Taking their name from the Department of Youth Services, Massachusetts’s infamous way station for troubled teens, as well as Alice Cooper’s song “Department of Youth,” DYS were one of the East Coast's first Straight Edge Hardcore bands. Formed from inside SS Decontrol’s notorious "Boston Crew.” The band preached a passionate belief in Drug Free living and the idea that a shared musical and social taste could help create regional Brotherhoods or Crews.
DYS were also one of the first hardcore bands to take a hard turn into the realm of Heavy Metal, helping to define and shape "Crossover" in the same way they influenced straight-up Hardcore.
DYS originally released two albums: "Brotherhood," on SSD's X-Claim records, produced by the now legendary Lou Giordano, which set a fashion sense and musical attitude for the whole generation of “Youth Crew” bands who dominated Hardcore’s second wave and "DYS,” a self-titled album that took a markedly different “Metal” direction than their debut. Looking back, “DYS” defined a moment in Hardcore as specifically and passionately as “Brotherhood.” Love it or hate it, the band's second album was fully committed to the musical complexity, tempos, riffs, frequent solos and styling's of influential alternative Metal bands of the era. DYS stepped out of the confines of Hardcore and swung big and boldly at this new direction. As before, the road DYS paved early was soon heavily travelled. “Crossover” became the word of the day in the mid to late 80s, as Hardcore changed forever.
Both of these original recordings have been re-released in various physical and Digital formats by Taang! Records.
Reforming in the Summer of 2010, the DYS headlined a Boston show in front of over 1,000 fans. This triumphant homecoming was filmed for "xxx ALL AGES xxx," a documentary about 1980s hardcore punk scene in Boston. Since then, DYS has gone on to play a number of shows including the House of Blues, Boston, MA, in support of both the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' 13th annual Hometown Throwdown, and the Dropkick Murphy's St. Patrick's Day stand, NYC's infamous Black and Blue Bowl. the Sound and Fury Festival in Santa Barbara, Rumble Fest in Chicago, the legendary Gilman in Berkley CA, SXSW for Shirt's for a Cure's 10th anniversary showcase and Europe's Groezrock festival.
The current line-up of DYS: Dave Smalley - Vocals, Jonathan Anastas - Bass, Adam Porris - Guitar, Franz Stahl - Guitar, Al Pahanish Jr. - Drums
