Review Summary: Big sound, small package
What is left to do in deathcore? Have we heard the most brutal of breakdowns? Have we heard the most disgusting pig squealed vocals? Have we survived the bleakest of outlooks? Have we been treated to the gnarliest of riffs? Lorna Shore have answered with a defiant “no” with …And I Return To Nothingness. They seem to have injected all of the things deathcore should do into this eighteen minute monster. It’s a short trip, but what they did give us is bloated.
The first track, “To the Hellfire” is an epic. It has everything, and it’s all cranked up to the absolute maximum. It has an acoustic opening that lulls us for just under a minute before we hear tortured screams, and then are trampled by blasts. The vocals are all over the place, from blackish shrieks to guttural knuckle-drags. The guitars are backed by symphonic flourishes that heighten their character, and provide depth to the compositions. Sneaky bass drops are littered throughout to boost the aggression, and we are treated to a solo that is expertly written and performed. And while hooks aren’t really a thing in deathcore, there almost seems to be one here as Lorna Shore’s new vocalist, Will Ramos, screams “Swallowed by the womb of death!” The vocals on the final breakdown are amazing. He sounds like a monster. It’s a wonderful deathcore moment.
It’s everything, all at once, as loud and brash as you’ll ever hear. Nothing here is that much different from most other deathcore acts, except Lorna Shore have taken it all and amplified it, and then amplified it again. Maybe these guys have something to prove? Losing their lead vocalist before hitting the road to support their last release, and then the pandemic, they must have been pretty shook. This short release clearly states the band means business, and maybe getting bigger and badder can wash away the lingering bad taste they may be trying to spit out.
This is a short release, and I’m not entirely sure if that fact helps or hurts here. Would 30-40 minutes of this be as enjoyable? I assume if they were able to keep the unbridled brutality throughout, or construct delicious gothic moments to offset the mayhem, it could be done. “Of the Abyss” hints at what would clearly pass for boring, especially if it were accompanied by other songs less memorable as the opener. But the band rallies on the closer and title track of this three song EP. It’s operatic and majestic. The solo is killer, and the production somehow feels open, and strangely dynamic. It’s got this Viking metal vibe, but with Gollum singing, and it’s pretty cool.
Lorna Shore have set themselves apart. The gothic underpinnings are wonderful and expertly done. It is clear they have a firm grasp on exactly what they are trying to create, and have given the listener a damn good example of what they are capable of doing. It’s a hell of a bar to raise for oneself, and Lorna Shore will definitely need to dig deep for what should be an impending full length with a reenergized group.
