Caskets’ Matt Flood Talks The Only Heaven You’ll Know, Heavy Vocals, and Returning to Australia

Interview: Jack Price

With an irresistible blend of lush post-hardcore, modern metallic power, and electronic edges—equal parts towering and raw—Leeds heavy alchemists Caskets have carved out an international reputation both for their music and electrifying live performances.

Released last November, The Only Heaven You’ll Know has already cemented Caskets’ place as one of the most dynamic heavy acts in the UK. Their Australian tour kicks off today, with the band supporting We Came As Romans on their national run and performing at Polaris’ curated festival, Life’s A Beach. In this interview, frontman Matt Flood opens up on the personal writing behind the album, the evolution of their vocals, and what fans can expect from their shows Down Under.

With the album being more personal than Reflections, how was the writing process different on The Only Heaven You’ll Know?

We wanted to go back to the way we wrote Lost Souls. Now we’re a much more connected band and we really understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I realised that telling other people’s stories from the band wasn’t the right way for us to be writing songs.

I truly believe that writing from the heart — from your trauma and the things you’ve been through — is what listeners really connect with and take away from music. I still had a lot I needed to get off my chest, and that’s ultimately why this album feels a lot more personal than Reflections.

The vocals on Heaven have gotten heavy. What was the process of nailing the screams?

A shitload of practice and loads of takes.

We knew we wanted to broaden our sound on this album. A lot of fans had been asking for heavier elements for a while, and we wanted to explore that, but gradually. We did experiment with heavier parts on Reflections, but coming off such an emo record like Lost Souls, it didn’t feel like the right time to go all-in on screaming.

For Heaven, I just practiced constantly, drank a ridiculous amount of water, and tracked loads of different vocal takes. It was also great having both me and Craig screaming — you get two completely different textures. His screams are a lot heavier than mine, which adds another layer to the record.

Were all the vocals written by you, or did the rest of the band chip in?

I wrote the majority of them, but we always go through everything together. The band will tell you I sometimes write a bit too on-the-nose, so they’ll pull me back if a line needs reworking.

That collaboration is important — they’ll say, “This is great, this works,” but maybe suggest rephrasing certain parts. So while most of the lyrics came from me on this album, there’s still a collaborative process involved.

How has the response been to the singles ahead of the album release?

Really sick. I was super nervous releasing the first single, Make Me a Martyr, because it was heavier than anything we’d put out before. That was pretty nerve-wracking.

I was really excited to release The Only Heaven You’ll Know, though — it’s one of my favourite songs on the album and I think it’s one of the strongest. The other two singles flew a bit under the radar, but we didn’t do music videos for them and didn’t want to take the shine away from the first two releases.

Overall, the response has been really positive. I try not to get too bogged down in how individual singles perform — I care more about how the album works as a whole. That’s why we released the singles we did. Sacrifice and Closure are very different to the others and to anything we’ve released before, but we wanted to show we’re not a one-trick band. I didn’t want to put out four songs with the same vibe — variety is important to us.

You’re returning to Australia for your third visit, playing Life’s A Beach alongside Polaris, Thy Art Is Murder, and We Came As Romans. How does it feel to be part of this lineup, and what are your expectations?

I’m super stoked. Life’s A Beach is a stacked lineup, and I’ve never even seen some of these bands live before — let alone shared a stage with them. It’ll be the biggest show we’ve ever played in Australia, which is insane.

It’s crazy to think this will be our third time back. I’m always nervous about places like Australia and the US because they’re two of our strongest markets, so there’s always that curiosity around how things will go. But the last two times have been absolutely unreal.

I also love getting to experience Australian culture — it’s surprisingly similar to life in the UK, apart from the weather and the beaches, which are way better. I’m beyond excited, and I know it’s going to be just as good this time around.

Destroy All Lines Presents

WE CAME AS ROMANS
SUPPORTED BY SPECIAL GUESTS CASKETS (UK)
+ HEADWRECK
TOUR DATES:

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2026 – THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE (18+)
SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2026 – METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY (LIC AA)
SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2026 – KING ST BANDROOM, NEWCASTLE (18+)
WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2026 – MAGNET HOUSE, PERTH (18+)
THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2026 – THE GOV, ADELAIDE (LIC AA)
SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2026 – RIVIERA BEACH CLUB, MELBOURNE (18+)

Tickets from www.destroyalllines.com