Band:	Verbal Abuse
Album:	Just An American Band
Style:	Hardcore
Release date:	May 1983
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. Power Play
02. Leeches
03. I Hate You
04. Social Insect
05. Boredom
06. Bud
07. Disintegration
08. Unity
09. Free Money
10. I Don't Need It
11. Verbal Abuse
12. American Band [Grand Funk Railroad cover]
13. Intro [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
14. Verbal Abuse [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
15. Emotional Constipation [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
16. Disintegration [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
17. I Don't Need it [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
18. Paranoid [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
19. Worth A Try [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
20. Free Money [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
21. Unity [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
22. Bud [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
23. Power Play [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
24. I Hate You [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
25. Boredom [live] [2002 re-release bonus]
26. I Wanna Be Me [live] [2002 re-release bonus]

If you are a fan of pure unfiltered hardcore aggression and have worn your Fear and Germs records out, then I have to ask why did you not pick up Just An American Band up earlier? Verbal Abuse created one of the strongest slabs of hardcore that proved to be one of the foundation stones in paving the way for what the genre has come to be.

Racing their way through twelve songs in sixteen and half minutes, Verbal Abuse cram as much as they can into so little that you can feel the songs bulge at the seams. Given the length of the tracks and album, it's somewhat redundant to pick a favourite song, as you can easily hear the whole thing repeatedly and still find an hour hasn't elapsed. If you were to press me, however, I would say for variety try the mid paced fuck you anthem "I Hate You" (with an opening line "You were just a waste of sperm", you learn the band don't waste time on niceties) and the speed demon call to arms of "Unity". Honestly, any song is worth your time, but if you only have three minutes to spare then those two tracks will give you a flavour of the band.

Is Just An American Band well produced? Ptth, hell no, but that is part of its charm; if you don't like the production then you probably won't enjoy much from the early 80s hardcore scene. Its raw fuzziness adds to the charm, with the songs being played with such conviction and power that you feel like you are in a dingy club hearing the band live. Even though the music distorts itself through its sheer power, everything is audible and easy to hear, allowing you to have the best of both worlds.

The guitar of Mastrokalos is taken through its paces and its chainsaw attack runs throughout each song without letting up. James beats his drums as if he were trying to break the things he is beating them so hard. Dodwell's bass serves as both a primal guitar and a low end rumble to shake your chest and compel your heart to beat faster than it has before. Sicki manages to balance sounding relatable yet professional at the same time, conveying the raw emotion with ease.

If you want to delve deeper in early 80s hardcore, and already know the big names in the scene like Black Flag and Dead Kennedys and want to know where to go next, I would highly recommend Just An American Band. Like many of their peers, Verbal Abuse would burn brightly but fade away just as quickly; this is easily their pre-eminent recording. Oh, and by the way, In the time you've taken to read this the album is already halfway through.