The band was conceived in 1991, and was originally named Solid State. Orignal line up consisted of Chris Galas (vocals), Scott Dressler (guitar), Joe Smith (guitar), Daryl Taberski (bass), and Mike Kimaid (drums). After the release of their first 7 inch "Comatose", Galas was replaced on vocals by Taberski, Jon Salemi joined and replaced Joe Smith. and Bob Whiteside took over on bass. In 1993, Kimaid left the band and was replaced on drums by Tim Redmond. Their first full length "Lookinglassself" was released in 1993. In 1995, the band released the "Steps" EP. This was the last recording to feature Scott Dressler, who left the band in the fall of 1995. He was replaced by Frank Vicario. In the summer of 1996, "The California Takeover" was released which featured live recordings from Snapcase, Earth Crisis, and Strife.
April 1997 saw the release of "Progression Through Unlearning". 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. A split EP was released in the summer of 1999 with Boy Sets Fire. These were the last recordings with bassist Bob Whiteside. He was replaced by Dustin Perry, formerly of the Minnesota band Threadbare. They headlined Hellfest that summer in Syracuse, NY.
"Designs For Automation" was released in January 2000. They spent most of 2000 on tour, and performed on the Deconstruction tour in Europe with NOFX, played 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.
In September 2002, "End Transmission" was released. Redmond left the band and was replaced by Lythberg. They toured that fall with Boy Sets Fire and Atreyu. The final European 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 End Transmission, along with covers of songs by Helmet, Devo, and Jane's Addiction along with 3 remixes of songs from End Transmission. One of the album's songs, Skeptic, was featured on the game Need for Speed Underground 2 as in-game music. 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 almost of 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 orignal vocalist Chris Galas joined them for the song "Comatose".
The band claimed to have been on "a mission to combine intellectual theory with aggressive music". The members of the band are all straight edge, but according to Frank Vicario, they're "not really singing about it or promoting it".
After Snapcase dissolved, Vicario, Perry and Lythberg formed the band Attractive, with Josh English from the band Sixgoingonseven.
Tim Redmond now teaches AP government at Williamsville East High school.
A retrospective DVD is set for release in 2007, and will feature footage filmed at their final performance in January 2005.
In early 2010, Snapcase confirmed to play a series of shows in Europe including a performance at the 2010 Groezrock Festival in Belgium and also confirmed a reunion show with Sick of It All in Buffalo, N.Y., for May 8, 2010.
Box Seat
Snapcase Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics to Snapcase's song Box Seat explore the problem of cultural dilution and how modern consumer culture forces genuine identities to go underground. The opening line, "so diluted, cannot see a spirit's crying," suggests that people have become so disconnected from their cultural roots that they cannot even recognize when their traditions and customs are being erased. Additionally, the line "my culture's dead and we force them underground" implies that cultural suppression is not a passive process, but rather an active one where people work to eradicate the authentic elements of a given culture.
The rest of the song urges listeners to resist the forces of consumer culture and to embrace their unique identities. The lyrics advise listeners not to "detest [their] differences" or to "defy [their] kind." Instead, they should "stay deeply rooted" and "don't let [their] eyes burn clean," which can be interpreted as a call to maintain their connections to their cultures and traditions. The overarching message is that people should celebrate their individuality and resist the pressure to conform to the bland and homogenous norms of consumer culture.
Line by Line Meaning
so diluted, cannot see a spirits crying
Our society has become so desensitized that we are unable to perceive the emotional pain of our fellow human beings.
my cultures dead and we force them underground
Our culture has lost its authenticity and we suppress those who try to maintain the traditions and customs that define us as a people.
what we consume, are conventional personalities
We are influenced by a consumer-driven culture that promotes conformity and mediocrity.
what eyes can't see, are genuine identities
True identity cannot be judged by outward appearances, we must look beyond the surface to find genuine authenticity.
consumer culture, buying traditions customs stolen, to novelty items
Our consumer culture has commodified even our own traditions and customs, turning them from meaningful cultural practices into cheap novelty items.
stay deeply rooted, don't let your eyes burn clean
We should hold fast to our cultural identity and not let it fade away. We should resist the temptation to conform to societal norms and remain authentic to ourselves.
don't detest your differences
We should embrace our differences and not view them as flaws or obstacles.
don't disguise, unique features
We should not hide our unique qualities, but instead let them shine and use them to define ourselves.
don't despise your eyes
We should not be ashamed of our own perspectives and ways of seeing the world.
don't defy your kind
We should not reject our own culture and heritage, but rather celebrate it and use it to shape our own identity.
don't refuse your mind
We should not blindly conform to societal standards, but instead use our own intellect to think critically and make our own choices.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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