The last few months of my life have been—to not trauma dump on you off the bat—pretty rough. It’s during these times you look to the people you admire and the things you enjoy most. You deal with the duality of having all the energy in the world whilst wanting to do absolutely nothing with it; a fresh perspective battling a longing for familiar comfort. It’s a poison.
But here we are in Birmingham. It’s familiar. The O2 Academy? Sure, I know it well. Suffocating low-end vocals and symphonic violence? I’m in.
The lineup wasn’t about musical diversity or easing anyone in. Tonight was about total immersion. Humanity’s Last Breath were twisted and contorted. Their set felt physical, every jagged movement mirroring the sheer weight of their sound. This wasn’t speed-driven; it was measured, cinematic doom that crept right under your skin. At the centre of it all were the drums—the fragile thread between absolute chaos and order. If you came looking for extreme speed, this wasn’t it, but for something dense, layered, and sonically schizophrenic, they delivered a punishing performance.
One of the last gigs I shot included Shadow of Intent, and they’ve been a frequent go-to ever since. I knew what I was going to get—that comforting familiarity—and they charged in with a sharp change of pace, forcing blast beats down our speed-parched throats. Ben Duerr’s vocal range is frankly absurd; pig squeals, gutturals, and piercing screams shift effortlessly. The drums, again, were a spectacle. I’ve mentioned the athleticism of this genre before, and tonight proved you practically need to be a marathon runner to compete in the modern metal Olympics. The crowd started pouring over the barrier, with the excellent security staff keeping us all safe.
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Whitechapel brought a theatrical touch to the death metal feast they served on a now sweat-drenched platter. While they have all the ingredients—heavy drums, echoed lead lines, and the deepest of screams—they add pinches of horror soundtracking into the mix. Phil Bozeman recently mentioned in an AMA that deathcore is now one of the most popular forms of extreme music. Phil, do you want to know why? It’s because of performers like you. The set was commanding, technically brilliant, and ultimately one of the most satisfying death metal performances you could hope for. The crowd snarled along while the bass subs brought the structural integrity of the O2 into question.
After surprising us with a “Total Eclipse of the Heart” sing-along over the PA, phones shot into the air to capture Lorna Shore. This is star power in real time. Some bands have it, some don’t—Lorna Shore absolutely do. What set this apart wasn’t just the precision or heaviness, but how deeply the music moved people. Every chorus was screamed back with no restraint. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who needed this. Maybe this was a collective release. At one point, I even saw someone crying… at a deathcore gig. Honestly, more power to them.
“Sun//Eater” put their insane dynamic range on full display, with guitar solos that felt almost 80s hair-metal in spirit soaring across the sauna-like room. The band explained this was a special set before unveiling “In Darkness”—make sure you check out the new video for that one. The blast beats were tight and articulate, and while the snare was drenched in echo, it never lost clarity. Where some bands feel like they’re sitting a technical proficiency exam, Lorna Shore delivered a Grade A performance in drama and emotion. This wasn’t just heavy music; it’s what we all needed. An antidote.
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Pics by Watchmaker Studios
