VERBAL ASSAULT was
an American hardcore punk band that started in Newport, Rhode
Island. We played our first show on 21 November 1983, released
a demo (The Masses), three EP's (Learn, On and
Exit), a 7" ("Tiny Giants") and an album (Trial).
Throughout the '80's we toured North America and Europe extensively,
and played our last show on 4 August 1991. (To find out more
about what we did and when we did it, visit the history
section of this site.)
Verbalassault.com came about while planning the rerelease of our
studio recordings, all of which have been harder to find as time
goes on. (The first in the series, Volume One: The
Masses and Learn, is out now. See the CD
section for more details.) Though there have been a lot of delays
in getting this going (as many of you already know), it's also
given me time to develop the site and, most importantly, to hear
from a lot of people about what the band meant to them.
It's that feedback-both very positive and inspiring-which
has pushed me to make this website the most comprehensive record
of Verbal Assault that I can (You can scroll down or click here
for a complete breakdown of what va.com has to offer.) I want
this to be more than a way to flog our wares over the Internet
(though we do offer shirts for sale in our merch section); I hope that this site fires up some
fond memories for the folks that remember us when we were around,
and gives those of you who never heard or saw us a chance to
find out what we were about.
I don't suppose it's possible to have a website
dedicated to a band that split up (amicably) over a decade ago
and have it not be a bit of a nostalgia trip. (And no,
we're not going to have any reunion shows.) But I think what
Verbal Assault was about-heavy, melodic hardcore that in some
ways was ahead of its time; lyrics that tried to be thoughtful
without sloganeering; and a politically progressive stance that
avoided being dogmatic-still has relevance today.
Verbal Assault was, in short, more than music, and that's something that's worth keeping
out there. After checking out the site I hope you agree. (Either
way, feel free to write and tell us what you think.)
Peace,
Christopher Jones
(Christopher Jones was the lead
singer and lyricist for Verbal Assault. He designed-and does
his best to maintain-verbalassault.com.)
