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Milwaukee’s Snag return with their most pissed off and climate-anxious release to date. This time they’re accompanied by legendary screamo veterans Coma Regalia on a full length split LP called MMXXIII.

Sonically, this is Snag at their most dynamic. Sam Szymborski has a knack for sneaking in catchy guitar melodies between angular riffs and ambient textures. His tone is unique in the scene: bright and crisp, complimented by jagged slap-back delay. Bryan Wysocki’s drumming is ferocious, a quality he flaunts at the band’s live shows. His expertise shines on this album in the dynamic range between blastbeats and textural cymbal swells. Peter Murphy’s bass playing ranges from a crushingly sparse groove on “Evelyn” to a pyrotechnic bridge on “On the Human Condition.” This is a band that has very much come into its own since the pandemic.

Lyrically Snag has rarely been so focused. The opening line, “the foundation has broken, no warning” is the perfect preface to a loose collection of panicked vignettes that grapple with the horrific intersections of social and environmental devastation. “Three degrees centigrade/I’ll fix myself an empty plate,” pleads Murphy on “Lyla,” only to turn to “a desert where there was a lake.” The song ultimately sneers at the suggestion that personal failings are to blame for the systemic issues that burden us all: “I’ll fix myself, I’m broken now,” as if doing so on one’s own would in any way help to solve the climate crisis. “Tunnels” takes us underground to the derelict tunnel home of someone who has been chewed up and spit out by the economic order: “they’ve given up and locked me away” as dirty stormwater runoff floods their makeshift home. “Evelyn” begins in shock at the senselessness of gun violence and then draws a direct line from the murder of a friend of the band to the origins of the .556 NATO caliber cartridge that killed her: capture and defense of fossil fuel interests (“the same caliber that stole/ your mother from the world/ was designed to poke holes/ for an empire of oil”. The stark lyrical turn is matched by musical and vocal changes, and this song is almost certainly the conceptual high mark for the band. The melodic gang vocals (about laying flowers on gravestones as sirens fade into the night) that serve as the song’s outro punctuate the song’s central thesis: everything is chaos.

The narrative arc of the album turns into a furious accusation on “On the Human Condition,” reminding us over a churning throb that every single day that any of us wakes up makes things incrementally worse, no matter what we do. It’s a heavy and devastating revelation of hopelessness, and a departure from the cautious optimism seen on Snag’s previous record, Death Doula. Back then, their message was not to let despair take hold: “to suffer is to exist / persist in defiance;” but today they’ve almost given up: “every day you wake up / you only make it worse.” The song ends with a sample of children’s voices over a tornado siren.

Snag consistently ends their albums with their most epic songs. They also like to bisect their albums with softer instrumental interludes. Snag closes out their side with both in A Familiar Feeling, a song that begins with soft acoustic arpeggio and closes with a driving chord progression reminiscent of riding off into the sunset after defeating the final boss of the apocalypse,with guitar riffs that draw inspiration from Meddle-era Pink Floyd, and vocal features from Shannon Taylor of awakebutstillinbed and Edie Quinn of Coma Regalia.


The album shifts gears to Coma Regalia’s side through a tunnel of feedback. Coma Regalia have outdone them, drawing a line from the likes of pageninetynine to Bloc Party. In the tumultuous realms of skramz and hardcore, Coma Regalia's side of MMXXIII emerges as a visceral masterpiece that shatters sonic boundaries and challenges the very essence of raw, unadulterated emotion. This album is an unrelenting odyssey through the depths of disillusionment and a cathartic release of unbridled intensity.

From the very first chords of "Initiate Transfer," Coma Regalia catapults listeners into a whirlwind of despair and defiance. The raw energy that emanates from each anguished scream and frenetic riff is nothing short of gripping. Lyrically, the band delves into the hollowness of societal promises, serving as a stark wake-up call that reverberates with unfiltered emotion.

"Fire/wall" morphs the sonic landscape, weaving intricate guitar work that dances between discordant chaos and heart-rending melody. The lyrics, steeped in metaphors of confinement and shattered dreams, paint a vivid picture of isolation in an unforgiving world. The haunting poetry, "Diamonds in the palm of my hands / I can only crush them in my face," leaves an indelible mark, a testament to Coma’s visceral lyricism.

"Redirect" introduces a haunting spoken word segment, a moment of contemplation amidst the emotional maelstrom. The juxtaposition of nostalgic yearning and fading memories creates a poignant contrast, reflecting the fleeting nature of hope and longing. The impassioned pleas in "Tell me" resonate as a desperate cry for assurance in a world teetering on the brink of despair.

"Algo Error" serves as a haunting requiem for lost innocence and crushed aspirations. The interplay between tormented lyricism and blistering instrumentation creates a sonic tapestry that is simultaneously brutal and tender, underscoring the album's thematic complexity.
Closing with "Log Off," Coma Regalia delivers a devastating conclusion, exploring the harrowing toll of existence in a world driven by relentless machinery.

"MMXXIII" is a masterclass in channeling vulnerability into sonic artistry. Snag and Coma Regalia have crafted an opus that transcends the confines of skramz and hardcore, forging a deeply resonant experience for the listener. This split isn't just a collection of songs; it's a visceral, stirring journey that will leave an indelible mark on the genre.