Live Review : Lorna Shore + Whitechapel + Shadow Of Intent + Humanity's Last Breath @ O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on February 10th 2026

The ascension of Lorna Shore has frankly been astonishing. It is astonishing that a band this extreme, this heavy and this uncompromising has connected so easily with the mainstream. They do not deal in watered-down, commercial-friendly variations. This is full-on ball-breaking and boundary-splitting deathcore. Yet here we are in a massively oversold warehouse complex with an audience that strays far from the usual metal show fare. Lorna shore are special because they are bringing an emotional rawness to thunderously heavy music without in any way diluting that potent extremity. They are special because their rise has happened via direct connection with the fans through social media platforms such as TikTok. They are genuine, natural, non-mass produced phenomenon and being able to witness firsthand the synergy between them and their adoring public feels very special indeed.

To further engrace themselves with their following, they have brought with them a varied undercard of highly thought of denizens from across the extreme metal stable. Humanity’s Last Breath represent the slower, cerebral end of the spectrum. They are fundamentally heavy but in a measured and almost restrained manner. Everything feels like it is running on half speed, and the riffs rain down in slow motion. Rather than feel primal, the overall aesthetic is of something that is technically precise and intelligently designed. This is thinking person's doom, crushingly heavy but also instinctively intelligent.

Shadow Of Intent are probably the closest in DNA to the headliner. They have also been hawking around for over a decade, a symphonically tinged anthemic version of deathcore. What has always made them a really interesting proposition is the fact that everything is DIY. There is no record label, there is no management team and even their backstage crew is stripped down to the bare minimum. This is a band who take control of everything and live and breathe that concept of our music as a cottage industry. By ejecting the middlemen, Shadow Of Intent, like Lorna Shore, have been able to construct an incredibly healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with its fans. The band are out here doing this for no other reason than they love this music, and they want to share it with others who love it too. That passion and altruism come over massively this evening. They are not adhering to any plan or schedule; they are quite simply performing for the joy of performing, and the experience is all the better for it.

Whitechapel were always tipped as the deathcore band that had the potential to make it out of the musical ghetto and into metal's hierarchy. If there is any dissension that the headliners have quantifiably lapped them to achieve that feat, then they do not show it. To give them their dues, Whitechapel receive a rapturous welcome that would befit a headliner. They hit the stage to a sea of expectant lenses and full-throttle chants of their name. They are still theoretically touring to support last year's gargantuan return to form “Hymns Of Dissonance” so it is only natural that it makes up over half the set. Interestingly, the other five songs aired (all located in the latter half of the set) are specifically drawn from their first two albums. It is as if they are trying to put a marker that a lot of this deathcore malarkey can be quite clearly traced back to them.

Not taking away anything from the material ripped from the new album, but the old stuff feels particularly raw and vociferous. The atmosphere becomes palpably more vicious and malignant. Phil Bozeman is a slight figure, but he burns off the stage as he prowls the raised platform that runs across the stage. His guttural vocals convey evil intent and land with crushing precision. It is a mercilessly intense set. Grinding and uncompromising, it sees Whitechapel revisit their early days with a reinvigorated intensity and the audience reaction shows that whilst they may have missed their opportunity to hit the heights of Lorna Shore they are still massively venerated. 

But for all the supporting berths, this is about one act and one act only. Bonnie Tyler's perennial ‘Total Eclipse' of the Heart’ blasts out as the lights swirl behind the ominous white curtain. Then, as the official intro ramps up, it drops to reveal an impressive stage set strewn with massive video walls. It feels a world away from the austere settings of the Club Academy just four years ago. Lorna Shore exude presence and personality on the big stage and absolutely own the building. Just how confident and dominant they are as they prowl the surroundings is absolutely astonishing. Yes, Will has also been a star in waiting, but the whole band give off an air of assurance and calm composure. Adam De Micco and Andrew O’Connor are equally mesmerising as they launch out gloriously epic solos after gloriously epic solos.

This is now Will’s band, and they see no need to go back any further than the “…and I returned to nothingness” EP which announced his ascension in 2021. Even then, it's just ‘To The Hellfire’ we get (reserved for the inevitable encore). The main set itself is divided rather neatly between tracks from Will’s debut long player “Pale Remains” and last year's “I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me”. Interestingly, and perhaps indicative of where most people come in, it is the songs from the latter release that get by far the biggest reaction. ‘Unbreakable’ is stunning. A kaleidoscope of fire and flashy imagery that proves just how anthemic and uplifting heavy music can truly be. ‘In The Darkness’ is equally strident. A pulsating and pounding cacophony of noise that overloads the senses but simultaneously catapults the listener into the song's subject matter. However, the pinnacle (and the most rapturously received of the night) is ‘Glenwood’. It has become a hymn for the disaffected and disillusioned. Simultaneously haunting and harrowing, it is one of those jaw-dropping moments where music manages to encapsulate the words that are difficult to say. It is a goosebump arousing performance as three and a half thousand voices simultaneously sing along to the refrain “Take Me Home” whilst capturing the moment on their cell phone.

As said, Will Ramos is a consummate star. He may well be at the tail end of a particularly vicious cold, but his vocal performance is frankly astonishing. His grunts and squeals are enamoured with such passion and kinetic energy that they just add to the widescreen anthemic quality of the performance. Between tracks, he is eminently humble. He comes across as genuinely excited that they are shooting a video for ‘War Machine’ this evening, and there is equal geniality in the way that he celebrates one of the graphic crew's birthdays. No matter how much hyperbole has been pushed his way, he seems to be impervious to the rockstar trappings and retains the ability to truly care about people. Though that doesn't seem to extend to self-care, as he almost sets himself alight on at least two occasions.

Avoiding incineration seems to be a common workplace hazard for the band now. During the aforementioned encore, the vast runway that runs along the lip of the stage burst into flames with the band hemmed behind it. It is an astonishing visual spectacle and just adds to the weight of closer, ‘To the Hellfire’. Though if we are honest, every moment is astounding. It is one of those shows. There are no duff or down instances. It is an imperious performance that captures everything that is so entrancing and edifying about live music. Lorna Shore have done something that hasn’t been achieved since Slipknot broke through in the very early noughties. They have taken a non-compromising extremity and sold it to the masses. If they carry on being as electrifying good as they are tonight, then the sky is the only limit.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Lorna Shore + Whitechapel + Shadow Of Intent + Humanity's Last Breath