I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me by Lorna Shore Review 2025

September 15, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / Leave a comment

Full disclaimer, I am not the biggest Deathcore fan or Death Metal fan. My knowledge on this music is limited compared to other sub genres of Metal. I love heavy, extreme, brutal music for the most part, but don’t often seek out Deathcore. Like many people, Lorna Shore is an exception however. I feel that Lorna Shore’s “To The Hellfire” is one of the most iconic Metal songs in two decades. This song is responsible for so many people getting in to this type of music, as evident on the comments on YouTube on the song and the Reaction videos. It’s not very often a Metal band goes viral for a good song, and Lorna Shore did this emphatically. That puts Lorna Shore in a very unique position in Extreme Metal or Deathcore to be on the world’s biggest stages. What they’ve done for the longevity of Metal is unprecedented. Between some of the most epic music we’ve ever heard and wholesome fan interactions that rival any VIP Experience, this band has a microscope put upon them by millions. This level of success has never been possible for this kind of music before Lorna Shore. I feel like there’s too many reasons to name to get into this band, even if they’re not typically your style of music. Their heartfelt, personal, uncensored, vulnerable lyrics combined with unrivaled technicality and an immersive ambience of descending into ethereal hell worlds is an experience like no other on the planet. Lorna Shore combines the lightness, the sensitivity and grandeur sounds of Classical Music with the most brutal Speed riffs and demonic sounds in a seemingly impossible feat. I don’t even know how this level of music is mixed, balanced, or played live on a regular basis. It’s like Dimmu Borgir, Death, Strapping Young Lad, and Vivaldi had a cursed offspring that bloomed into something beautiful. Whatever genre or style Lorna Shore is, it’s completely unexpected and so locked in that there’s nothing like it..

I wasn’t a fan of Pain Remains as much. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace to appreciate it, or maybe I just didn’t understand it. In time, I will probably come to love it when I come back around to it. My expectations for this new album were low. Heavy Music feels like it’s on a lull to me; most of it sounds like bands just going through the motions or heavy for the sake of being heavy with no purpose other than shock and brutal-ism. So the last thing I wanted was a Lorna Shore record in this point in time. I didn’t expect to like it or be able to even get through this album. “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is not even a shred of what I expected in the best way possible. I don’t review albums anymore unless it’s something innovative or thought provoking, and of course Lorna Shore achieved a spot on my blog. “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is an insane journey of sonic excellence. This album has everything I want in a Metal record, but at the highest level. The symphonic sounds are perfectly layered with the guitars from the incomparable Adam De Micco, who I think is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The synths and orchestration is done by guitarist/bassist Andrew O’Connor and he did an impeccable job at it. The orchestration rivals any Symphonic Metal band in thirty years, and I mean that as a huge Symphonic Metal buff. I find “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” to be more melodic and anthemic than any of their previous releases. Songs like Unbreakable, Glenwood, and Forevermore are gigantic songs that feel deserved of being played with a full orchestra and choir at Plovdiv or Sydney Opera House. Everywhere you think the album could go, it strafes and goes even grander. I am truly blown away by this album, which hasn’t happened this year by many releases for me. I never expected a Lorna Shore album to have a Celtic or Tolkien vibe to it. It works. The different sound to it freshens Lorna Shore’s sound in a way I didn’t expect. Listening to “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is an exhilarating and inspiring experience from beginning to end. There’s not a weak track. It is the most epic battle music. Every member is peak on this album. You will not be disappointed even as a first time listener. This is by far one of the greatest albums of the year and shockingly perfect from a band continually reinventing itself. Lorna Shore pushed every boundary, every theme, every ounce of their being with this album. Austin Archey on drums is always perfect, but this album is an unbelievable feat of Extreme Metal drumming that rivals anything else. He is a drummer for the ages. He doesn’t just blast, he utterly destroys laws of human anatomy and physics on every song. I cannot express how incredible he is. If nothing else, just listen to the drums on this record.

