Caskets – Lost Souls
Release Date: 13th August 2021
Label: Sharptone Records
Order
Genre: Alternative Metal, Metalcore, Post-Hardcore.
FFO: Galleons, Time the Valuator, Holding Absence, Outline in Colour, Hands Like Houses, Speech Patterns, Siamese.
Review By: Ryan Shearer
I was speaking to my partner the other day about what songs give her goosebumps. I often get goosebumps with my favourite bands like Erra, Spiritbox, Holding Absence & Time, The Valuator and never thought much of it, however she looked at me a bit confused. “Songs give you goosebumps? That’s weird,” her eyes said. I Googled it (as you do) to see if I was, in fact, weird. Turns out, around 55% of people get goosebumps when they listen to music that gives them an emotional reaction. It’s called ‘frisson’. Why do I raise this you ask – Caskets are a band I can add to this elite club of frisson-inducing artists. Their latest album Lost Souls is an emotional freight train that’ll get them goosebumps going if you’re one of the 55%.
For those listening to Caskets, they may sound familiar – they recently changed their name from Captives. If you’re anything like me, you may’ve heard their song Signs back in 2018 and kept an eye on the bands ever since.
Lost Souls opens with The Only Ones, it is such a fantastic intro to vocalist Matt Flood’s dangerously impressive vocal range. The chorus on Clarity, the harmonies on Hopes & Dreams, & the pseudo-scream on The Final Say are just a handful of sections where the vocals are outstanding, but to single out only a few is unfair. Matt’s performance is unquestionably stellar every moment he is audible on Lost Souls. With masterful control of melismatic passages and creative composition over fairly simplistic instrumentals, Matt is one of the elements that makes Lost Souls, and Caskets generally, such a pleasure to listen to.
Caskets don’t neatly fit in a particular genre to their credit. They are an alternative metal band with elements of metalcore and a healthy dose of post-hardcore. They touch upon their heavier side throughout but never really cut loose until Drowned in Emotion; it features an unexpected (but absolutely welcomed) breakdown towards the end. The guitars are groovy (the main riff of Lose Myself I can imagine would go down so well in a live setting) and the guitar tone is another strength of Caskets. It’s clear and aggressive; ambient lead melodies such as in the bridge of Lose Myself are also fantastic ways to add extra depth to compositions.
There isn’t a massive variation of styles on display, but the more alternative tracks like the hopeful and acoustic Hopes & Dreams and the tense, electronically driven One More Time help to prevent the structure becoming repetitive. The instrumentals never have any truly stand-out moments that make you step back and really appreciate a motif or section, but that isn’t Caskets strength. They don’t need a lot of flair to pluck your heart strings like a harp. Matt Flood lays out his vulnerabilities and wears his heart on his sleeve to deliver a truly emotional and memorable performance.
Lost Souls delivers on all the aspects that make Caskets such a popular band in the scene. For existing fans it will satisfy, and for people discovering the band through this album it’s a great entry point. 
(4.5 / 5)
