With dark lyricism, imagery, and tones, but anthemic, irresistible hooks, it's not easy to pigeonhole Maybe I'll Catch Fire. Compared to the rougher, faster Goddamnit, Maybe I'll Catch Fire saw Skiba and bassist/co-frontman Dan Andriano getting more dynamic, experimenting with slower tempos, and writing catchier songs, but they were still in much less radio-friendly territory than they'd be a year later. As good as the Vagrant era is, there's a charm to the rawer Maybe I'll Catch Fire that you can't get from any of the Trio's other albums. It was their last album with original drummer Glenn Porter and last for Asian Man Records before the Trio signed to Vagrant, polished up their sound, and released 2001's breakthrough From Here to Infirmary (their sole album with drummer Mike Felumlee before recruiting Derek Grant). These days, Matt Skiba has a bigger platform than ever as Tom DeLonge's replacement in blink-182 (though Alkaline Trio also have a solid new EP out), but back when the "All the Small Things" video was ruling TRL, Matt was the co-frontman of the burgeoning Chicago punk band Alkaline Trio, who made good on the promise of their 1998 debut album Goddamnit with their 2000 sophomore LP Maybe I'll Catch Fire. It has all the grit and attack of a true-blue hardcore record, but within Jason Shevchuck's gravelly shouts were bright melodies that any of the major label bands would've been jealous of. Dan Yemin would go further in a hardcore direction with his next band Paint It Black, while vocalist Jason Shevchuk would get even more melodic with his next band None More Black, but Shorter, Faster, Louder sat right on top of that fence between pop punk and hardcore, leaning over towards one side and then back to the other but never jumping fully onto one side. Their label Jade Tree called it an "album so straightforward, precise, and skillfully executed, it probably had to be their last," and it's hard to disagree with that too. In 2000, they got ahead of all the fans and critics who would've surely called their sophomore album "shorter, faster, louder" by naming the album that, and this 18-song, 24-minute collection very much lives up to its title.
After the 1997 breakup of Lifetime - who were a huge influence on a lot of the bands on this list - guitarist Dan Yemin formed Kid Dynamite, whose 1998 self-titled debut remains one of the finest melodic hardcore albums of the '90s.