Ranked: The Top 10 Lorna Shore Songs

Emily Bancroft
May 2
6 min read

Ever since their conception in 2009, Lorna Shore have been a staple in the deathcore community. Known for their innovative vocals that make you wonder how a human can do such incredible things with their vocal chords, insane drum skills and not without their drama, they are also well known in the community for their sudden shift in vocalist in 2020 and their viral moments on metal TikTok during lockdown. Taking to the Opus Stage at Download in 2025, here we breakdown Lorna Shore’s ten best songs.

10) Godmaker

There couldn’t be a top ten breakdown of Lorna Shore without mentioning some of their earlier work with vocalist Tom Barber. Maleficium was Lorna Shore’s second EP, and with that came a lot more experimentation. They had already set out who they were as a band, with their apocalyptic lyrics and valid deathcore vocals on their first EP, so when Maleficium came around a few years later, fans were surprised with the opening track ‘Godmaker’. Far from their usual style of kicking straight into deathcore essentials, ‘Godmaker’ started slower with a solid minute of tinkering sounds and sparse electro beats. While this song still features some iconic Lorna Shore elements, it feels too far away from their black metal style we know and love of the band today, and feels a little more mainstream metal.

9) Immortal

2019 was a massive year for Lorna Shore, musically as well as structurally. They brought out 4 singles, ending with the almost seven-minute epic, ‘Immortal’. With this single, they moved more into their era of black and deathcore mixed with symphony orchestra that is uniquely them and helped the band to start carving their niche in the deathcore scene. As much of a powerhouse as this song is and as much as 2019 was a mega year for Lorna Shore, it unfortunately cannot feature higher on the list due to vocalist CJ McReery, who was dropped from the band later that year for allegations of sexual abuse.

8) Bone Kingdom

Flashing back to the band’s first release, Bone Kingdom, the title track of the EP comes in at number eight. When this song came out in 2012, Lorna Shore were newcomers on the scene, hailing from New Jersey and just trying to stake a claim in the metal world. ‘Bone Kingdom’ would help them do just that. Whilst it isn’t one of their more technical songs, ‘Bone Kingdom’ is featured on this list due to the evocative lyrics. Once again introducing the apocalyptic, semi-religious undertones, the lyrics of ‘Bone Kingdom’ express images of fallen idols and self-hatred that resonate deeply with the listener, and that are becoming of most Lorna Shore songs.

7) Wrath

Some of Lorna Shore’s best technical skills come from drummer Austin Archey. Perhaps in no other song is that more evident than ‘Wrath’, on the 2022 album Pain Remains. Archey has inhuman drumming abilities, drumming with a ferocious tempo whilst still achieving complete accuracy of the rhythm and vibe of the song. Archey is a drummer that has impressive studio skills, but then manages to replicate those studio songs almost perfectly live, a feat that most bands lose at least in some part on the transition from studio to gig. ‘Wrath’ is Archery’s most impressive to date, and is a perfect showcase of his distinct style and skillset.

6) Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames

The next few spots on this list are reserved for what Lorna Shore has coined “The Pain Remains Trilogy.” The final three tracks on the Pain Remains album of 2022 move away from what the band typically write about. Moving away from rage-driven anthems, the Pain Remains trilogy explores the world of loss and grief. ‘Dancing Like Flames’ kicks off this three-part saga with haunting lyrics about losing someone close and not being able to continue on, coupled with Ramos’ voice that here, unlike some other Lorna Shore songs, truly cuts the listener deep. ‘Dancing Like Flames’ perhaps isn’t as poignant as the rest of the trilogy, so it sits at number 6 on this list.

5) Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear

When talking about this trilogy, it is important to recognise the torment guitarist Adam De Micco went through. Pouring his soul into the music, which features some of the most beautiful breakdowns that integrate seamlessly with the brutal guitar that features at the forefront of this track, De Micco almost abandoned the album altogether. After combating his personal turmoils, Lorna Shore eventually released Pain Remains, and the result was a 20-minute epic that fans ate up and resonated deeply with. Releasing a deathcore ballad is a very unique concept that doesn’t often fit well with fans of an established genre, but on ‘After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear’ we find a true exception to the rules.

4) Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire

One of the longer tracks on the list, ‘In a Sea of Fire’ ends the Pain Remains trilogy with an almost ten-minute chronicle of the expressiveness of grief. This song truly encapsulates what Lorna Shore are able to do, not just specifically as a deathcore band, but as a band in general. Producing an album of such high calibre, while provoking emotion in each and every second, is mesmerising. Black metal screams bringing tears to listeners' eyes whilst performing the most mind-melting guitar solos is a feat bands only dream of, not only is it rare, it is practically unheard of in deathcore. And Lorna Shore does it incredibly well, particularly with ‘In a Sea of Fire’.

3) To The Hellfire

When Lorna Shore announced new vocalist Will Ramos would be permanently joining the band back in 2021, fans were understandably sceptical, as here was an already established band seemingly doing well for themselves. But Ramos completely shook that up and helped them to further cement who they are in this industry. ‘To The Hellfire’ is a perfect example of this, here you have a formula that works. Guttural vocals, breakdowns, exciting lyrics and orchestral backing, all mixed with the charismatic frontman energy and expert technical knowledge Ramos provides. ‘To The Hellfire’ bridged the gap between old and new Lorna Shore, they found the genre they fit, invented their own school of vocals and have stuck to it, proving that Ramos was the ingredient Lorna Shore were seemingly missing.

2) Cursed To Die

If you wrap all the elements of a Lorna Shore track mentioned in most tracks above, the inhuman drumming, the truly one of a kind vocals, lyrics that rip you apart, and put them all into one song that sums Lorna Shore up, you would have found ‘Cursed To Die’. While being one of their shorter tracks, ‘Cursed To Die’ packs such a punch. The gutturals halfway through the song are quite literally face melting, once again mixed with a melodic solo from De Micco on guitar, making this a very close contender for the top spot. While this is quite possibly one of Lorna Shore’s most iconic tracks, it just misses out on number one.

1) Welcome Back, O’Sleeping Dreamer

And finally, the top spot on this list is reserved for none other than the seven minute behemoth that is ‘Welcome Back, O’Sleeping Dreamer’, the opening track from their most recent album, Pain Remains. This song may not be Lorna Shore’s most technical song, or their most divisive. It may not exhibit the pure emotion shown in other songs mentioned in this list, but the reason ‘Welcome Back, O’Sleeping Dreamer’ deserves the top spot is that this song makes a killing when performed live. Fans go wild when the epic track kicks into being with the religious orchestral vocals, slowly making way to the drop when Lorna Shore storms the stage and announces exactly who they are. The merciless drums, Ramos’ vocals that quite literally come from so deep within they are basically inhuman, all being carried by authentically heavy guitar. This song is Lorna Shore. And when played live, not only does it showcase just how true to their sound this band is, but the fans eat up each and every second. Genuine, exciting fan experience at a gig is at heart what every band aspires to for their songs, and ‘Welcome Back O’Sleeping Dreamer’ will always be that song. No Lorna Shore top ten would be complete without having this song included, but for us number one is where it belongs.