Review: Joshua Hobbins
Photography: Luke Petty

Last night’s performance marked the final show of New Jersey death merchants Lorna Shore’s much-anticipated maiden down-under tour. With support from Florida’s Bodysnatcher and Sydney’s To The Grave, the air buzzed with expectation as fans gathered in readiness for what was a night of unyielding intensity.

In a display of just how popular the New Jersey quintet have become over the past few years, the merch lines weaved in and out of the punters inside the venue, reaching about halfway to the stage and through and around the sound desk! This was my third visit to Fortitude Musical Hall, and even with a sold-out crowd and 3000 cap the venue felt comfortably intimate and was the perfect room capture the sonic assault that ensued.

Opening the night, To The Grave wasted no time in setting a fierce tone. Their set was an unrelenting barrage of sonic aggression and calculated chaos. Front man Dane Evans, sporting a pig mask that suitably matched his pig squeals, took command of the crowd immediately, demanding that we “Fuck someone up!” as the band tore into Vegan Day of Violence.

Their most recent single, Forced Diet Reassignment, drew the audience in with huge chugging beatdowns and brutal precision. The rapid-fire delivery of “DxE or Die” and the raucous, crowd-engaging Burn Your Local Butcher underscored the band’s ability to blend ferocity with a sly sense of humour. Wastage, dedicated to all of the animals being slaughtered in Brisbane farms, and Made in Aus, perfectly showcased To The Grave’s intensity and brutality, as they closed the set with Evans again commanding us to fuck each other up, but also be kind to each other!

Bodysnatcher followed with a masterclass in controlled aggression. From the first note of E.D.A. to the closing beats of King of the Rats, every song was a study in how to build tension and release it in explosive bursts and dense breakdowns. Chris Whited’s drums were front and center in the mix, creating a tightness that matched their raw brutality. Behind the Crowd and Murder8 showcased the band’s penchant for relentless, headbanging riffs, while tracks like Infested and Twelve/Seventeen stood out for their ability transition between heavy, groove-laden chugs and moments of frenetic chaos.

Vocalist Kyle Medina orchestrated the crowd into walls of death, circle pits, 2 step sections and crowd surfing, and the punters obliged more than willingly. With one more show at the Brightside on Sunday to cap off their first tour of Australia, and the epic response from tonight’s crowd, I’d say it won’t be long until we see the return of Bodysnatcher.

Lorna Shore’s headlining set was an unforgettable tour de force that melded epic storytelling with an intensely brutal sonic onslaught. Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart gracefully faded into the operatic and cinematic samples from Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer from 2022’s Pain Remains album. As the band entered, the stage came alive with flames and an epic light show. Dynamic, choreographed visuals were triggered by Austin Archey’s relentlessly flawless drumming. Adam De Micco’s glow-in-the-dark guitar helped showcase his seemingly never-ending solos, while Andrew O’Connor on rhythm guitar and Michael Yager on bass and backing vocals combined with Archey to create the tightest rhythm section I can remember witnessing.

Archey’s archetypal drumming added an extra layer of intensity to the overall sound with blasts interplaying with breakdowns to amplify each epic moment, and Yager’s bass resonated so deeply that could be felt pulsing in every punter’s chest. Will Ramos delivered a vocal performance that was nothing short of insane, with a percussive quality that cut through the mix and mesmerised the crowd for an hour. This interplay allowed each intricate guitar solo and hook to shine, making it clear that Lorna Shore are in a league of their own—both vocally and instrumentally.

From the moment the band launched into Of the Abyss and flowed seamlessly into …And I Return to Nothingness, a dark and immersive journey was set in motion. The mood was further deepened by the thunderous Sun//Eater and the relentless Cursed to Die, with the dynamics between rapid passages and crushing beatdowns making the heavier moments feel even more intense. Into The Hellfire stood out as an absolute epic and delivered an intensity that left me with goosebumps.

I think I said “holy fuck!” at one stage, and without hyperbole, it is the heaviest song I’ve ever witnessed in a live setting. An encore of the triptych: Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear, and Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire ended the night on an emotional and triumphant high. The band were clearly blown away by the response of the crowd, with Ramos thanking us for the biggest show of the tour and the other band members sharing setlists with the lucky punters near the front.

Lorna Shore delivered a show that was meticulously produced, with samples woven throughout to maintain an operatic vibe that underscored the grandeur of each track. The production reflected the amount of thought that had gone into every element—from the lighting that perfectly framed Will Ramos to the layered, technical brilliance that defined the entire set.

In every facet, from the singalongs, crowd surfing and headbanging, to the communal energy that filled the venue, Lorna Shore crafted a shared experience that transcended mere performance. The show was a powerful testament to the band’s ability to create a deeply immersive atmosphere and was not just a capstone for Lorna Shore’s down-under adventure — it was a celebration of live metal in its most potent form, leaving the audience eagerly anticipating what all three bands will bring next.