant and energetic from start to finish and also one of the best songs on this album because of the variation, catchy vocal lines, good riffs and over all fast pace.

Fortunately most of this album is still filled with short(er), fast and to-the-point compositions from which “A Coffin”, “Hooked”, “Go Die” and “No Religion” are the catchiest as well as the best. But as said it’s overstretched songs like “Decisions”, “Probation” and “Oblivion” dragging this album down a bit but we’re talking only three tunes here so no man overboard.

Retrospectively this album also is the best balance between D.R.I.’s their later ‘grown-up’ polished albums and their early raging hardcore punk releases. So even in that case the album is D.R.I.’s perfect crossover.