SNAPCASE
Photo © Christopher K. George
by Kortney Jmaeff
(March 2003)
Hardcore is dead. Seminal stalwarts Black Flag haven't tore up the circuit for close to two decades, At-the Drive In has given way to prog-influenced Mars Volta (De-Loused at the Crematorium was the best release of last year, however) and Sparta, and New York tyrants Madball haven't released anything in close to three years. The genre has grown stale and bloated, the spirit trapped in mid-eighties dusty Cro-Mag, DRI and TSOL releases, long buried under oodles of nu-metal, stoner rock, third-generation garage punk revival and "alternative" (whatever that means) selections that hog your turn-of-the-century valuable CD shelf space. True or False?
FALSE. Snapcase is one such group with an aim to transforming the aforementioned paragraph into complete balderdash. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, hardcore combo Snapcase have soldiered on in the mid-nineties post-grunge wasteland, displaying an unwonted anemia of positivity, endurance, and animated technical savvy. With sagacious lyrics and meaty, razor-edged melodies in tow, this quintet vies to breathe life into a genre caught red-handed resting its own cushy laurels of stark three-chord rants and name-written-in-blood album covers. Shifting the themes of common plebian metal-aggression tendencies of violence and hatred to positive themes of self-affirmation and hope make Snapcase a vicious juggernaut in the trenches of rock and roll's frustrated clutches. From their first release, 1991's Comatose, to 2002's End Transmission, Snapcase have reigned as princes in the hostile kingdom of hardcore.
Snapcase's formula is a tried tested and true lineup of solid musical craftsmanship. Vocalist Daryl Taberski belts out galvanized gems of wisdom with delicate aggression and originally took care of bass duties. Tabreski's favorite musicians of all time include Minor Threat/Fugazi front man Ian McKaye, Pete Townshend, the recently deceased Joe Strummer, David Bowie, Radiohead and At the Drive-In. KISS and AC/DC were also mentioned with fond admiration. Frank Vicario and Jon Salemi provide a plethora of angular guitar lines, tag teaming a host of memorable riffs that complement the lyrics at every twist and turn. Dustin Perry chugs away on the bass as Ben Lythberg keeps time in a tenacious yet precise fashion.
Snapcase rose from the ashes of a band called Solid State, but later switched to its current less generic handle because of its representing an individual displaying qualities of spontaneity, robustness and sheer craziness, like he would snap at any minute. Hailing from Buffalo gave the boys an opportunity to indulge in a healthy supply of hardcore, metal and punk.
A rumination of Snapcase's website (http://www.snapcase.com), cites the group as creating aggressive music with lyrics of self-determination, affirmation and personal challenge. They chalk this up to aspiring to become a missing link of sorts in underground bands. This is accomplished by switching from the norms motifs of loathing, violence, and rage, to the unique beliefs in positivity. They are motivated to take on this formidable task by their own personal perspective, with a desire to soldier on and survive as a band. Snapcase feel a band must grow and evolve to escape the threats of boredom and shoddy workmanship; their own shifts have enabled them to grind through as a unit for over a decade.
The group admits that a mission statement wouldn't do the band's vision justice. Five separate individuals conjure up a multitude of various ideas, individualism and free will reign supreme in the day-to-day business of Snapcase incorporated. Concerned less with a specific image or a primary direction, Snapcase inspires to motivate their fans to achieve confidence and integrity by making their own choices, bypassing all of life's cornucopia of distractions. Snapcase understand that underground music is a capital way for adolescents to consummate an identity, and believe that too many bands are guilty of thrusting their beliefs onto their fan base. They endeavor to make those honest-hearted masses question the correct course for them individually, and see through the balderdash quasi-"political" bands that play on the crowds' frustrations by resorting to phony brownie-point tangents.
The volatile political scene of the United States of America makes for interesting conversation. Regarding the stance of these new groups agendas, the question was opened, will these pubervescent punkers take on the issues of politics and serious issues, or opt for the more prominent candy-coated, head-in-the-sand cornball pop punk agenda? Daryl agreed that the goofy, happy bands tend to lighten up matters, but feels that, although joviality has its place in life and the cinema, he's not a fan of the goofball musicians. Daryl also feels an absence of the serious musicianship at the top of the charts and is unsure if this will change in the future.
Another visit to Snapcases website will gratify you with a discussion forum, presenting a question to Snapcase partisans, "Snapcase is the perfect soundtrack for _____." Daryl was required to supply the answer. He related how Pete, from Sick of it All was known to listen to Snapcase 1997 release Progression Through Unlearning as he went to the gym, ran on the treadmill, and lifted weights. The disc motivated him to push ahead and continue with his grueling workouts. This was a compliment of enormous vastness for Snapcase, describing New York's hardcore titans Sick of it All as "legendary."
With major retail outlets reducing the price of their compact discs due to software marauders Kazaa and Napster pillaging sound files, this may create feelings of ill will toward these programs from the bands perspective. Regarding the impact of such aforementioned programs, Daryl relates an interesting story from the road. "It was kind of funny, we just got done doing a European tour, and for the first time ever, someone came up and said "Hey, would you sign my CD for me?" and I said "Sure", and when he pulled it out, it was a burnt copy of our album. And I was like "Whoa, this is definitely a first for me." And I looked at him, and he just said, "Hey, I downloaded on the Internet, and I liked it, and I came to see you guys." I was like that's cool, fair's fair." Daryl took a stroll down memory lane to the age of 15, remembering his cassette tape copying days. CD burning and downloading don't seem like a tyrannical tort in Daryl's outlook.
Originating from the Great White North, Snapcase are no stranger to the acrid winter season that graces its locale. One might theorize that the harsher climate is somewhat responsible for a bands more militant stance. Daryl used to agree with this theory, but examining Canada's lack of serious and dark bands made him reconsider. The success of goony pop-punker canucks Sum 41 provided another stroke against the theory. Daryl used to believe that New York had a tenebrous, scrappy scene and Los Angeles a lighter, poppier feel, but examining several Los Angeles bands (the heavy pessimists Black Flag and the sultans of speed metal Slayer) made him toss out the theory as inconclusive.
A quick glance at Snapcases freshest release, 2002's End Transmission would puzzle the onlooker as to where to file the selection in the CD slather. The futuristic, refined lavender and ivory cover make it a camouflage hardcore selection, looking more in fashion alongside blippy electronic din. Snapcase have always paid attention to detail, as seen from the surreal paintings on 1997's Progression through Unlearning and 2000's Design for Automation. This time around, they opted for the futuristic cloak in order to switch gears: a different album with different production, lyrical content and approach to songwriting. Although still sounding like Snapcase, the album marks a transformation, right down to the artwork, which leaves a lot to the imagination but still provides an eye catching journey. The CD inserts multitudinous layers mark a welcomed departure from the passé written-blood-on-the-cover standard that plague the genres art. Nullifying stereotypes is one of Snapcase's main focuses, as seen from End Transmissions ultra modern disguise.
Hardcore is NOT dead. Truly, the efforts of the warriors of Snapcase make it possible to recall a day when meaty hardcore dirges blasted through the households of adolescents more frequently, a welcome gasp of air amidst rocks lost pages. For those seeking to continue on in the true spirit of hardcore, November 4th marked the release of Snapcases latest, Bright Flashes. Will this document another transition in the ever-evolving Buffalonians canon? Obtain a copy and let the melodic dissonance of Snapcase reinvigorate your passion for nu-hardcore.