Words by Tye Blinkhorn
Caskets, hailing from Leeds in the UK, bring their Reflections tour to Australia. Being on the scene since 2018, they have made shock waves in the metal scene with their post-hardcore music. With this lineup of amazing artists, Caskets have brought homegrown talent with worldwide talent, together as one: The Home Team from the USA, Stepson from right here in Brisbane, and Bad/Love from Melbourne. This is the last night of their week-long tour, starting in Perth and ending in Brisbane. Leaving the best to last.
First up on stage, which was very high, especially for the punters at the front, was Bad/Love from Melbourne. The crowd were rearing to go, and it was a split between young and old. People rocked up early to get a taste of some amazing music. I myself hadn’t really heard of these guys, but what was about to happen was going to blow my mind. These guys only had a small set, but what they lacked in stage time did not stop the fact they are clearly here for the long haul, kicking the night off right with heavy riffs and hard-hitting drums Their breakdowns made you want to jump, headbang, and lose control of your whole body. They played songs off their 2021 ‘Life Imitates Art’ album and their 2023 album ‘Mono No Aware Part 2’. Their first track Feel Good was a great opener, bringing everyone to life. With just a few strums of the guitar, these riffs had me hooked, and if this song was anything to go by, it was going to be amazing. Lachlan Monty on guitar looked so calm and collected but brought these riffs to life with ease. He also has a mean growling voice and the way he could rap in this song was electrifying. Landon Kirk had some solid clean vocals and could belt out a good scream complimenting Lachlan’s vocals. In between each song, Lachlan wanted more energy from the crowd, crouching down asking them to give them more, he didn’t want people just standing still, wanting them to jump up and down.
Luke Weber, my gosh can he smack those drums, and bassist Martin Woods brought loads of energy. It was easy to lose yourself within each song, wanting to let loose and rise from the ground. The set list continued with more heavy-hitting numbers including Social Suicide, Saint, Dead Weight, DMU and ending with their latest single UNGOD. These guys did an amazing job getting everyone warmed up.
Without much time to wait, the stage was set and ready for lift off for our very own Brissy boys, Stepson. The band walked out on stage like it was theirs and Brock Alan Conry yells out “What the fuck is up Brisbane!” The crowd goes absolutely wild, screaming with anticipation. Brock responds with “That’s what I’m fucking talking about, you’re all beautiful!”, and without delay they are straight into their first song Eraser; with beautiful clean vocals and nice guitar work from Nickolas Sean Farr (Farry) exploding into drum crazy and hard-hitting riffs with screaming vocals. It’s a song that doesn’t allow you to stand still for long, if at all. The breakdowns and lead guitarist, Nick Bennet (Benno) move right through your soul. Before the second song of their set, Brock introduces the band and thanks everyone for coming out; they “fucking appreciate it”. He says he wants to hear all our voices for this next one, Discover Lonely – it’s their latest single and it’s just as good as the first song, hard-hitting melodic hardcore music at its greatest. During this song, Brock asks the crowd to “wake the fuck up” and wants them to lose their shit in the mosh pit. The set continues with Venom which is soon to be released … and it’s one of their heaviest songs to date – the crowd goes wild for it, like a pack of crazy starved animals looking for their next kill. “Are we still alive, Brisbane? Move it all the way from the front to the back.” It’s impossible not to move your body in a violent spasm. Brock explains that they used to be very sad, and from their second album they play This Is How It Feels.
Brock thanks all the bands and the touring crew, and Corey, who is filling in for their main drummer Jordan Mcdonald who has just had a baby. The last song is Come with Me and Brock asks the crowd to spin like a Beyblade “Spin that shit, spin that shit, go, go, go, go!” They rock out like it’s the end of the world and music will never be played again. It’s heavy, its hard and goes off. These boys are talented, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
The next band on the stage tonight is American boys The Home Team. Now I didn’t know what to expect from these guys as I had never seen them, but I heard there is a massive following for this band, and I now understand why. There was one girl at the barrier who lost her mind when she got the set list handed to her, she lost her shit with excitement. Hailing from Seattle, this was their first time touring Australia. Making their way on stage Brian Butcher (vocals) yells out “How the hell you doing?!” The first song is Watching All Your Friends Get Rich, Butcher jumps in on the intro with some nice clean vocals. You can see from the girls in the crowd that he has the moves. The song has a real fun vibe, not exactly heavy, but it still gets you moving – there is just something about Butcher’s voice that really draws you in. Butcher starts talking and the girls start screaming as he mentions the band’s 2021 album ‘Slow Bloom’ – the crowd knows exactly what he is talking about as the band leads into the title track, ‘Slow Bloom’, with its awesome groove and catchy pop/rock vibe. Guitarist, John Baran and Ryne Olson on bass are in sync with everything they do. They are kicking their legs and spinning all over the place like it’s been choreographed. And you should see Baran’s guitar strap, it’s full of studded spikes. So kickass! The whole band’s vibe is intoxicating!
Straight into the next song Brag, with an awesome opening guitar riff, it’s catchy, it has a good rock beat with a pop spirit in the vocals. Butcher tells the crowd that Australia is better than their hometown and they wish they could tour for an extra three weeks. The groove starts rolling for the song Hell, and then it all lets loose with drums and bass jumping in on the groove train. Butcher’s voice takes flight and he takes you to another realm. He shows another side to his voice with a real grunge sound. The fun continues with She’s Quiet, Loud and Overtime. All these songs really get you going, and I am loving every moment of it. Everyone around me is dancing and singing, raising their hands to the sky, showing their appreciation for the music. They finish the set off with ON, Scary Movies and Right Through Me. These guys were a brilliant surprise and will be going on my playlists for sure.
As we wait for the one and only Caskets, I speak to the lady beside me, she proceeds to tells me that she has been to every show since Perth with tonight’s show being the last. That’s dedication! I can understand why though, as all the bands so far have been amazing! To get the show started, the music is turned up loud for Jon Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Everyone is singing loud and proud. Such a classic song, and a really good way to get everyone pumped for the band most people have been waiting for. Thumbs go up as a sign the band is ready, and the music stops ready for their intro backing track, allowing them time to walk on stage. The crowd explodes with cheers and before you know, you are being absolutely assaulted by James Lazenby’s drumming and the guitars of Benji Wilson and Craig Robinson. When Matt Floods vocals get released out into the ether, it feels godly. The first song is Drowned in Emotion, taking you on a journey to a place you didn’t think possible.
“How the fuck are we doing?!” Floods yell out and the crowd responds with an all-mighty war cry. Without any delay, the energy level increases with Believe, feeling all the emotions come out of Floods voice. We’re just two songs in and I’m already wishing the night didn’t have to end. I am jumping and headbanging like never before. I don’t even recognize myself! The stage explodes with all the favourites including Hold Me Now, In the Silence, and the one that started it all for them, Ghost Like You. This song is intensely good live, with its heavy-hitting drum beats. The next song is a tearjerker – The Only Ones, Matt says, “means everything to him” – you can experience the emotion coming through him and he even has tears at the end of the song. It hits you to your core. The songs keep coming with More than Misery, Guiding Light, Lost in Echoes, Glass Heart, finishing way too early in the night with Better Way Out. The crowd participation is a sight to behold and Matt clearly appreciated his fans so much. Tonight was one to put in the memory bank!
Thanks to BigMouth PR
