22 February 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Lucas Bell – pictures by Bec Harbour
In what many would consider one of the most anticipated tours post Covid, New Jersey deathcore favourites Lorna Shore finally made their long overdue debut in Australia. Ever since the announcement of Will Ramos stepping into lead vocal duties in 2021, with the release of To The Hellfire, the anticipation for these guys to get here has built every year. And we were lucky enough to catch the last night of the tour, to send them off home only as Brisbane knows how.
The show opened to an insane start. Sydney deathcore crew, To The Grave opened with a super impressive 30 minutes that flew by. I didn’t know any of the song names before the show, but I did see they opened with a track called ‘Vegan Day of Violence’, which is arguably a hilarious title for a very serious subject. Lead singer Dane Evans tore out on stage in a Jigsaw Pig mask from Saw, which ruled, as he screamed harrowing gutturals. One song got stopped because a punter got dropped during the crowd surfs. But the rest of the set slammed. Amazing energy.
To the Grave – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
Up next was Bodysnatcher, out of Florida. As keen as I am for Lorna, I was just as keen for Bodysnatcher, and they did not disappoint. Every riff, kick, and vocal was soul snatching, as they left it out on the stage for the final night of this tour. It was a shame the crowd already looked a little burned out, and the energy in the pits from the balcony looked low. Opening with ‘E.D.A.’, it was 45 minutes of insanity from bell to bell. The set closed out on ‘Say Goodbye’ and ‘King of the Rats’, as the energy picked up for the last 10 minutes. As Bodysnatcher left the stage, they plugged their headline show tomorrow at Brightside. If you’re reading this and debating going, make sure you do.
I’ve shouted it out before, but the energy between bands when the crowd sings to the venue playlist is so funny to me. Between To The Grave and Bodysnatcher, everyone went crazy for ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’. And then before Lorna Shore, it was ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. Twenty to 30 year old deathcore fans singing 80’s power ballads rules. This behavior needs to be encouraged. It’s so much fun.
Bodysnatcher – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
As the lights dimmed at the end of ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’, the crowd went nuts as Lorna Shore walked out 10 minutes early, and opened with ‘Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer’. It’s no surprise, but this song absolutely rips live. I’m convinced Ramos is a demon summoned from the deepest part of hell. There is a part of me that thought I’d gaslit myself into thinking his vocals wouldn’t be crazy live. But ‘Welcome Back’ is the perfect showcasing to set the tone for the evening. Ramos told the crowd to break their fucking necks, as ‘Of the Abyss’ kicked off, and ‘…And I Return to Nothingness’ was the song for crowd surfing. Ramos noted that tonight was their biggest Australian show, as a pit opened for ‘Sun//Eater’. Ramos spoke as the pit was opening about tonight feeling like home, as the opening lyrics sent the crowd into a mess of bodies. The show was so fun, that even the band’s photographer Nick Chance jumped up to do vocals on ‘Sun//Eater’ as well.
Lorna Shore – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
The bangers continued as ‘Cursed to Die’ was next, and this has to be one of my favorite songs of the band’s entire catalog. The intro riff of this track rules, so getting an extended version made my dead little heart so happy. ‘Into the Earth’ then led into the final song of the main set, ‘To the Hellfire’. As I mentioned earlier, this is the track that introduced the world to Lorna Shore as we currently know them. And holy hell, this song is better live than the studio version. The demonic pig squeal (you know the one) was insane to finally hear live. ‘Welcome Back’ is the perfect song to tone set the rest of the evening, because the show almost felt just as demonic.
Lorna Shore – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
After a walk off, the crowd loudly chanted for one more. The band returned to the stage, as Ramos asked the crowd if they really wanted one more. With a roar of approval, Ramos advised that we weren’t getting one. We were getting three, as the intro to ‘Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames’ started. The encore was the entirety of ‘Pain Remains’. My body was covered with goosebumps and I could honestly feel the rawest emotions I’ve ever felt as ‘Dancing Like Flames’ started. Two of the best moments of the entire show happened during the encore. ‘Dancing Like Flames’ had the crowd singing during the whisper vocals, as Ramos encouraged the crowd to sing the “A world without you isn’t meant for me” line as loud as they could. Chills through my whole body, as we transitioned into ‘Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear’. Not much to say here, except that the crowd was going absolutely ballistic. ‘Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire’ closed out the trilogy, as Ramos got everyone to pull their phones out to light up the stage, right before the final part of the nearly 10 minute set closer. Fingers crossed the band don’t take long to come back. And hopefully at a bigger venue too. Seeing these guys at something like the Riverstage would be insane.
Lorna Shore – Fortitude Music Hall – photos by Bec Harbour
