Listen, I strive to be as objective as possible when writing reviews, providing an unbiased opinion where I can to guide you, good reader, in the right direction and help you spend your hard-earned money wisely.

But if you have read my reviews before, you know I am one: A huge fan of the blackened/symphonic deathcore genre, and two: an even bigger fan of Lorna Shore, arguably the alpha leader in said genre. So it goes without saying, this review will not be very objective. You have been warned.

So, after absolutely blowing up with 2021’s EP, ...And I Return to Nothingness, which introduced the world to the yellow lab of deathcore vocalists, Will Ramos, 2022’s Pain Remains virtually broke the internet. Especially after the “Pain Remains pt1: Dancing Like Flames” song and video dropped, showing the genre could have some emotion and make grown men cry (guilty).

So here we are 3 years later, and here is the long-awaited follow-up, the wordily titled I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, and its super dark cover, a stark contrast to the bright white cover of Pain Remains. And as with Pain Remains, a trio of singles were released, giving the world a taste of about a third of the album before release. And if I’m being honest, those released songs, “Oblivion”, “Unbreakable”, and “Prison Of Flesh”, didn’t truly excite me as they seemed a bit formulaic and reminiscent of many of the songs from Pain Remains and To The Hellfire.

Listen, the knock on Lorna Shore has been the formulaic songs since even Immortal, but bands locking into a core previous sound has never been an issue for me, or many other bands for that matter (i.e, Bolt Thrower, Deicide, Dismember, and countless others). And that trio of singles certainly follows the Lorna Shore formula: a little choral intro, jackhammer blasts, some swelling synths, Ramos snarling and whispering, a crescendo, and then a crumbling breakdown. They are basically the ‘Welcome Back, O Sleeping Dreamer”, “Cursed to Die”, and “Suneater” of this album.

And after those three singles, it appeared Lorna Shore was simply treading in place for the new album. Which, admittedly, I would have been OK with, but there was no “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” single to get me truly hyped.

And then the album came out, and I skipped to the first ‘fresh’ unreleased song, “In Darkness”, the third song amid the first released singles. And my lord, I audibly reacted as the massive orchestral intro (up until this point the most epic thing they have done- until another track later on), and then I got goosebumps as the song progressed. It still fits the Lorna Shore formula, but leans more in the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, just with some extra ‘epicness’, and brings that hefty, emotional gravitas to the chorus, which is layered with utterly gorgeous choirs and a key change to die for.

After “Unbreakable”, a more anthemic, dare I say, positive ode to fans, we get “Glenwood”. And listen, if you teared up at “Pain Remains pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” due to the loss of a loved one, strap in if you have an estranged father or are a child of divorce, as this one will hit you right in the fucking gut. Again leaning into the more melodic and emotional hues of the “Pain Remains” trilogy, it’s up there with “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames”, as far as the most heartfelt and personal material the band has penned. And the choirs, key change, and lead solo at the end gave me goosebumps yet again. It also has some very subtle female vocals, which the band scatters throughout the album to amazing effect.

The soaring “Lionheart” is up next and sits somewhere between the more repetitive/familiar nature of Lorna Shore and the more melodic, emotional side, but has a killer chorus, and I’m pretty sure Ramos snarls the iconic William Wallace line from the Braveheart movie.

“Death Can Take Me” is yet another ‘typical’ Lorna Shore song that seems familiar, even with a more ‘swaying’ breakdown and an ending breakdown that might be the album’s most destructive moment. But Andrew O’Connor’s keyboards (which are more ethereal and choir-heavy), as they do throughout the album, seem just a little ‘bigger’, if still a little mired in Josh Schroeder’s production. It’s not up there with say Sin Deliverance or Ov Ruin levels of orchestral bombast, but definitely a little more than Pain Remains at times. “War Machine”, which is my least favorite song on the album, is a straight-up bruiser going all in on sheer velocity and heft, which some older Lorna fans might appreciate.

Penultimate track, “A Nameless Hymn”, a really solid number, that like “Lionheart” blends the band’s more predictable formula with more grandiosity, and a breakdown that matches “Death Can Take Me” in sheer fucking disgustingness.

Then the 10-minute closer “Forevermore” is the song that broke me, as “Pt 2; After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear” did on Pain Remains. Dedicated to Will Ramos’s recently deceased brother, Corey, its lengthy orchestral opening is the most epic thing they have done with ethereal female vocals and Hans Zimmer levels of sheer majesty. The riffs are vicious yet melodic and brilliantly emotive, and Adam De Micco has absolutely mastered heartfelt, heartstring-pulling leads. And the violins, cellos, orchestration, and female vocals that grace the songs pre-chrous and close out? Just fucking ridiculous and the best thing the band has done in my opinion. It rivals the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, if not supersedes it.

Listen. I love this album. It’s not quite the game-changer and bar setter that Pain Remains was, but it is a worthwhile follow-up and has some of the band’s very best moments on it. Still, certainly, the band could self-edit some of their songs to be a bit shorter. And like Pain Remains, there are some overly repetitive moments, but it’s largely carried by its more emotional, personal songs, which the band now seems to be leaning a little harder into, since “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” broke the internet, and the band realized this is their difference maker. Also, I had a sneaking suspicion Ramos might throw in some clean vocals, considering his love of bands like Sleep Token, but he has not fallen into that trap… yet.

Some bands have come really, really close to taking the genre’s throne; Sin Deliverance, Metal Cruelty, Worm Shepherd, Synestia, Ov Ruin, Shadow of Intent, etc. But Lorna Shore has responded and fought them off for now with IFTEFWM. Now all I have to do is wait three more years for this album’s follow-up.

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