 Anastas and his bands were a part of the straight edge movement, made famous by Minor Threat as a call for youth to live a clean and conscientious life, rejecting drugs, alcohol and smoking.DYS are also known for their early role in the crossover movement where hardcore punk bands attempted a more commercial hard rock sound and looked toward recording deals within the mainstream major label system, inventing the idea of a "hardcore power ballad" to describe a track on their second metal-influenced album.Jonathan also wrote and holds publishing rights to the song "Slam" on Modern Method Record's "This Is Boston, Not L.A." collection.