Boy Sets Fire - Snapcase - split - CD (1999)

Labels: Equal Vision
Review by: Ian Cavell

Two tracks from each band and while I would be willing to bet a number of my body parts on the Boy Sets Fire songs being nothing short of spectacular, I wasn’t totally sure what Snapcase were gonna do with their share of the CD. And given the number of negative comments I’d heard about this band I was pleasantly surprised to discover some pretty awesome hardcore lurking within. I suppose, like BSF, they posses a slight metallic edge to their hardcore but that’s fine by me. If the truth be told this is rocking hardcore and not too far removed from BSF and their more aggressive deliveries.

And on to Boy Sets Fire. Two previously unreleased songs from what I can gather and they’re just as powerful as the songs that made up the In Chrysalis EP. Well, maybe the metal/noise fest that is ‘channel’ isn’t quite up to the usual BSF grade but its still pretty cool when you pissed at the world and feel the need to grit your teeth and/or smash something. But its the stunning ‘unspoken request’ which is the real gem here. Capturing the uneasy conflict between pure aggression and melody (god that last line sounds like a Kerrapp! review) this is absolutely amazing.

Snapcase are good, Boy Sets Fire are awesome but why, oh, why did they have to go and ink a deal with Victory?