Who are Lorna Shore’s fans?

This past weekend (February 8), Lorna Shore kicked off the UK leg of their mammoth European headline run with Whitechapel, Shadow Of Intent and Humanity’s Last Breath at London’s Alexandra Palace. Braving the classic British winter and constant rain, thousands of deathcore diehards turned out to welcome the New Jersey heavies as only the capital can. But who are Lorna Shore’s fans, and what draws them to such brutal music? We took a trek up that damn hill to find out…

How long have you been into Lorna Shore?
“God, about six years maybe? Seven? A mate showed me them one time when we were just sat in a park on a bench. They were like, 'You need to listen to this,' and I've not looked back since.”

What is it about them that you like so much?
“It's a combination of aggressiveness and also emotion that comes through in their music. You don't find it really anywhere else in the scene too much. It's just brilliant. It speaks to me on every level.”

What other bands are you into?
“I'm big into my nu-metal like Slipknot, but I do like a bit of the weirder stuff like Nekrogoblikon.”

Why do you think heavy music speaks to people so much?
“I really think that the community is amazing and helps a lot of people. Like, the people at shows you meet are all so friendly and they all want everyone to have a good time. I've made my way through a lot of spaces in my life and I've never met people like I find in this space. Never.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a mosh-pit?
“Probably a leg being broken. He went into a circle-pit that was a bit too fast and ended up spiralling.”

What are you wearing today?
“A Lorna Shore shirt I imported from America – it arrived as I was leaving the house today. Then I've got just my standard jeans and my Infant hat. That goes everywhere.”

How long have you been into Lorna Shore?
“Fucking hell, maybe three or four years now. I love them. The emotion as well. The way they bring out their music and the emotion. It's just fucking incredible, I can't express it. I've been listening to metal since I was 16 or 17 and gradually through other bands I discovered them. I first heard Pain Remains and it got me.”

What other bands do you like?
“Obviously Whitechapel. Motionless In White as well. Shadow Of Intent, that's sick as fuck. I do like some old-school and some emo songs as well.”

Why do you think heavy music is so important to people?
“It's different, it gets your emotions. I know people say it's headache music but it's not, it's got the lyrics, it's got the emotions. If you compare it to nowadays [pop] music, the lyrics are nothing compared to this – this is something and it fills your heart. You listen to a song and you fall in love with it straight away. Yeah, it might be screaming, but I love that. I'll be 62 years old and I'll still be coming to these concerts.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a pit?
“I don't even know – I've crowdsurfed five times in one gig and it was the sickest time. So maybe me being an idiot was the most wild thing!”

What's your outfit?
“I've been dressing like this since I was 15. I get up in the morning and dress how I want. I've got my fishnets, got my mini skirt. I love the cute little choker. I always have bright hair and I love bats.”

How long have you been into Lorna Shore?
“I can't be as expressive as my partner Yasmina (above), but maybe a year or so. I got into them because of her – we've been together for 10 years so we gotta copy some of each other's traits. They're brutal and raw. That's it.”

What other bands do you like?
“It goes everywhere from My Chemical Romance to Green Day, Slipknot, Cattle Decapitation, Ingested and Cannibal Corpse. I don't know if I said Slipknot already, but they deserve mentioning twice.”

Why do you think heavy music is so important to people?
“It breaks down to the real human element of emotion – when they scream you know why they're screaming. You can feel it in your subconscious. Even if you can't tell the tone of the voice, you can tell the emotion coming straight through it.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a pit?
“I think a bottle of piss getting thrown at the artist. That's my number one. It was The Devil Wears Prada. The piss hit me in the back of the head – I guess I didn't see it, but I saw the splat!”

What's your outfit?
“So I've got dirty Vans, dirty jeans, dirty Slipknot T-shirt. Love it.”

How did you get into Lorna Shore?
“I first saw them at Bloodstock in 2022. I had absolutely no idea who they were, and it was the middle of the massive heat wave – I was dying like you wouldn't believe because I'd drank a lot of mead. I just took one look at them and thought, 'This is the most amazing voice I've ever heard in my life. It's fantastic. I want to listen to it forever.' It's absolutely beautiful as far as I'm concerned.”

Why do you love them so much?
“Everything about them is fantastic. The drumming is incredible, the guitars are magnificent, and as I've already stated, Will Ramos' voice is just beautiful.”

What other bands are you into?
“Everything you see on my trench coat are bands I've seen. I have a trench coat covered in patches. I listen to a lot: old-school rock, heavy rock… And The Wurzels. I'll listen to anything.”

Why do you think heavy music is speaks to people?
“Because when you're going through the worst possible situation in your life, you can put something on like that and it doesn't matter how bad you feel, it will make you feel better. Going back to Lorna Shore, Pain Remains are three of the most beautiful songs in the world as far as I'm concerned. On my way to work I used to listen to them every single day for about a year-and-a-half because it was exactly the right amount of time for them. I knew when I was going faster than normal if I didn't manage to listen to the whole thing.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a mosh-pit?
“At Bloodstock, of course. It was 2016 and it was the last band of the weekend – Inquisition. A circle-pit was going on and someone just stops and starts doing their shoe laces up. They started going around this man, not touching him at all, but as soon as he finished and started to stand up, he was fair game, so he went straight on the floor!”

What's your outfit today?
“I'm wearing a tri-point pirate hat with patches on it, which I only started today because I lost the old one. I have a trench coat covered in patches and wristbands and lanyards from both Download and Bloodstock. And some HRH events. I think there's a Sophie Lancaster lanyard on here somewhere. And Tech-Fest. Oh, and not to forget the patch trousers.”

