Album Review: Lorna Shore - 'Psalms'

Lorna Shore have been around for half a decade at this point, but they haven't managed to grasp the public consciousness as firmly as their contemporaries such as Thy Art Is Murder and Job For A Cowboy. This is undoubtedly due, in part, to their decision to release three EPs rather than attempting to unleash a full album that stands as their first real introduction to the world. Now it seems that their debut 'Psalms' is an attempt to do just that.

The presence of Will Putney's production values shouldn't be hard to spot for those who've listened to his handiwork in the past. The double kicks are monstrous and each breakdown hits as hard as the last. As mentioned above, the similarities to Thy Art's breakthrough effort 'Hate' are more than noticeable though with certain moments ('Death Gowns' is highly relevant in this situation) sounding almost exactly the same. The typical 'doomed' guitar riff/effect that permeates modern deathcore is well enforced here and doesn't differentiate the band in any way from what's been released in the past year to say the least.

It's heavy as all hell though, which will satisfy those who are in search of an album of indecipherable low growls. Yes, they're an integral part of the genre, but having no chance of understanding the lyrics can be a downer when it forms the majority of the record. Swap from the beginning of 'Harvest Realms to Traces of Supremacy' and it's almost like the two vocal parts have been copied and pasted. There's obvious talent, but it all becomes lost in the mix when there's no standout moments to say "oh wow". On that note, it's usually the breakdowns that elicit such a reaction, but they're a dime a dozen throughout 'Psalms'. Just over a minute into 'Infernal Haunting' and there's a breakdown that distinctly lacks in build up, and 'Wretching In Torment' comes to a screeching halt no more than 30 seconds in. In a live setting a generous helping of breakdowns and bass drops might be perfect, but a 'less is more' approach would have more than helped Lorna Shore's debut.

It would be going too far to say that Lorna Shore's 'Psalms' is a bad album. All the successful elements of a deathcore album are there and they're executed skillfully. Unfortunately, the abundance of breakdowns that pop up literally stop the album in its tracks. With material from Aversions Crown and Black Tongue managing to showcase new elements in the genre, it's a shame that Lorna Shore fail to bring anything fresh to the table.

1. Grimoire

2. Harvest Realms

3. Throne Of Worms

4. White Noise

5. From The Pale Mist

6. Infernal Haunting

7. Death Gowns

8. Wretching In Torment

9. Traces Of Supremacy

10. Eternally Oblivion