Overall, I do think this is Lorna Shore’s best album yet. It’s the most fully immersive and complete release I’ve heard since Ramos joined the band. Some of his demon noises get a bit repetitive and don’t really add much, but the technicality and uniqueness is surely a novelty. I think this album sets itself apart from any heavy record of the year, because it’s not just heavy for shock and awe. This level of brutality is well thought out, intentional, and meaningful. It is not for attention, it’s for art. It’s like the utter despair and pain Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy expressed in Extreme Metal form. It’s all class, no filler, and fantastic composition. If you’re a reader of this blog, you know how much I love “Wall of Sound” production style, and this album nails that completely deep and wide listening experience. The wall is an infinite abyss. It is a cacophony, and I absolutely love it. It doesn’t get any better than “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” in 2025. This is a huge album of the year contender for me. No spoilers, but Forevermore might be one of my favorite songs of all time.

Links:

https://centurymedia.store/pages/lorna-shore-i-feel-the-everblack-festering-within-me

https://lornashoreband.com/

https://lornashoreband.com/pages/about

https://www.facebook.com/LornaShore

https://www.instagram.com/lornashore/

“The Immortal” by Swedish Melodic Death Metal Band In Mourning Review 2025

August 29, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / 1 Comment

The Immortal out August 29th, 2025 via Supreme Chaos Records and Dalapop

In Mourning is one of the most underrated bands on the planet. The Swedish Death Metal group has created albums that are forever burned in the fans’ memories. Albums like The Weight of Oceans (2012) mix Melodeath, Progressive, and Gothic elements to create a truly unique listening experience. This is a band I think everyone should pay more attention to, especially with the rising popularity of Insomnium and In Flames. If you dislike the more mainstream direction In Flames has taken, maybe In Mourning can be your new Melodeath favorites. Although, In Mourning do not sound like anyone else to me. They are distinct. Three vocalists, all playing different guitar riffs and licks, and a Prog minded drummer all set In Mourning apart to me. They still have epic guitar solos as well, which is a great deviation from Modern Metal’s lack of guitar eloquence. The Swedish SadBois are back in 2025, but does the new album live up to their previous releases?

In Mourning have finally unleashed “The Immortal” after waiting four years and little teasers. “The Immortal” is everything you’d expect from a Melodeath album, and even more special coming from In Mourning. This album is a special experience. If you’re driving through the mountains in pitch black darkness with reckless abandon and the winter doldrums setting in, “The Immortal” is 47 minutes of soundtrack. It is not just an album, a collection of In Mourningesque ideas; The Immortal is a soundscape, laying out so much material and influences. They return to their roots, so you know it’s authentic, but it is not formulaic. It builds, it ebbs and flows, and it chugs. I had high expectations, but honestly didn’t expect to like this album as much. There’s something up with Me and Metal music this year. I am just continually disappointed with new releases. In Mourning has broken the lull for me.

“The Sojourner” is an instant classic Melodeath track for me. This song has everything I want from In Mourning, the Progressiveness, the longing feeling, the technical solo, the soulful clean vocals: It’s perfection. “Song of the Cranes” is just as good and a track with even more soul crushing depth. Each song stands on its own, but they all have the same moodiness and driving beat that ties it all together. If you’re a recovering Ghost Brigade fan, this album is the closest thing you will get to GB in 2025. “Moonless Sky” is all I love about Melodeath. It is an ode to the bands that have come before them, and a cementing outline of what In Mourning will continue to create. The emotion in this band is nearly unparalleled in 2025. I haven’t heard many heavy releases that really resonated with me this year, but In Mourning smashed the walls down and made me believe in Metal again this year. They go from emotional and moody atmospheric track “Moonless Sky” to Death Metal smasher “Staghorn”. That’s one of the most surprising moments in music for me this year. This song, as well as the rest of the album is so easy to get lost in. That’s what I expect from Metal. I expect an all encompassing, emotionally driving, unique artistic listening experience. I expect the highest level of catharsis. “The Immortal” hits these notes profoundly with each song. Of course, In Mourning always achieves these points on every release, but “The Immortal” packs a serious Death Metal edge that is so very satisfying.

