Background
Formation
The band was originally conceived in 1989 in a basement in West Seneca, NY and was named Solid State. In 1989, the lineup was embodied by guitarist Scott Dressler, then a mere 15 years of age, 17 year-old drummer Mike Kimaid, Daryl Taberski, age 18 on bass, and Tiger Balduf, the eldest at 19, on vocals. Prior to recording their first demo as Solid State on January 30, 1990, Quest for Reality, Tiger Balduf left the band to get married, and Mike Kimaid left to join the Lockport, NY based band The Watchmen. In their places instead were Chris Galas on vocals and Peter Dawidzak on drums. Soon after recording this, Peter Dawidzak left the band to go to school. On May 22, 1990, Solid State recorded their second demo, Accept Your Fate, with their friend Mike Lampe, who had assisted with the previous demo, as well. During this recording, the band was comprised of Chris Galas on vocals, Scott Dressler playing guitar, Jason Kourkounis on drums, and Daryl Taberski on bass.
During the spring of 1991, Solid State went through a big lineup shift; Kourkounis left the band to pursue other musical interests, and Kimaid rejoined the band along with The Watchmen guitarist Joe Smith, making the band a five-piece. After these changes to their lineup, the band decided to change their name to Snapcase. Between the years of 1991 and 1992, Snapcase recorded two demos with Dennis Fura, Break The Silence and King of the Mountain. In 1992 the band was signed to Chicago hardcore label Victory Records and recorded their first 7 inch, Comatose, with Mike Sac and Robby Takac that year. After this recording Taberski moved over to vocals, replacing Chris Galas, Bob Whiteside from Buffalo, NY band Support took over on bass, and Jon Salemi joined to replace Joe Smith, who left for school. In 1993, Kimaid left the band after partially recording the band's first album and was replaced by former Buffalo, NY based Slugfest drummer, Tim Redmond, who performed on the rest of the tracks. This full length, Lookinglasself, was released in 1993 and was recorded with Don Fury and Fred Betschen. In early 1995, the band released the Steps EP, which they recorded with Fred Betschen. This was the last recording to feature Scott Dressler, who left the band in the fall of 1995 to go to graduate school. He was replaced by Frank Vicario of Buffalo, NY band Fadeaway. In the summer of 1996, The California Takeover was released which featured live recordings from Snapcase, Earth Crisis, and Strife.
Progression
April 1997 saw the release of Progression Through Unlearning, which they recorded with Steve Evetts, an album which is considered to be revolutionary by many fans of hardcore. The band set out on a summer tour, and featured performances on the Vans Warped Tour. In the fall of 1997, the band took some time off so that members could pursue education. In 1998, the band resumed touring, and was the opening band on the fall tour of the Deftones. They also went into the studio with Brian McTernan in the fall of 1998 to record a cover of the Bad Brains "I", released on Century Media's Never Give In tribute record, and a split EP with Boysetsfire that was released in the summer of 1999. These were the last recordings with bassist Bob Whiteside. He was replaced by Dustin Perry, formerly of the Minneapolis, MN band Threadbare. They headlined Hellfest that summer in Syracuse, NY.
Designs For Automation, the band's third full length album, was recorded in the summer of 1999 with Steve Evetts was released in January 2000. They spent most of 2000 on tour, performing on the Deconstruction tour in Europe with NOFX and playing the main stage of the Vans Warped Tour in the summer. Ben Lythberg began playing drums for the band during the fall, winter and spring while Redmond finished his masters degree.
End Transmission
In 2002, the band focused their creative energy on crafting their new album, End Transmission, with Brian McTernan at Salad Days Studios. This album, their fourth full length album was released in September 2002. Redmond officially left the band soon after the release of the album and was permanently replaced by Lythberg. Snapcase toured that fall with Boysetsfire and Atreyu. Their final international tour was in early 2003. They opened for Bad Religion and Finch in the spring of 2003. Bright Flashes was released in November 2003. This featured songs that were recorded for the conceptual End Transmission album, covers of songs by Helmet, Devo, and Jane's Addiction, and 3 remixes of songs from End Transmission. The band announced in the fall of 2004 that they would be disbanding, and would play their final show in January 2005 in Buffalo, NY. The final show featured appearances by nearly every member who had ever played in the band. Redmond, Dressler, and Whiteside joined Salemi and Taberski for a performance of the song "Lookinglasself", and original vocalist Chris Galas joined them for the song "Comatose".
Intention
Snapcase built a reputation for composing music with complex guitar lines, harmonic distortion, and relentless rhythms. Lyrically, their songs explored themes of self-determination, affirmation, and personal challenge. To many, Snapcase was one of the most progressive and influential bands in independent music, and was dedicated to combining intellectual theory with aggressive music (as the band has claimed). Nevertheless, Snapcase always promoted free-thinking and an unrelenting quest for change, as their socially conscious lyrics reveal. The members of the band are all straight edge, as well, but according to Frank Vicario, they're "not really singing about it or promoting it".
Thereafter
After Snapcase dissolved, Vicario, Perry and Lythberg formed the band Attractive, with Josh English from the band Sixgoingonseven. Tim Redmond currently teaches AP Government and Global history at Williamsville East High School and Scott Dressler is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Villanova University
A retrospective DVD is set for release in 2007, and will feature footage filmed at their final performance in January 2005.
Two reunion shows are set to take place on November 24th and 25th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. And one also on November 20th at Mohawk Place in Buffalo, NY.
Albums
[edit] Full-Length
- Lookinglasself (1993)
- Progression Through Unlearning (1997)
- Designs for Automotion (2000)
- End Transmission (2002)
- Bright Flashes (2003)
EPs
- Comatose 7" (1992)
- Steps EP (1995)
- Snapcase VS. Boy Sets Fire Split EP (1999)
Demos
Compilations
- Only The Strong MCMXCII (1993) "Fields of Illusion"
- Anti-Matter (1995) "Vent"
- Reason For Living (1996) "Caboose"
- The California Takeover (1996)
- Violent World - A Tribute To The Misfits (1997) "She"
- Never Give In - A Tribute To Bad Brains (1998) "I"
- No Borders (1999) "Box Seat"
- To the Bone (1999) "Typecast Modulator)
- Incompatible Vol. 3 (2000) "Ambition Now"
- For Those Who Stand (2001) "Break The Static"
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