Snap
napcase has picked up the
straight-edge
torch where stalwarts Judge,
Gorilla Biscuits, and Youth
Of Today left off. Playing a
crushing, metal-oriented,
double-barreled brand of
hardcore, they are serenaded
at live shows with fierce sing-
alongs, kids screaming vocal-
ist Daryl Taberski's lyrics in
celebration of their predomi-
nately alcohol and drug-free,
straight-edge allegiance.
But, unlike fellow label-
mates, Earth Crisis and Strife,
who preach and cater to a
seemingly homogenous sect,
the Buffalo, NY-based band is
more concerned with influ-
encing people "to think for
themselves, even if it means
not being straight-edge," says
drummer Tim Redmond.
Sounds almost counter-
intuitive or even blasphe-
mous for one of the pre-
miere straight-edge
hardcore bands, doesn't
it? Yet, this viewpoint
highlights the underly-
ing paradox that sets Snapcase apart from
what has become a largely uniform crowd.
"We want to make hardcore more inclusive
and less exclusive as a scene and welcome a
wider variety of people," says Taberski.
In a scene that takes its social conscience very
seriously, the members-which also includes gui-
tarists Jon Salemi and Frank Vicario, and bassist
Bob Whiteside-are more interested in introspec-
tion. They are a band that champions self-dis-
covery rather than blind cries for unity and faith.
"Kids are always trying to take a band's
words as their own, and there is a problem
with that," says Taberski. "A lot of these
kids jump right into it for the trend, and
a year later they're not into it and
haven't learned a thing."
This focus on self-exploration is evi-
dent through the mind-numbing riffs
and angry howls of their new record,
appropriately entitled Progression
Through Unlearning. The opening line
off the first track "Caboose" even
demands: Do you know yourself?
Says Redmond, "We are putting this
stuff out, and it's not like, 'This is what's
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New Jersey Hardcore, West coast
melody meets east coast fury
THE WARPED TOUR
July
San Diego, CA
3&4
Los Angeles, CA
Lake Tahoe, CA
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA
Vancouver, British Columbia
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary,
Salt Lake City, UT
Denver, CO
Milwaukee, WI
Chicago IL
Chicago, IL
Toronto, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Buffalo, NY
Cleveland, OH
Detroit, MI
Pittsburgh, PA
New York, NY
Asbury Park, NJ
Cape Cod,
MA
25
26
27
29
or Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
30
31
August
Atlanta, GA
Panama City, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
3
Orlando, FL
5
Houston, TX
BUILT TO LAST
THE NEW ALBUM
Produced by Gggarth and Sick Of It All
up,' but more like, "This is what we are going
through, is this what you're going through too?""
The new record, which is a follow-up to their near-classic,
Lookinglasself, "has a lot of energy and it's really raw sounding,"
says Taberski. "Our previous records sound somewhat lifeless
compared to how we sound live." Yet, Progression...not only fulfills
Taberski's promise of capturing the energy from the band's rocket-
fueled live shows, it also has about 12 minutes of live footage,
practice footage, and interviews available with a CD-ROM
player and Quicktime software.
"It's goofy," says Redmond of the interview footage,
"but we just wanted to try something different and
give the people more for their money." Despite their
high-brow introspection and dark, serious music, the
guys are neither dark, nor do they take themselves
too seriously. If they were characters from Happy
Days, "we would all be either Potsy Webber or
Ralph Malph," says a grinning Taberski. Sounds
menacing, huh? "We make everything a big joke.
We can't even go to the supermarket without
throwing stuff around, running down the aisles,
and creating havoc."-Joseph Epstein
Also New:
Nobodys-"The Smell of Victory"
Ip/cd/cs-July 17th
Weston/Digger-"Wilkum To Pennsylvania"
Split 7"-June 17th
HOPELESS
RECORDS
88 FINGERS UP YOOKASS
88 Fingers Louie
"Up Your Ass"
27 Song Discography, includes
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PO Box 7495, Van Nuys, CA 91409
www.hopelessrecords.com
Prices: cd-$10 lp/cs-$7 7"-$4
All prices postage paid in the US, add 25% for foreign orders
TOWER
92 THRASHER