“North Star” is a true tear jerker of an epic Melodeath song, reminding me so much of Insomnium in all the best ways, but even more satisfyingly heavy. The guitars are so tight. The chemistry in this band rivals old Dark Tranquility and Belakor for me. Each element feels so meticulously planned and thought out, but not over produced. It’s tight and clean, but not bloated like so much Metal is for me today. This album could’ve come out in 2010, because of its sheer precision and unfiltered emotion. It doesn’t have 500 layers of Pro Tools edited guitar tracks with huge compression or reverb. It sounds like In Mourning right off the board, which is exactly what I have always loved about them. Yes okay, maybe the songs become a bit predictable after awhile and you know when the instrumentals and soft parts are coming. But there is a “my comfort album” element here to immerse yourself into. It’s just absolutely solid Melodeath and no bullshit.

“The Immortal” closes with one of the best songs on the album, “The Hounding”. It is a blazing Death Metal track with blast beats, Black Metal worthy screams and chilling guitars, and atmospheric elements. What holds this song, and the entire band together is undoubtedly the drums. While they’ve changed drummers from one of my favorite drummers, Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson, now with Dark Tranquility, to Cornelius Althammer, there’s no difference in the Progressive Metal influence that stands out to me. “The Hounding” absolutely sold me on Cornelius Althammer and I am very impressed by his speed.

Overall, “The Immortal” is objectively a great album. The tracks standalone. While the album starts out a bit slow and predictable, it builds and becomes truly great. It will take a few listens to soak it all in, especially if you’re in an over stimulated state like I am these days. The album is worth replays and I think it holds up fairly well to In Mourning’s previous releases. It is nowhere as epic as previous ventures, but it is still surprising and enjoyable. If you like Melodeath, I think this album hits all the right Sadboi goodness. If you don’t like Melodeath, I am not really sure if this is an album to change your mind. If you’ve never heard In Mourning, start with “Song of the Cranes” and then listen to the rest of this album.

LINKS;

https://inmourning.bandcamp.com/

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1830039-In-Mourning

https://www.facebook.com/inmourningband/

New Battle Beast is Absolutely Stunning

August 6, 2025 / metalvalkyrie2014 / 1 Comment

Battle Beast’s new album Steelbound comes out in October. It is their 7th studio album, and it seems these Finnish Heavy Metal masters keep getting better and better. This band never ceases to amaze me. Their soaring melodies, chugging heavy riffs, and epic synths and orchestrations are mindbogglingly good. This band’s music hearkens back to the 70s and 80s where good ol Heavy Metal had catchier lines and riffs than any other genre on the planet. Singer Noora Louhimo’s stunning range has no limits it seems, switching between impossibly high Power Metal screams and soft Ann Wilson style storytelling, she may be the most underrated vocalist of our time.

The three new singles from Battle Beast’s Steelbound, the title track, “Here We Are”, and “Last Goodbye” are three of the best Metal tracks I have heard this year. They are catchy, moving, energetic, powerful, and extremely well written. “Here We Are” is part 80s dance track, part Pat Benatar, and part Rhapsody of Fire. “Last Goodbye” is as if ABBA, Judas Priest, Europe, and Dimebag Darrel had a love-child. It’s fist pumping like Sabaton, a battle track to get you through a workout or rush hour traffic. “Steelbound” is a harmonic delight straight from the 1980s. Man, I am loving the throwback sounds that bands like Battle Beast are bringing back. The vocals on this send insane chills up my neck. The vocals have so much tone without a ton of production. It’s so refreshing after hearing bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens, and Falling in Reverse that are so over produced, it is grating to my ears. Stop listening to the Radio, stop watching the charts, and listen to Battle Beast. This band is one of the greatest bands of the past two decades, in my opinion. I cannot wait to hear what else they do with Steelbound.