Snapcase – End Transmission 
by Scott Slapp 

Before I begin let me say that this review was majorly delayed. I was given this CD months ago to review and for some reason it got misplaced, then a couple days ago my girlfriend was snooping through my CD’s and pulled this one out and said “Wow, I saw these guys a few years ago, they rocked!”  I turned to look at who it was and low and behold it was Snapcase.  I knew I screwed the pooch on this one and decided, well better late then never. So here it is and I want to apologize for the delay. 

“End Transmission” is 13 tracks of full on hardcore power. Screw the imitators, Snapcase are one of the most well known hardcore bands for a reason, they know how to throw down and deliver the pure rock fury without submitting to petty gimmicks or trying to entice the mainstream into their fold with the infusion of pop. 

Snapcase never stray from the fold and bring it with guitars, drums and bass and the unmistakable vocals of Daryl Taberski. There are more melodic moments here but they never cross the invisible line of credibility. The band has progressed over the years and let’s be honest if they simply rehashed “Progression Through Unlearning” or “Lookinglasself” ever year people would move on to other things. They don’t take major steps outside the box that is their core sound but on this album they have infused some modern sounds into the mix. It’s not quite nu-metal but it treads in that direction and that has turned some purist off but also excites others like myself who hear some promise in that musical direction if it is done right and not overly produced. In this case, Snapcase hit the nail right on the proverbial head and have yet again carved out a niche for themselves and solidified their position at the top of the hardcore mountain. 

Old school fans should rest assured that Snapcase haven’t strayed from the flock but have instead branched out a bit in search of taking the genre in new directions. It’s still hardcore but it’s also something new and that’s how band become great, by taking something familiar and molding it into something new. This CD isn’t a great new leap forward but instead a small jump in a new direction and we’ll have to wait and see where that leads when the band releases their next CD but for now this CD has more than enough to keep your attention, especially if you take a peak at the lyrics and search for the underlying concept that ties this album together.  Is this a concept album? Could be or it might not be, that is best left to the listener to decide. 
 
 

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