This time, we’re discussing what is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year. Lorna Shore’s star rose rapidly and, ever since the release of the EP …And I Return To Nothingness—featuring the standout track To The Hellfire—the band has held a prominent place at the pinnacle of the metal scene. The ultimate proof? Their upcoming headline tour in early 2026, which will include a stop at the (by then no doubt sold-out) AFAS Live in Amsterdam or Vorst Nationaal in Brussels. If someone had suggested just a few years ago that the band would be playing to throngs of frenzied fans there, they would surely have been laughed at. One could even argue that Lorna Shore has single-handedly pulled the entire deathcore genre out of obscurity and steered it closer to the mainstream. Both the aforementioned EP and the widely acclaimed Pain Remains have cemented the band’s status and quite rightly provided a powerful wind in their sails.Yet, cracks are slowly beginning to appear in their previously untouchable façade. Critics accuse the band of becoming predictable and point to formulaic songwriting. Or is this merely the grumbling of a few fringe voices who would even call Einstein’s formula into question?
Let’s start by saying that Lorna Shore may well have seen this coming. The band—particularly through the ever-affable Will Ramos—has hinted in various places that a shift in sound was on the horizon. The entire online metal community—including your humble reviewer—was collectively thinking the same thing: clean vocals. After all, Ramos has proven more than capable of those too, as seen and heard on his own media channels. Let’s answer that question straight away: clean vocals from Ramos are not present on the album. What we do get, of course, are all the filthy vocal techniques fans have come to expect, and for which he rightly receives high praise. That said, there is a noticeable musical shift. Throughout the album, symphonic elements are brought further to the foreground (In Darkness, Unbreakable, Glenwood, and Lionheart), and the otherwise brutal musical execution carries more light and positivity. Slower tempos are also explored more frequently (Forevermore, the final track, is the prime example), and there are even hints of melodic death metal (Death Can Take Me and War Machine). Still, everything remains largely within the sonic universe Lorna Shore has built for itself. It’s more a matter of reconfiguring familiar elements than introducing truly new ones—which makes the overall sound feel very familiar, and yes, somewhat predictable. Even so, I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me certainly has some meat on its bones. The sprawling compositions, rich with atmospheric passages, offer a degree of distinction in a genre often defined by a simplistic focus on brutality. At the same time, the abundance of drawn-out sections occasionally adds little value and causes the record to sag under its own weight.
The short answer is: unfortunately, yes. The longer answer requires a bit more context. There’s still plenty to enjoy on this new record. The opening track, Prison Of Flesh, might well be the most brutal material Lorna Shore has ever released. The track barrels forward like a scorched-earth storm, with flashes of genius – like the moment the storm briefly pauses, a symphonic window creaks open, and then chaos resumes unabated. The final breakdown is so insanely heavy, you risk developing tinnitus on the spot. Oblivion, which follows, is essentially a blueprint of everything fans love about Lorna Shore. Despite – or perhaps even because of – its lengthy eight-minute runtime, the track manages to convince from start to finish. (And yes, the music video is of equally high calibre.) The next epic tracks, In Darkness and Unbreakable, are far less compelling and fall victim to formulaic tendencies. The same can be said of the overly stretched Glenwood and the generic Lionheart—though we must give an honourable mention to Ramos’s rolling “R” in the latter, which is genuinely delightful.
Death Can Take Me grabs your attention once more with dark orchestration, melodic guitar leads, and tight, punchy drumming and riff work. You can see the obligatory breakdowns coming from a mile away, but here, they’re truly next-level. It’s the perfect moment to highlight drummer Austin Archey: the man is a superhuman machine gun and once again proves his prowess here. Next up is War Machine – and speaking of artillery, this track brings even more melodic death metal influence into the guitar work. It’s a direction Lorna Shore would do well to explore more often, as it works exceptionally well. You’re left with the distinct sense that these incredibly talented musicians have far more in their (war)chest than they’re currently revealing within the confines of the Lorna Shore sound. Have we mentioned Dimmu Borgir yet? The penultimate track, A Nameless Hymn, is practically an unabashed tribute to Death Cult Armageddon – albeit on deathcore steroids. Symphonic mayhem at its most glorious! Final track Forevermore features some promising elements (including unfamiliar female vocals), but ultimately fails to justify its considerable length.
Score:
78/100
Label:
Century Media Records / Sony Music, 2025
Tracklisting:
- Prison Of Flesh
- Oblivion
- In Darkness
- Unbreakable
- Glenwood
- Lionheart
- Death Can Take Me
- War Machine
- A Nameless Hymn
- Forevermore
Line-up:
- Will Ramos – Vocals
- Adam De Micco – Guitar
- Andrew O’Connor – Synthesizer
- Michael Yager – Bass guitar
- Austin Archey – Drums
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