Lorna Shore / O2 Academy / Birmingham

I first came across Lorna Shore back in 2022, when along with While She Sleeps, they supported Australian behemoths Parkway Drive on their UK arena tour. It’s a performance that stands out in my memory for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the incredible vocal skills of singer Will Ramos. If you haven’t watched it before, check out the feature on YouTube by The Charismatic Coach, who used medical scans and procedures to analyse Will’s voice and what happens when he sings. Secondly, I remember Will walking out to the end of the runway. He crouched and reached out towards the crowd and screamed….. “Nottingham…. Send your people over”. Sitting on the side it was like watching small boats tossing on a wild sea, as surfer after surfer rode a tide of human hands towards the pit at the front.

Well tonight, we headed over to Birmingham’s O2 Academy to catch them on their 2025 tour, supporting the release of their latest album “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me”.

It’s a packed bill tonight and so early doors on a Monday at 17:30 to fit it all in. First up on stage are Swedish deathcore band Humanity's Last Breath formed in 2009 by guitarists Buster Odeholm and Kristoffer Nillsson. Releasing their debut EP “Reanimated by Hate” in 2010, they released their self-titled debut album in 2013. Their most recent album “Ashen” came out in 2023.

Humanity’s Last Breathe are Filip Danielsson (vocals), Buster Odeholm (guitar & bass),

Tuomas Kurikka (guitar) and Klas Blomgren (drums). Known for their blend of deathcore, doom metal, and blackened death metal, they have been likened to acts such as Meshuggah.

And what a start to the night this was ! Humanity’s Last Breathe are not about speed, it’s doom laden, dark and heavy that immerses you in the depth of their sound. Filip, dressed in a long hooded robe, long dark hair also hiding his features stalks the stage menacingly as he delivers some deep dark growls. Klas on drums pulls the sound together, delivering it’s beating heart, the base of their crushing sound.

I’d not come across Humanity’s Last Breathe before but have been checking them out since, and can’t wait to see them again.

Next up are Connecticut natives Shadow of Intent, formed in 2013 Ben Duerr and Chris Wiseman. The band are Ben Duerr (vocals), Chris Wiseman (guitar), Andrew Monias (bass) and Bryce Butler (drums). They’ve released five albums to date, from 2016’s debut “Primordial” to 2025’s “Imperial Delirium”.

From the dark brooding style of Humanity’s Last Breathe, Shadow of Intent was much more direct – fast heavy riffs screaming out of the speakers at us, with Ben’s well crafted screams overlaid. Ben’s vocal diversity is incredible, comfortable with deep guttural growls, high pitched screams and some stunning clean vocals in between, he’s a joy to watch / listen to.

Bryce is a demon on the drums, keeping up a fast maelstrom of beats that hit us hard, aided by the deep speaker busting bass from Andrew. The songs hit us hard and the atmosphere is ramping up, as the first waves of surfers start heading over to the pit.

I knew what to expect from Knoxville, Tennessee deathcore band Whitechapel, having seen them headline in Bristol last year. Named after the area in London most well known for the crimes of Jack the Ripper. Whitechapel are Phil Bozeman (vocals), Ben Savage (guitar), Alex Wade (guitar), Gabe Crisp (bass), Zach Householder (guitar) and Brandon Zackey (drums).

They released their debut album “The Somatic Defilement” back in 2009, and their most recent “Hymns in Dissonance” in 2025.

With Whitechapel live, there is no let up…. No rest…. It’s raw, unadulterated deathcore power right from first note to last. Bozeman’s vocals are amongst the most insanely intense in the genre and he is unrelenting. They’re backed by fast echoing lead guitar lines and thunderous bass, backed by more intense and incredible drumming from Brandon.

The intensity boils over into the crowd and the surfers are a steady stream now keeping security busy for the whole set. But don’t think this is just noise, there is a technical skill present here, and for me, Whitechapel are at the forefront, driving deathcore forwards at a pace. There’s a reason its such a popular genre of metal, and it’s because of bands such as Whitechapel.

Fierce, haunting, intense and powerful, Whitechapel never ever fail to deliver.

And finally, it’s time for tonight’s headliners – Lorna Shore.

An American deathcore band from New Jersey formed back in 2009, the name comes from Lorna Shore, a librarian and Batman’s first love in the DC Comics, before he left her for her own safety.

Lorna Shore are Adam De Micco (guitar), Austin Archey (drums) and Andrew O'Connor (guitar). They were joined in 2021 by Michael Yager (bass) and vocalist Will Ramos. The addition of Ramos, added a new, extraordinary element to the band, and their trajectory has been upwards ever since. They’ve released five albums to date from 2015’s debut “Psalms” to 2025’s “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me”.

A we wait for Lorna Shore to arrive, we are entertained by a wide range of tunes across the PA. As they are ready to step into the light, we’re greeted with the unexpected tones of the Bonny Tyler hit Total Eclipse of the Heart which has the whole crowd singing along. The curtain drops and Lorna Shore explode into action with Oblivion. If you thought Whitechapel were insanely good…. That dial just got turned to 11 !

The link between band and audience is tangible and in response to the band’s precision and skill the crowd respond as one. Heads nodding, arms in the air, and a steady stream of surfers. Every chorus in every song is met with cheers and is shouted right back at Will.

Ramos’ vocals are something else. He is able to switch from the longest deepest guttural growls you’ll ever hear to high pitches squealed notes in an instant. I’ve no idea how he does it. His voice isn’t just that, its an instrument, structurally integral to the shape of each song. Indeed, Sun//Eater put this insane vocal range to use, backed with some delicious old school sounding with guitar solos. Will is joined by Nick Chance on vocals for this one, former vocalist of Distinguisher and photographer for Lorna Shore ! They share the vocal duties and compliment each other well.

Will tell sus tonight is a special performance and they bring out the new track In Darkness which fits in perfectly with the older material, it’s tight, precise and dark !

The atmosphere is electric, and the O2 Academy feels like a tropical house at the zoo, humid and hot as Lorna Shore get to the final track, their iconic hit To the Hellfire. If you listen to just one Lorna Shore track make sure it’s this one, Ramos’ vocal skills are insane. It’s hard to believe that vocals like this on recording, what with so many bands layering vocals using two or three tracks etc it’s testament to his unique skill that it can be replicated live so so well.

As the house lights finally come on, the crowd are utterly exhausted. A line up packed with talent and ferocity, topped off with the crème de la crème – Lorna Shore once again demonstrated why they are leading the deathcore charge for metal supremacy.

Setlist

Intro: Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler song)

Oblivion

Unbreakable

War Machine

Sun//Eater (with Nick Chance)

Cursed to Die

In Darkness

Glenwood

Prison of Flesh

Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames

Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear