Live Review: Lorna Shore - O2 Institute, Birmingham
5th March 2022
Support: Cabal and Distant
Words & Photos: Damian John
Road closure after road closure combined with one way systems and then tight narrow walkways I finally find myself at Birmingham's O2 Institute in the heart of Digbeth. There's quite an odd mix all queuing up together this evening with the venue hosting three different events but I'm down here today to check out American deathcore giants Lorna Shore joined by Distant and Cabul. Originally scheduled to play The Flapper they were promptly upgraded due to tickets selling so quickly, which looks to have been the case across the country considering they've sold out all five of their UK dates.
As our openers come onto the stage the room is already heaving and twitching in anticipation with concertgoers having to stand on the stairs and balcony for a better view. There's none of that opening band awkwardness here, Cabal have already got the room spinning with multiple pits opening up second song in. If only there was a way to hook vocalist Andreas Bjulver to the power grid because this dude is full of it. Jumping onto the barrier, endlessly headbanging and even getting a cheeky crowd surf in during their final track, all while still managing to have some fun with fellow bandmates occasionally giving guitarist Chris Kreutzfeldt the finger. A truly dominating performance to open the show, even with the cheeky slip-up thinking we were in Manchester for a second before quickly correcting himself. Don't worry guys, I still thought you were awesome!
Another band who don't pull their punches, Distant hit like a tonne of bricks. Breaking into the short but powerful 'Vermillion Rivers' a circle pit breaks out shortly followed up by a wall of death during their next track. At this point I made a new friend, a crowd surfer who wanted nothing more than a hug during the onslaught going on onstage, I'm here for you dude! Cabal's light show consists of heavy strobes interlaced with vibrant patches of gold, a nightmare for a photographer like myself but really adds to the intensity of their performance. Vocalist Alan Grnja is ferocious! Regularly ordering the crowd to move and jump, not that they need the direction, they haven't stopped moving the entire show. They finish their set with the monstrous ‘Heirs of Torment’ before passing the torch onto our headliners for the night: Lorna Shore.
As much as it is an overused term, the only way to really describe the sound Lorna Shore produces is epic. To tell the truth, that's a bone faced lie, it's fierce, brutal, dominating, powerful, decimating and the list goes on. Every second which passes is a barrage of double kick drums paired with thunderous guitar. Will Ramos’ vocal technique is insane. I had briefly listened to a few Lorna Shore tracks before coming to the show and was slightly dubious of how his vocals would hold up in a live setting. Really fucking well as it turns out, effortlessly switching between his distorted lows to high pitched squeals with ease all while keeping the stage under complete control.
'Grab your loved ones and say goodbye' Will says before unleashing into 'This is Hell' prompting the biggest pit of the evening thus far. Very prompt considering how crazy the crowd has been going all evening, part of me wonders just how insane the show would have been if it would have gone ahead at its original venue, paramedics needed on hand maybe? Most likely. It's only half nine, surely way too early to be playing their final song but nevertheless they storm into ‘Funeral Moon’ with bass drops pulsing once again throughout the crowd rattling my skull and the kick drum forcing the air from my lungs.
'Did you motherfuckers ask for another song? I wanna see violence, I wanna see blood. This is Immortal'. I didn't think they could get heavier yet they somehow managed it, absolute carnage. Ending their set with 'Immortal' the crowd surfers really start pouring over the barrier, the stage bathed in purple light and sporadic strobes. I now fully understand why every show on the tour is sold out, their whole act is savage. Lorna Shore are definitely a band to keep your eyes on over the upcoming years.
Flapper next time though, yeah guys?
All photo credits: Damian John Photo
