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.
Priceless
Snapcase Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you sell your soul
Have you sold your thoughts to greed's control
Do you have the mind
To break away
A slave to the man
Your life is chained
What are you going to do
And where are you going to go
When you're all alone with your empty goals
Behind these walls and facades you hide
We see you smile when you cry inside
You cry for life
A valued life that one can't buy
Success is money?
Your life's based on a lie
You can't sell
You can't sell me
So, can you find your life since you've sold your soul
Have you lost your heart to greed's control
Do you bow down and kiss the ground
To your possessions your life is bound
The lyrics in Snapcase's song "Priceless" describe the dangers of greed and materialism. The song questions whether someone would sell their life, soul or thoughts to satisfy their greed. The lyrics suggest that being a "slave to the man" and being chained to material possessions is not the way to live a fulfilled life. The song warns about the negative consequences of buying into the idea that success is solely based on money and possessions. The lyrics urge listeners to consider the value of a life that cannot be bought and question whether they have lost their heart to greed's control. The song is a call to break away from materialism and find true meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
So, would you sell your life
Are you willing to trade your existence?
Would you sell your soul
Are you willing to give up your moral values and beliefs?
Have you sold your thoughts to greed's control
Are you under the influence of greed and materialism?
Do you have the mind
Do you possess the ability
To break away
To free yourself
A slave to the man
You are under the control of society's standards and expectations
Your life is chained
You are restricted by societal pressures and norms
What are you going to do
What will you choose to do?
Well you've bought your image and you've lost your soul
You've sacrificed your self-worth for societal validation
And where are you going to go
What path will you take?
When you're all alone with your empty goals
When you realize the shallowness of your desires
Behind these walls and facades you hide
You pretend to be something you're not
We see you smile when you cry inside
You fake happiness while feeling empty inside
You cry for life
You grieve the loss of true life and fulfillment
A valued life that one can't buy
True happiness cannot be purchased
Success is money?
Are we conditioned to believe that money equals success?
Your life's based on a lie
Your existence is built on falsities
You can't sell
You cannot trade or sell
You can't sell me
I cannot be bought or sold
So, can you find your life since you've sold your soul
Can you rediscover your true self after sacrificing your beliefs?
Have you lost your heart to greed's control
Has materialism taken over your emotions?
Do you bow down and kiss the ground
Do you idolize your material possessions?
To your possessions your life is bound
Your worth is tied to your belongings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRYAN WILLIAMS, TIMOTHY Z. MOSLEY, DWAYNE CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind