Dys

DYS is an American straight edge hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band came up with the Boston Crew in the 1980s, then pushed into a heavier, metal-leaning sound. Their story includes early DIY grit, a bold second record, a breakup that sparked new projects, and a reunion era that packed rooms again.

How The Band Got Started

DYS was founded in the 1980s by singer Dave Smalley and bassist Jonathan Anastas. At the time, Smalley was a freshman at Boston College, and Anastas, at age 15, had already started the short-lived band Decadence. That band’s song “Slam” appeared on the This Is Boston, Not LA compilation and later turned up in an MTV advertising campaign titled “Santa, the Man, the Myth, the Slam Dancer.”

The name DYS references the Department of Youth Services in Massachusetts and also nods to Alice Cooper’s song “Department of Youth.” Smalley and Anastas were joined by guitarist Andy Strachan and drummer Dave Collins. The early lineup recorded the debut album Brotherhood with producer Lou Giordano. Lead guitarist Ross Luongo later came aboard, and the band released the self-titled DYS, moving in a clear metal direction. That record even included what is credited here as the first power ballad attempted by a hardcore band.

Shifts in Sound and Notable Releases

The move toward metal changed both songwriting and live dynamics. During this period, live sound was handled by Andrew “Mudrock” Murdock. Ex-SS Decontrol drummer Chris Foley also performed with the band, including at the final show, a showcase for Elektra Records A&R executive Michael Alago. Years later, Alago’s career would be profiled in a 2017 biopic.

Initial Breakup and Side Paths

After the breakup, the members stayed busy. Jonathan Anastas became a founding member of Slapshot. Dave Smalley sang for Dag Nasty, ALL, and Down By Law, then later started Don’t Sleep. Andy Strachan co-founded Slaughter Shack and won the Rumble music contest. Ross Luongo played guitar for the reformed Jerry’s Kids.

The band’s first two albums were collected on Fire and Ice by Taang! Records. Brotherhood has been reissued in several formats over the years, sometimes with the Wolfpack demo that features Hüsker Dü on backing vocals. A Bridge 9 Records anniversary re-release arrived in January 2024.

Reformation and Later Activity

DYS reunited on August 29, 2010, headlining the Gallery East reunion show before over 1,000 fans, alongside Jerry’s Kids, Gang Green, The F.U.’s, Slapshot, and Antidote. The reunion lineup added guitarist Bobby Frankenheim and drummer Jack Clark of Jerry’s Kids and Unnatural Axe. The performance was recorded for the documentary xxx ALL AGES xxx. A live album from the show, More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion, was released on August 9, 2011, by Bridge 9 Records.

Interest stayed strong, so Smalley and Anastas built a new west coast based lineup with guitarist Franz Stahl, drummer Al Pahanish Jr., and guitarist Adam Porris. DYS played the Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ 2010 Hometown Throwdown at the House of Blues in Boston and supported Dropkick Murphys at the same venue for their 2012 St. Patrick’s Day stand. Recording sessions with Andrew “Mudrock” Murdock in Los Angeles produced a run of Bridge 9 digital singles from late 2011 through late 2012, including “Wild Card,” “Sound of our Town” with guest vocals by Dicky Barrett, “Unloaded,” a cover of Motörhead’s “(We Are The) Road Crew,” “Brotherhood 2012,” and “True Believers.”

Between 2011 and 2017, this lineup logged 50-plus shows across the United States and Europe. Festival highlights included Rumble Fest and Sound and Fury in 2011, Black n’ Blue Bowl and SXSW in 2012, Groezrock in 2012, My Fest in Berlin in 2012, Tsunami East Fest in 2012, Southeast Beast Fest in 2014, EIPER Fest in 2014, and Resurrection Fest in Spain in 2017. A planned 2020 European run was cancelled due to COVID-19.

In 2024, Bridge 9 issued an anniversary re-release of Brotherhood. The first pressing sold out in pre-orders and the record peaked at number 9 on the Cortex Records sales chart, holding a spot for three weeks.

Members

• Dave Smalley, vocals, founder
• Jonathan Anastas, bass, founder
• Andy Strachan, guitar
• Dave Collins, drums
• Ross Luongo, lead guitar
• Bobby Frankenheim, guitar, reunion lineup
• Jack Clark, drums, reunion lineup
• Franz Stahl, guitar, west coast lineup
• Al Pahanish Jr., drums, west coast lineup
• Adam Porris, guitar, west coast lineup

Discography

• 1983, Brotherhood, XClaim! Records
• 1985, DYS, Modern Method Records
• 1993, Various Artists, Faster and Louder, Volume Two, contributed “Wolfpack” from the original demo, compilation
• 1993, Fire and Ice, first two albums combined on CD, Taang! Records
• 2005, Wolfpack, Brotherhood re-release with the original radio demo featuring Hüsker Dü on backing vocals, Taang! Records
• 2011, More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion, Bridge 9 Records
• 2011, “Wild Card,” single, Bridge 9 Records
• 2011, “Sound of our Town,” single featuring Dicky Barrett, Bridge 9 Records
• 2012, “Unloaded,” single, Bridge 9 Records
• 2012, “(We are) The Road Crew,” Motörhead cover, single, Bridge 9 Records
• 2012, “Brotherhood 2012,” single, Bridge 9 Records
• 2012, “True Believer,” single, Bridge 9 Records
• 2012, Brotherhood, vinyl-only re-release, Taang! Records, limited red and 180 gram versions
• 2023, Brotherhood, 40th Anniversary vinyl-only version, Bridge 9 Records, limited edition, three colors, screen printed, one-sided