Lorna Shore brought a fiery sold out show to Knoxville last week that nearly set the venue ablaze!
If you are into heavy deathcore melodies and haven’t heard of Lorna Shore by now, I’m convinced you’ve been living under a rock for the past year. Lorna Shore was originally formed in 2010 in Warren County, New Jersey. The group currently consists of lead guitarist Adam De Micco, drummer Austin Archey, rhythm guitarist Andrew O’Connor, bassist Michael Yager, and vocalist Will Ramos. The band returned to the scene in June of 2021 when they released their song To the Hellfire and announced that Ramos would be their new permanent vocalist. After the five-piece released their EP And I Return to Nothingness in August of 2021, they quickly catapulted into the deathcore spotlight. The EP has amassed nearly 30 million streams on Spotify alone since its release, even further proving they’re a forced to be reckoned with.
In January of 2022 the epic deathcore tour that is known as Chaos and Carnage announced the line up for the year would include some heavy hitters like Suicide Silence and Carnifex and it came as no surprise that Lorna Shore was included in the lineup. Before we knew it shows were selling out all over the US. But LS shocked us all a month later by announcing a mini tour with Distant, that would kick off in our little town of Knoxville, TN. As I arrived at the venue nearly an hour before doors were set to open I was taken aback by how many people were already in line. Our town isn’t huge but the metal scene is close-knit and we came together to sell out the Concourse in the name of deathcore!
Hailing from Rotterdam, Netherlands and Bratislava, Slovakia, brutal deathcore band Distant takes the spot as direct support on this brief tour. Their touring line up includes vocalist Alan Grnja, drummer Jan Mato, and filling in on guitar is Jordan Milner of the Breathing Process. They opened with their track, Hellmøuth and the crowd went wild for their unique and ferocious take on the genre. Grnja mentioned how excited they were for their first tour in the states and the Tennessee crowd welcomed the guys with pure southern hospitality and applause. They were the perfect fit to open for Lorna, even as a three-piece, the band was able to survey every inch of the stage with their savage energy.
After the crowd was thoroughly warmed up it was time for Lorna Shore to take the stage. As I took my place in the photo pit I could feel the unadulterated excitement emanating from the audience. For some this was their first deathcore show, and they may have showed up just to support the Concourse, but they assuredly fell in love with LS in the process. While the band prepared their equipment for the sold out crowd, screams echoed throughout with each appearance of Ramos on the stage. I’ve been in a lot of photo pits, affront bands of all sizes, but this was one of first times I have seen a frontman be so hands on with set up. He paced back and forth on stage checking in with each of his bandmates to ensure everything was satisfactory, even helping move some equipment at one point. Once they were settled and ready to melt our faces off, each member gave the FOH a quick smile and thumbs up as a faint voice is heard saying “okay, have a good show boys”. And just like that we were on a rapid descent into the Hellfire.
They kick off their set with an older crowd favorite, Immortal, and hardcore fans didn’t hold back as they screamed along to every word while throwing horns and thrashing about. There’s a reason this band has skyrocketed into the spotlight lately. Ramos’ vocals were, otherworldly, you couldn’t help but stare in absolute awe as his bellowing growls vociferously and thunderously rattled throughout the sold-out venue. Yes, Will’s impressive vocals have gone viral, but don’t be mistaken, his bandmates know how to hold their own. Micco, and O’Connor dominated with their guitar shredding abilities. Yager commanded attention with his iconic bass tones and Archey may have been hiding in the shadows of the stage, but he was mesmerizing behind his kit. Though everyone went hard for their tracks This is Hell, ..And I Return to Nothingness, Death Portrait and King Ov Deception, they could not be tamed when they live debuted their new song Sun Eater. They closed out the night with an encore of To the Hellfire and the crowd had just enough left in them to form a massive pit and moshed like their lives depended on it.
Lorna Shore was a vision of effortless deathcore perfection. These dudes not only gave fans a flawless performance, but they made the show super personal and took the time to express their appreciation for everyone coming out to support them. They even made sure to thank the venue staff for all they did to make the night happen. They certainly have not let their fame go to their heads, they have stayed humble to their beginnings. Fans undoubtedly adore them for remaining true to themselves and their recognizable sound. If you can’t catch them on their mini tour then you must see them on their Chaos and Carnage run. They most definitely put on a can’t miss show!
Buy tickets to the Choas and Carnage tour here.
