Rowan Bruce @ The Globe, Cardiff
March 18, 2025| Shannon Harewood-Malone |LIVE REVIEW
Live Review: Colorblind and Caskets | Rebellion, Manchester | 22/02/2025
Embarking on a run of shows across the UK and Europe before gearing up for their North America tour later his year, melodic metalcore outfit Caskets prove you don’t need new music to keep old fans happy at sold out Rebellion bar in Manchester.
Colorblind
It’s an early start for a Saturday night, the doors already having been open for over an hour by the time the support band take to the stage at 7:30pm. Despite being their second ever show this side of the pond, the venue is already packed as self-described dreamcore quartet Colorblind from Austin, Texas open with pop-rock single ‘Motionless’. Vocalist Travis Moseley’s high tone is instantly reminiscent of Sleeping With Sirens’ Kellin Quinn or Devin Oliver of I See Stars. Unfortunately, throughout the set, his mic is too low in the live mix for him to really stand out against the volume of the rest of the band. Their next few songs ‘Stay’, ‘Everything but Faith’ and ‘Needle Eye’ occupy the same pop, rock and R&B intersection that bands like Pallisades and Issues operate in, whilst adding their own hazy, dreamlike spin. Those who have done their homework are instantly recognisable in the otherwise subdued crowd. A loud couple in the centre single-handedly carry the calls for audience participation, while a few dedicated fans lining the barrier to the stage sing every word back to the band. Colorblind wait until their final song to venture into the more confident, heavier rock sound of ‘Way Out’, guitarist Justin Page chiming in with some well-placed screams that deliver the fuller sound that’s been missing from previous tracks. It’s a shame they’ve waited until the end of their set to plant their feet more firmly in the rock genre, as it garners the best response from the crowd who bang their heads in time with the thumping drums. However, they hint there’s more of this sound to come on their upcoming debut album, which is “a collection of all the things we’ve wanted to do and gives a 360° view on everything we’re capable of as a band”.
Colorblind
Caskets
The energy in the packed-out room surges as the lights dim. Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer blares through the speakers as Leeds melodic metalcore outfit Caskets arrive on stage bathed in lights tinted the golden hue from their two album covers to date. Kicking straight off with ‘Guiding Light’ the crowd is belting the opening lyrics back to frontman Matt Flood within seconds, and it’s no surprise from the volume of the singalong that tonight’s show is sold out. While Caskets rely predominantly on powerfully high, belted vocals and electronic-rock infused melodies for their impact, tonight their live renditions are noticeably heavier. This is no clearer than on ‘Hate Me’, where rhythm guitarist Craig Robinson’s low screams amidst the drop-tuned guitars provide a much more full and textured sound than the studio version where his vocals are buried too deep to be as impactful. Based on the mixed confidence in headbangs from the crowd, it’s clear which end of the radio-friendly metalcore spectrum members of the crowd have come from.
Having bypassed the technical issues resulting in one or both guitarists briefly off-stage for the first three songs, every hand is up and clapping in time as the bridge builds for ‘Hold Me Now,’ Matt’s vocals soaring through the high notes that come to him easier on the album than tonight. The crowd latches onto a mid-set callback to their 2021 debut album Lost Souls as the pounding drums and synthy melodies of ‘Drowned In Emotion’ are instantly recognisable to the fans crammed into the lower floor of the venue. Immensely personal track ‘The Only Ones’ is met with similar vigour, every member of the crowd belting out the emotional lyrics alongside Matt, who takes time to tearfully thank those who’ve come out tonight for supporting them on their journey since their debut. About to depart on tour across North America after this string of shows across the UK and Europe, they emphasise just how much special it is to perform somewhere so close to home.
Despite the grit in tonight’s live performance, it takes until the frustrated riffs of ‘Signs’ from their 2019 Ghost Like You EP break out four songs from the end of the set before a pit opens up. Measly and ephemeral in nature, it’s abandoned before it’s had a chance to really get going, the more experienced members of the crowd losing interest once they realise the vigour isn’t quite there. Fan favourites ‘Lost In Echoes’ and ‘Glass Heart’ make up for any lost momentum, solidifying tonight’s audience as a sing along crowd as the volume again rises to near roof-lifting on the anthemic choruses infused with equal parts synth and riffs, fans daring to follow Matt on the high notes which seem just out of reach for both him and them. The slowed down bridge of ‘Glass Heart’ perfectly builds tension, the crowd hanging on every word as the final chorus kicks in, the hands aloft in the air giving the impression that this is the singular moment everyone has been waiting for all night. The slower, resonant track ‘Better Way Out’ seems an odd place to finish after the highs of the previous song, but a sense of finality washes over both audience and band as Matt takes one long, last look at the fans before him as he leaves the stage. The crowd begs for an encore that ultimately never comes, leaving the show to finish promptly at 9:30pm much to the approval of the few members of the audience creeping towards their thirties and beyond. Despite no hints of new music to follow 2023’s Reflections, tonight’s reception is a clear indication the fans are still eager to celebrate Caskets current body of work for a while longer.
