This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Teen bubble-pop, Latin love dolls, rap-metal twinkies — let’s face it, recent musical fads leave something to be desired. But there’s one emerging trend I welcome with open arms: Smart metal.
Unlike the low-IQ thrash-and-bash of countless leather-and-stud bands of old, contemporary outfits like Dillinger Escape Plan are raising the heavy-metal bar with perceptive lyrics and impressive musicianship. Which brings us to Buffalo’s Snapcase, another practitioner of the form. Their brawny sound is a relentless charge that incorporates the syncopated thrash of speed metal, the stop-start aggression of hardcore punk and the squealing cacophony of noise rock. And they’ve got the brains to match, with lyrics that sound the alarm about our consumerist culture and urge you to break free from your corporate drone lives and “personalize your existence.” It’s a long way from “shake your bon-bon, baby.”
