Such heavy metal/rap bands as Rage Against the Machine and Korn paved the way for countless other bands in the '90s, including the California outfit, Snot. Many of Snot's fans would agree that what set the group apart from the rest of the pack was their charismatic frontman, Lynn Strait, who injected his hardcore roots into the group's music. But despite a promising future that lay ahead of the group, Strait's tragic death after only a single album would put an abrupt end to Snot by the end of the '90s. Born in Manhasset, New York sometime during 1968, Strait and his family relocated to Santa Barbara, California as a teenager, where he immediately embraced the local punk/hardcore scene. Although he had no previous experience singing in a band, Strait began working with regional groups, and even played bass for an outfit called Lethal Dose. By the mid '90s, Strait had made up his mind to front a group, leading to the formation of Snot. Joining Strait was bassist John Fahnestock, drummer Jamie Miller, plus guitarists Sonny Mayo and Mike Doling, who immediately built a solid following in the Los Angeles area with their explosive live show. The quintet inked a deal with Geffen shortly thereafter, although Strait wasn't present for the signing, as he was busy finishing a month-long sentence in a County Jail.

Snot's debut album, Get Some, was issued in 1997, and although it didn't race up the charts, it did land the group a prime spot on the next year's edition of Ozzfest (during which Strait was arrested at one point for 'indecent exposure' on stage). With rap-metal breaking out into the mainstream (courtesy of such acts as Limp Bizkit), many assumed that Snot would follow suit with their next release, which they were just about to enter the studio to begin work on. But the group never got their shot, as Strait was killed when his Ford Tempo collided with a truck on the 101 Freeway near Santa Barbara at approximately 1 p.m. on December 11, 1998 (also killed in the accident was Strait's beloved dog, Dobbs, who appeared on the cover of Snot's debut). Like other musicians who had died before their time, Strait's stature in the heavy music world continued to grow after his death, which resulted in a tribute album in 2000. Titled Strait Up, the album featured some of rock music's top names providing vocals to the tracks that Strait and his Snot mates were working on for their proposed second disc - including contributions from Jonathan Davis, Fred Durst, Serj Tankian, Max Cavalera, Lajon Witherspoon, and Mark McGrath, among others. The summer of 2002 saw another posthumous Snot release, the in-concert set, Alive!. In addition to his handful of recordings with Snot during his brief career, Strait also appeared on the track "Down" by Tura Satana (off their 1998 release, All is not Well). ~ Greg Prato, Rovi