LIVE REVIEW: Lorna Shore @ Barrowlands, Glasgow

LORNA SHORE and company bring their Pain Remains tour to the snowy North tonight with a barrage of deathcore and death metal that shakes the very foundations of Glasgow’s historic Barrowlands, knocking loose bits of confetti that may or may not have been plastered to the ceiling since BLONDIE’s performance in the 90s. This sold-out show is one of several on this tour, proving that the spirit of deathcore is alive and well on these shores and beyond.

First on the card is Dutch deathcore outfit DISTANT, who disregard the idea of “easing the crowd in” by hitting full speed straight out of the gate. DISTANT make a great effort at leading the charge on tonight’s proceedings during the early slot, and as the room begins to fill, vocalist Alan Grnja ushers the stream of people to the front as they fire headlong into Born Of Blood. By this point, the attention they have demanded finally yields the results they were seeking as the crowd grows to a healthy size. Saving some of the best moments for last, they are joined by Josh Davies from MONASTERIES for Heirs Of Torment, which whips a respectable portion of the audience up to meet their energy level as they close out their set.

Rating: 7/10

Having supported CANNIBAL CORPSE earlier this year, English death metal outfit INGESTED return to the Barrowlands for another volley of groove-laden brutality. There is a percentage of the audience that seem particularly keen on their output, and even those that aren’t quite on their wavelength are soon pulled in with their “crouch-down, jump-up” antics. Before long, the room is swept up with circle pits, hardcore dancing, and delighted metal-heads. As the fervour builds, vocalist Jason Evans demands a wall-of-death during the appropriately named Skinned And Fucked. Going one further, he calls for crowd-surfers to step up during their final song Echoes Of Hate as a wave of sweaty Scots launch themselves over the barricade. Their unrelenting audience encouragement and the generous feedback from the crowd is a thoroughly entertaining spectacle for all in attendance.

Rating: 7/10

Things take a bit of a change of pace when Pennsylvanian technical death metal band RIVERS OF NIHIL take to the stage. Their progressive metal stylings are different when compared to the previous acts, particularly with them being the first and only to truly utilise clean vocals, which are largely (but not exclusively) contributed by drummer Jared Klein. The packed-out crowd gives them the appropriate level of respect and attention, breaking into pockets of typical death-metal revelry during the heavier moments and paying close attention during the instrumentally impressive moments. The four-piece deliver an impeccably tight performance, allowing their intricate sounds to embrace the tone of the night as set by the previous band. A stand-out is Soil & Seed, a track from their first album that is reminiscent of SYLOSIS, during which frontman and bassist Adam Biggs puts out a call for crowd-surfers that many are more than willing to accept.

Rating: 8/10

LORNA SHORE bound onto the stage to a hero’s welcome – a well-earned response considering the year they’ve had. Having toured extensively across the world and playing a host of festivals (including a mainstage slot at Download Festival this year), LORNA SHORE have quickly elevated themselves from club shows to selling out moderately sized venues in remarkable time. The set almost exclusively focuses on the new material recorded with vocalist Will Ramos, and tonight’s performance is all the better for this fact as they churn and stomp their way through a bounty of material from Pain Remains and the preceding EP …And I Return To Nothingness.

Much can be said about the flailing guitar work and crushing drums on display throughout this headline slot, but taking centre stage is the otherworldly vocal work by Ramos who spends the next hour and change grunting, wailing, and occasionally snorting his way through this blistering set. The strength of their recent studio material is compounded by this live performance. The symphonic opening on Of The Abyss gives way for the rapid percussion, sending the crowd into a frenzy before Alan Grjna of DISTANT bolts on stage to shriek discordantly alongside Ramos. Nay a track goes by that doesn’t incite immediate recognition, but both Sun//Eater and Into The Earth are particular highlights during this wildly impressive performance. Ramos says at one point that this is the “biggest production” that the band have had thus far, featuring pyrotechnics and CO2 machines that add to the intense atmosphere of the event.

LORNA SHORE aren’t just a band that are going places – with this tour they’ve proven that they are already on a level that deathcore as a genre hasn’t seen in some time.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Glasgow from Duncan McCall Photo here: 

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