DIAL-7

Rap-rock is thriving nationally, and Laguna Beach-based Dial-7’s high-octane sound--with reggae and funk in the mix--is one of its galvanizing forces.

Moshing, crowd-surfing alt-rock fans often feel drained after a Dial-7 concert, a communal experience at which audience and quintet rail against social injustice, moral corruption and racism.

The band’s music is borne of personal, sometimes tragic experiences. “MacFly” was written by lead singer-rapper Michael Lord after he was beaten by a skinhead. Among the cuts on Dial-7’s album “Never Enough Time” (Warner Brothers, 1998) is Lord’s moving tribute to his late brother and original band member Steven “Kid Bone” Lord, killed in 1996 in a drunk driving-related auto accident.

The spiritually conscious, racially mixed band looks inward and above for strength.

The musicians formed a tight bond when they shared a communal flat in Laguna Canyon. Among the things they endured together: the mudslides in 1998 that tore through the canyon. They later gave a benefit in Santa Ana for victims.

Performances locally have included ones at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, the Sun Theatre and the Doheny Days alt-rock festival.

The band members--in addition to Lord there is guitarist Chris Robosan, bassist Russell Barrett, drummer Michael Hernandez and DJ Danny--are intense on stage but know when to chill out.

They take comfort in quieter moments backstage where friends and loved ones hang out, sharing a kiss and hug, a laugh or two, or even a prayer.

The band has just released a five-song EP, “Groovy Galactic.”

That’s meant to tide over fans while work is completed on its next full-length album. Which is where Dial-7 is focusing its energy right now: making new music in its hard-charging, crowd-revving style.