Say what you will about Deathcore, it is nothing if not persistent. Not that the idea of mixing Death Metal and Hardcore is a new one (i.e., Suffocation) but when the term deathcore is applied today it recalls the halcyon years between 2007 and 2012 when a young man’s worth was determined by his throat tattoo, the size of his gauges and his MySpace networking skills. If you had a pig squeal, a breakdown and a dream it seemed like you too could be handed an Earache Records deal. But when did that dream end? Well, according to Lorna Shore’s …And I Return to Nothingness (Century Media) it didn’t.

While heavy music turned its attention to the Sumerian sound and the hardcore revival provided by the Code Orange and Turnstile’s of the world, Deathcore kept toiling away in the breakdown factory. Whitechapel and Suicide Silence continued to work on top and fly the flag for the subgenre, but they were starting to mutate and drift away from the pack. Whitechapel leaned into Pantera style groove and opened up to clean singing while Suicide Silence took a chance on Ross Robinson and had a failed Nu-Metal phase. The remaining deathcore class seemed to like what Carnifex was cooking with their penchant for Black Metal-like atmosphere and overall aesthetic. 

Then suddenly bands like Brand of Sacrifice, Slaughter to Prevail, Winds of Plague, Obscure of Acacia and yes Lorna Shore took the Carnifex style and added even more atmosphere, electronics and triggered drums. Obscure of Acacia, reminds me of my metalcore project, Left of Killswitch. So, what you need to know is that Lorna Shore does not reinvent themselves on …And I Return to Nothingness. They are doubling down on their spooky sound. What you definitely want to check out is the title track as guitarists Andrew O’Connor and Adam De Micco put in a hell of a shift and also, it’s where their work is least obscured by the volleys of various electronics. ‘To the Hellfire’ is a fun exercise in using very tool in the deathcore kit including some enhanced but nifty double kick patterns from Austin Archey. Will Ramos seems like a capable new vocalist, but I would like to hear his stuff with less modulation or in a live setting. 

How do I word this? Well if you enjoy your deathcore particularly in that Slaughter to Prevail mold, then you’re going to have a good time here. If not, well there are interesting moments to be found but you’ll have to do some digging. 

Buy the EP here: https://lornashore.lnk.to/AndIReturnToNothingness-EPID

6 / 10

HANS LOPEZ