Verbal Assault

The Met gave the Pawtucket hardcore crowd a juggernaut show of a reason to gather a gaggle, backflip into the crowd and slam it up. The age range spans high school backpacks to grey and grizzled. I miss Holy Hands.

Buillet Proof Backpack

Bullet Proof Backpack (Alex, CS, Aidan, and Travis) rock an age-appropriate name, carries a hot hardcore torch, rip up the vocal bark and bite and, do the short, fast and heavy proud with a handful of hooked up riffs. Like it when they go low on the bass and drum kicks. Prom band? Check ‘em out on Bandcamp

Peace Test

Peace Test brings a few more years of experience to their X edge howl. The twin guitar attack gives them space to hit the feedback noise boxes with arched back and facial twists on one side and keep the riffs thick and crispy with stoic affect on the other. Bass and drums lock in the double-time rush. The lead singer shows no mercy to the pit or his vocal cords. Ripped from start to finish. Check out their outdoor live show from June 2021.

Jon Sox - FU's

The FU’s are due a cover page on the AARP mag. Singer Jon Sox looks fit and stylin’ in a vaguely ska get up. Picture of Dorian Grey? Drinks with Ponce de Leon? Only his hairdresser knows for sure. The pit fills in and it seems that most of the slam kids have left the building. Energy still flashes from the stage but the floor seems to be catching its collective breath for most of the set so the effort seems a little one-sided. They put out on "Young, Fast Iranians", "Peer Police", "Radio Unix", "Mexican Cokes", "Warlords", "Rock n Roll Mutha", and "American Band".

Verbal Assault

The energy comes back up when Verbal Assault hit the stage for a 30th-anniversary hometown reunion. Their hints of emo lyrics, use of melody (what about that piano intro before the guitar slams in the first chord of Scared?) and metal hardcore compels and invites you in in a heavy as shit kinda way and was quite influential. The crowd was primed. The floor packed in. Guys who probably groan when they get up from a deep couch were doing backflips out of stage dives. The sardines at the front of the stage looked like a greek chorus singing every line. Singer Christopher Jones works his Christ motif posture, welcomes the faithful to his Trial, and preaches to the willfully converted. Pete Charmiec’s guitar lacerates every tune. The band takes a left turn into a reggae tune that was a bit of a distraction but the monster that is Trial wipes that away.

For the uninitiated or disinclined, the adrenaline rush of hardcore, the pit, the lack of chord changes, and the tenuous grasp on melody - especially absent familiarity with lyrics - can create an illusion of a class 4 tornado drop on your trailer park. I gotta admit that when they come up with glasses that scroll the lyrics as the band plays - follow the bouncing bodies - I’m there. It is, however, like it is with hardcore’s bastard cousin, Metal, once it gets into your blood you are all but ruined for more genteel sonic pleasures.

Buillet Proof Backpack

Buillet Proof Backpack

Buillet Proof Backpack

FU's

FU's

Bob Furapples - FU's

FU's

FU's

Jon Sox - FU's

Jon Sox - FU's

Peace Test

Peace Test

Peace Test

Peace Test

Audience

Backflip - Verbal Assault

Verbal Assault

Verbal Assault