DFL aka Dead Fucking Last, the iconic ‘90s hardcore band that featured first wave punker Monty Messex and skater “Crazy Tom” Davis, will reissue their landmark third album Grateful… on August 19th via SBAM Records and Say-10 Records. The new version is presented in a deluxe format, pressed in thick 180 gram vinyl, housed in a heavy duty jacket, and with maximum care taken to preserve the art and layout of the original record. The record can be pre-ordered here: SBÄM Shop (sbam.rocks)
Originally released on Epitaph Records in 1997, Grateful… represented a quantum leap for DFL… and also ended up being the band’s destruction. On the LP, DFL tear forward with their iconic early 80s-hardcore-as-filtered-into-the-90s attack. But, while the base of the record is all riffage, screaming, and moshing, the album also found the band pushing their sound to its limit. “We were breaking all the molds, knocking down doors!” says Davis. “Life was one big fucking Eggo waffle!” 

As Davis says, the band was expanding their vision of hardcore: “Four + Twenty” features pro-skater Paulo Diaz contributing a tabla and nose-flute freak-out.   “Powerless” is a slow-motion crusher calling back to bands like Black Flag and Flipper. “Live For Today” features cowbell from a Balinese fortune teller/Cannabis farmer. ”We are the dead!” features those words screamed over and over and over.

Yet, while Grateful… found DFL merging classic hardcore with far-out ideas, the band was also tearing apart at the seams. Just before the band released the triumphant and daring record… they broke up, without ever touring on the release. Messex explains, “To be honest, I don’t know for sure what caused the band to collapse. I’m guessing poor communication and lack of respect had a lot to do with it. When you don’t have those things, it’s pretty much a shit show!”

Despite the band destroying themselves just before they released their most ambitious record, Grateful… has stood the test of time, remaining a cult favorite among fans for being one of the few records to be experimental while retaining a classic hardcore punk base.

Davis says, “I think Grateful… did transfer over a lot of truth, honesty and freedom from my Point-of-view.  At the time, my life was good! I had it all a killer band, hot rods, great friends, and we were having the time of our lives during the recording. But, little did I know that I was foreshadowing the future with my lyrics a long a difficult path I was destined to follow over the next couple of decades.”

Messex adds, “To be honest, Grateful… was a pretty chaotic and turbulent time in my personal life. Ironically, I did not have a lot of gratitude at the time. I think we put out a really good hardcore record, but then we broke up, so I think the songs never got their due. Now, we’re getting that chance.”

Grateful… is out via SBAM and Say-10 records on August 19th.. Band members are available for interview.

2022 European Tour Dates:
30 July – Stuttgart, Germany – Juno West (w/ Get Dead)
31 July – Linz, Austria – Sbam Fest (w/ Get Dead, Love Equals Death)
01 August – Munchen Germany – Unterdeck (w/ Love Equals Death)
02 August – Berlin, Germany – Franken (w/ Scheisse Minelli)
03 August – Frankfurt, Germany –Tiko (w/ Love Equals Death, Urethane)
04 August – Hamburg, Germany – Astrastube
05 August – Solingingen, Germany – Waldmeister (w/ Love Equals Dearth)
06 August – Duffel, Belgium – Brakrock (w/ Get dead, Love Equals Death)
07 August – Arnhem, Netherlands – Willemeen (w/ Love Equals Death)

DFL is:
Tom Davis – Vocals
Monty Messex – Guitar
Patrick Sullivan – Bass
Jordan Jacques – Drums