New songs, different voices

Snot

ALIVE!

HIP-O/Geffen Records

A giant toilet bowl…

Snot

ALIVE!

HIP-O/Geffen Records

A giant toilet bowl sits almost 30 feet in the air on the main stage of Ozzfest ’98. The five lads of Limp Bizkit emerge from the depths of the bowl and begin to rock a 10,000-plus crowd. A sixth figure slowly begins to shimmy out of the giant bowl. A large Snot sticker on the stomach of James Lynn Strait is the only thing between his naked body and thousands of stunned spectators.

The charismatic and uninhibited front man of Snot has just won a $500 bet with Limp’s frontman Fred Durst. Before security has time to react to the hilarious situation on stage, Strait manages to have an explicit encounter with a Bizkit backup dominatrix before fleeing to the backstage area. After darting past hysterical Ozzfest matriarch Sharon Osbourne, Strait reports to police he’s a member of Megadeth.

The hot summer shows of Ozzfest ’98 took place at time when rock music basked in the warm rays of several promising up-and-coming acts. Second-stagers System of a Down and Incubus would go on to become two of the most innovative and popular acts of the new millennium.

Snot was also a second-stage act in the forefront, leading the rock movement with a sound that combined energetic hardcore riffs and vocals with bluesy verses and jazzy breakdowns.

This immensely energetic and original quintet consisting of James Lynn Strait on vocals, Mikey Doling on guitar, John “Tumor” Fahnestock on bass, Sonny Mayo on guitar, Jamie Miller on drums and Strait’s dog and band symbol Dobbs, were comfortably seated in the front of a roller coaster that would lead Incubus and System of a Down to stardom.

Tragically, Strait and Dobbs ended their ride prematurely on Dec. 11, 1998, in an accidental car crash and pileup on a highway exit. Strait was on his way to a California recording studio to work on his vocal tracks for the follow-up to their 1997 debut Get Some.

The news of 30-year-old Strait’s untimely death sent shockwaves through the rock scene. Everyone from the Osbournes to Sevendust was crushed by this tragic news. The surviving members of Snot were left with music but no vocals for an album that looked as though it would never see the light of day.

Doling and Fahnestock decided to call Strait’s friends and peers to help with the album. Serj of System of a Down, all of Sevendust, Brandon of Incubus, Max of Soulfly, Jon Davis of Korn, Corey of Slipknot, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and Dez of Coal Chamber were just a few on a long list of contributors to the album. The guests’ lyrics all reflected mourning and heartfelt loss about Strait. The album they ultimately released was titled Strait Up, and became one of the greatest rock collaborations of our time.

ALIVE! is the newest contribution from the Snot legacy. Produced by Doling and Fahnestock, ALIVE! consists of 12 live tracks recorded in May 1998 in Hollywood, Calif. The album also includes one unreleased studio track, a collage of photos of Strait and Snot, and an enhanced portion with videos and live performances for your computer. The album is must for any Snot fan.

The average hardcore rock fan would do himself a huge favor by picking up Get Some, and then snagging ALIVE! to see and hear how a live show is done. James Lynn Strait left this world at the beginning of what could have been an amazing ride to stardom. Although we are no longer blessed by his talented, energetic and unforgettable presence, he lives on through music that has forever affected the rock world.