Lorna Shore Close UK Tour in Spectacular Manchester Finale
On Tuesday night in Manchester, deathcore heavyweights Lorna Shore brought the UK leg of their current tour to an end in spectacular fashion. With them came a stacked lineup featuring Humanity’s Last Breath, Shadow of Intent and the mighty Whitechapel.
Kicking things off were Sweden’s Humanity’s Last Breath. Taking to the stage under vast amounts of fog and haze immediately set the tone. Following the intro track ‘Valdet’ came what sounded like a horn, signalling the entrance of vocalist Filip Danielsson. Their performance unfolded mostly in darkness, backed by strobe lights that amplified the apocalyptic mood of their music, creating vicious soundscapes filled with dread. Amid the smoke and strobe, Filip stood at the forefront in a black hood, often silhouetted against the flashes. The band’s set was short, but it was enough to give the crowd a strong taste of their sound and win over new fans.
Next up was Shadow of Intent. While the crowd grew more lively, their sound felt slightly run-of-the-mill compared to the other acts. That’s not to say it was bad— far from it. The set was still enjoyable, even if it didn’t stand out in quite the same way. Regardless, the audience was fully engaged, with the first crowd surfers of the night appearing as the pit began to open up.
The penultimate band, American deathcore veterans Whitechapel, had nearly 20 years in the scene behind them. Following the atmospheric intro to ‘Prisoner 666’, vocalist Phil Bozeman stormed the stage bellowing, “I bear the number”, to which the crowd roared back “666”. From there it was an all out assault on the senses. From blistering drums and chugging riffs, broken only by a brief interlude. Much of the early set drew from their latest album, ‘Hymns of Dissonance’, including a crushing performance of the title track that showcased Phil’s remarkable range — from deep gutturals to piercing screams.
‘Ex Infernis’ served as an interlude during which Phil donned the antler skull mask before the band launched into ‘Hate Cult Ritual’. Chaos dominated the crowd throughout, with pits erupting and surfers pouring over the barrier. The latter half of the set reached back to earlier material, giving longtime fans ‘This Is Exile’ before closing with ‘Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation’. Seeing Whitechapel in a direct support slot to a newer band like Lorna Shore was striking — especially given that, on the strength of this performance alone, they could easily have headlined.
Finally came the moment the crowd had been waiting for. Although Lorna Shore had formed in 2009, it wasn’t until 2021’s ‘…And I Return to Nothingness’ EP that they truly broke into wider recognition. By now, they are among the biggest names in deathcore, bringing considerable hype with them. The real question is whether their live show justified it. Simply put, it did.
After the curtain dropped, the band launched straight into ‘Oblivion’, accompanied by dramatic LED visuals that heightened the atmosphere. The audience was split between awe at the pyrotechnics and the constant motion of the mosh pit. Jokingly vocalist Will Ramos pointed out he could’t actually ask for a Wall of Death or a mosh pit but what the crowd do is entirely up to them.
For all their heaviness, Lorna Shore’s music carries a surprising emotional range, balancing brutality with moments of triumph and uplift. ‘In Darkness’ is a prime example of this, there are orchestral moments, sweeping guitars and sections which sound cinematic in scope that wouldn’t feel out of place in a fantasy movie or on a video game soundtrack (Final Fantasy I’m looking at you). As the set started to move towards its end, fans were treated to ‘Pain Remains’ parts 1 through to 3 before wrapping up with fan favourite ‘To The Hellfire’.
For a band within a relatively niche genre, playing venues of this size is a significant achievement, and they fully delivered a memorable night. The performance sounded immense from start to finish, reinforcing the excitement surrounding them. Each member’s musicianship was undeniable, earning every bit of praise received. The only possible enhancement might have been a full live orchestra instead of backing tracks — though perhaps that’s something the future could hold. While this isn’t a genre I typically gravitate toward, Lorna Shore proved themselves a band well worth seeing live given the chance.
