Lorna Shore – ‘And I Return To Nothingness’

Deathcore is currently undergoing an enormous revival, with bands like Brand Of Sacrifice, Shrine Of Malice and Slaughter To Prevail all breathing new life into the devilishly heavy genre. Leading the pack, however, is Lorna Shore – a band who, no matter what life throws at them, pick themselves back up and come back harder every single time. Their music is intense and relentless just as you’d hope, but their creative vision extends beyond the audio. They have a visual in mind too, and brand new EP ‘And I Return To Nothingness’ sees them project it with precision and intimidating clarity.

As soon as the EP kicks into the title track you’re transported to an almost medieval landscape, like an army on the brink of battle. Organs and grandiose textures hover behind furious drums and ruthless guitar work, accompanied by blinding solos, bone-shattering chugs and the unbelievable vocals of new front man Will Ramos. Every single member of the band is flexing their musical muscles right from the get go, and this first track serves as the warm up. THE WARM UP. Prepare yourself.

‘Of The Abyss’ is a perfect blend of evil and grandeur, balancing haunting harmonised voices and shadowy strings with a thunderous death metal barrage that completely overwhelms your senses into overload. If you want your hairs to stand on end from a mixture of wonder, shock and fear, wait for it to reach the 3:27 mark and sit somewhere comfortable. Honestly, it’s in your best interests. It’s one of those moments where, when played live, the silence would be broken by onlookers bellowing “eurgh” and “oh my God” as they struggle to fully process exactly what they’re hearing.

EP closer and first single ‘To The Hellfire’ is hard to put into words for many reasons. Firstly, the musicianship is dazzling, with riffs and shredding aplenty alongside manic blast beats that are all robotically tight. Secondly, it’s unpredictable – you literally have no idea what’s going to happen next, which brings us to the final point. It somehow just keeps getting heavier. It reaches a point where you think “right, it surely can’t get any heavier than this”, and then Ramos gets possessed by a demon and channels it into a cataclysmic closing breakdown. You don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or just sit in bewildered silence. Maybe a combination of all three. This is really something special, and it’s just the beginning of their new chapter.

This EP does a fine job of leaving you wanting more. After its three tracks have run their course, you’ll find your heart racing, limbs fidgeting, your body still fuelled by the adrenaline they’ve injected into your bloodstream. The heavy sections are nightmarish, surrounded by orchestral majesty that gives the whole EP an almost ceremonial, ritualistic vibe. Who or what they’re sacrificing, we don’t know, but it was very clearly a worthy offering; it’s mind-blowingly good.

Each piece of work this band puts out into the world represents an evolution, and ‘And I Return To Nothingness’ is no exception. They’ve always been devastatingly heavy and have always included atmospheric elements in their writing, but it’s never sounded as epic as it does here. From eerie, skin-crawling breakdowns to soaring regal chorus sections, the blend between both worlds is beautifully balanced and creates a hell of a punch. It’s like looking into a black hole; it’s mesmerising and captivating, but simultaneously absolutely terrifying.

Believe the hype – Lorna Shore aren’t just preparing to take the metal world by storm. They’re doing it.

DAVE STEWART