How long have you been Lorna Shore fans?
Bash: “Four years, let's say. The last time they played Download.”
Kat: “It's my first time seeing them!”

How did you get into them?
Kat: “This guy!”
Bash: “I've been listening to Pain Remains back to back since I first heard it!”

Why do you like them so much?
Bash: “It's rough, it melts your face off. It's got an incredible amount of emotion in it.”
Kat: “I think they're quite orchestral, but I'm more of a fan of Battlesnake!”

Why do you think heavy music is so important to so many?
Kat: “Self-expression. And community. The love!”
Bash: “You get to blow the steam off that needs to be blown off.”
Kat: “Oh yeah!”

What other bands are you into?
Kat: “We went to Motionless In White two days ago and he fucking threw me into the mosh-pit. I fell down! It took five guys to get me up. Motherfucker.”
Bash: “It happens! You fall down, you get picked up. Ghost is a big one for me.”
Kat: “Battlesnake!”

What is the wildest thing you've ever seen in a mosh-pit?
Kat: “This guy throwing me into it…”
Bash: “I'm sure you've seen the picture from Download last year of the kid surfing on his dad? I was there holding them up, that was awesome to see. It went full-on viral!”

What are you wearing tonight?
Bash: “This is my trusty battle jacket. This is my whole festival tour – every band is on here. It's seen some battles.”
Kat: “I've been to two festivals with him: Damnation and Download. Then I have this huge Battlesnake patch on the back. And it's hand-painted by me.”

How long have you been fans of Lorna Shore?
Rostyslav: “The last time I saw them was maybe three or four years ago, when they played Electric Ballroom in London. Ever since I've loved them. I work at a barbershop and my colleague introduced me. We got tickets and went to see them and I've loved them since.”
Evalina: “Since I've known Rostyslav – he introduced me. Maybe three years ago. I know a few songs!”

What is it you like about them?
Rostyslav: “I love the voice, I love the growl. I think it's so unique. I can't explain, it's amazing.”
Evalina: “I just like that they're heavy!”

What other bands are you into?
Evalina: “I like Deftones, I love Rammstein. I like Metallica, Iron Maiden – all the classics. And Gojira are sick.”
Rostyslav: “Same thing here. We're into all the same music.”

Why do you think heavy music is important to people?
Evalina: “It's a release, people can express themselves and be themselves. It's a really healthy outlet like the gym, y'know? Come out, you feel good. It's a really nice community.”
Rostyslav: “Yeah, it's about expressing yourself and being who you are.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a mosh-pit?
Rostyslav: “I don't know, I don't think it is wild. Everyone is just friendly, being in the moment. It's connecting people.”
Evalina: “I've seen two people at Bloodstock clashing in the wall of death whilst in bins. That was wild.”

What are you both wearing tonight?
Rostyslav: “I'm just getting myself comfortable for the mosh-pit!”
Evalina: “I've got this Named Collective hoodie. I just wanted to stay warm and comfy.”

How long have you been into Lorna Shore?
“Since 2022. God, that's nearly four years. They released To The Hellfire and that was it then.”

What do you like about them so much?
“Will's vocals are insane. They're just great. The talent that man has to do so much. His lyricism, too, is fucking fantastic.”

What other bands are you into?
“This is where it's going to go a bit weird. I like a lot of ’80s hair metal – like Poison. And I like a lot of punk stuff as well.”

Why do you think heavy music is so important to people?
“A lot of the people into it – myself included – are a bit weird, and it's the thing that unites a lot of people that have been considered an outcast. It's just nice that lots of people like this music. I immediately trust them and I make so many friends because they're all lovely. They share the same experience.”

What's the wildest thing you've seen in a mosh-pit?
“Somebody did a Yu-Gi-Oh! duel in a mosh-pit. Another one was Beyblade – that was pretty cool.”

What's your outfit tonight?
“I've got a sleeveless leather jacket with a bunch of stuff painted on it. I've got my band's logo on here. I've got a bunch of punk stuff. Red tartans, a Mary Wyatt shirt and a harness.”

How long have you been a Lorna Shore fan?
“For the last five years. Yeah, it's been a while! My friend told me about a show they were playing, and I was like, 'Fuck it,' and then started listening to their whole playlist. I was like, 'This is the best thing I've ever heard in my life.' I think I then listened to …Hellfire like 500 times. Seeing them live was the best experience and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to.”

What do you love about them so much?
“The vibe, the presentation, the way that they engage with the crowds. It's the most insane experience. And amazing music, insanely incredible. You can feel the rhythm in the air as they perform.”

What other bands are you into?
“I will say, I'm a nu-metal fan, but I do love a bit of deathcore. What am I listening to at the moment, though… I obviously fucking love Whitechapel.”

Why do you think heavy music is so important?
“It's a form of self-expression that is so demonised in culture and society, and it's the one place where you have the space to be who the fuck you want to be in whatever flavour that is. You can look like a fucking insane person and it's the one place where no-one will bat an eye. It's the comfort, the space you create and the community around it. Some of the best people I've ever met have been in this community. It's the safest I ever feel when I go out. I absolutely fucking love it.”

What's the wildest thing you've ever seen in a mosh-pit?
“Someone fell on the floor, and as someone went to pick him up, they threw up in his face. It went in his mouth. Into. His. Mouth.”

What are you wearing tonight?
“I'm wearing a top I sewed out of random bits of fabric I had. Some bullshit fucking tights, and Dr. Martens like everyone else here. Oh, and this choker I got at The Satanic Flea Market!”