There’s an art to looking back. For Caskets, it could have been easy to plough forwards regardless, riding the wave of success from their breakthrough debut ‘Lost Souls’ that opened tours up across the United States and mainland Europe, and secured appearances at landmark festivals Download and Slam Dunk. But having swapped the bedrooms that fostered album number one for countless hours on the road, reflecting on that journey and the decisions that led them down certain paths quickly became unavoidable. Now tackling the realities of a busy band schedule, spending the best part of two years in shared tour buses and hotel rooms, those reflections have become collective.
If ‘Lost Souls’ was primarily driven by vocalist Matt Flood’s personal experiences, sophomore album ‘Reflections’ delivers a wider picture of Caskets as a whole, borne out of the usual interpersonal differences that all bands face at least once in their career. For some it marks the end, but for others it fosters a collaborative environment that pushes the music well beyond what has come before. “Difficult stuff happening made our relationship stronger because we’re now not afraid to voice our opinion and we know it will be respected,” Matt notes, fittingly looking back on the moments that began to shape Casket’s hugely dynamic second record.
The result reflects each individual member of Caskets, with Matt joined by guitarists Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson, bassist Chris Mcintosh, and drummer James Lazenby. “When your drummer is bringing you full demos with lyrics, that’s a strong foundation for me to work off” Matt smiles, recalling the moment James – alongside the others - arrived with a near-complete demo track for the record. “We all know each other a lot better than we did before; we know each other’s likes, dislikes, how to wind each other up and chill each other out. That ease we all have with each other is and was a massive help when it comes to the song writing process.”
“’Reflections’ shows how much more we can get out of the band musically if we all put our heads together a bit more,” Matt beams, positive about a record that not only showcases Caskets as a full entity but represents the impressive range of influences that have soundtracked the five piece’s times on the road and in the studio, helping to rapidly expand their sound. “It’s always about the music, that’s the whole point of being in a band,” he concludes. “If we can fit as much into our sound but it still sounds like us, that’s my lifelong goal with Caskets.”
Jewel case CD
Tracklisting
1. Believe
2. More Than Misery
3. In The Silence
4. Too Late
5. By The Sound
6. Six Feet Down
7. Silhouettes
8. Guiding Light
9. Hate Me
10. Better Way Out
