Lorna shore at the hordern pavilion in sydney
Last night, I had the absolute honour of attending Lorna Shore’s Sydney leg of their 2026 Australian tour, and let’s just say, my neck is still paying the price for all the headbanging. For deathcore fans, this gig felt like a genuine moment in history, with a stacked deathcore lineup packing out the Hordern Pavilion. It’s still insane to think about just how far Lorna Shore have come and to witness firsthand the impact they’ve had on the genre. Before we truly dive into it though, I just want to say a massive thank you to destroy all lines for having me there.
FOr this gig, we had a taste of the 3 best sides of deathcore. We had a taste of the hardcore side of deathcore, the old school primal side of deathcore, and the modern symphonic sound of deathcore. Delivering these sounds we had the acacia strain, whitechapel and lorna shore.
To kick things off, The Acacia Strain hit the stage, unleashing their signature hardcore sound that Australian fans had been waiting almost three years to hear again. Their setlist delivered an incredible mix of old and new, spanning their 2000s and 2010s releases with tracks such as “Whoa! Shut It Down”, “Dr. Doom”, “Carbomb” and, of course, the fan-favourite “Beast”. We also got to hear three tracks from their incredible new album, "You Are Safe From God Here", giving fans a taste of their latest material alongside some of the classics.
Next up, we had Whitechapel.
Wow.
They genuinely left me speechless.
Bringing their classic old school, raw, primal deathcore sound to the Hordern Pavilion, Whitechapel delivered a set that had been a long time coming, with Australian fans eagerly awaiting their return for almost three years. This was particularly exciting given that they hadn't returned to our shores since releasing Hymns in Dissonance.
Much of the setlist focused on Hymns in Dissonance, showcasing the band's brutal sound and the storytelling surrounding the album's central character, Craig. Five tracks from the album made their way into the set, opening with “Prisoner 666”, followed by “Hymns in Dissonance”, “A Visceral Retch” and “Bedlam”. After this, ex infernis played as a recording, building suspense while Phil Bozeman introduced the craig mask as we were lead into "hate cult ritual" (My personal favourite from the album).
Hearing an entire hordern pavilion chanting at the top of their lungs "We hunt! we kill! we feast! we conquer!" was a moment that I will truly never forget. After the hymns in dissonance part of the setlist was finished, we were then treated to 2 songs from the somatic defilement including "The somatic defilement" and "devirgination studies". TO then close of their setlist and leave us wanting more was the fan favourite song "this is exile" which I just had to hear live.
And finally, to close out the night… Lorna Shore.
And again…
Wow.
Genuinely, I was again left speechless.
For a band to return to Australian shores three times in less than two years is nothing short of incredible, and it speaks volumes about the connection Lorna Shore have built with their Australian fanbase. Bringing their modern, symphonic deathcore sound back to Sydney, the band delivered an absolutely insane performance, with every member showcasing exactly why they have become one of the most influential names in modern deathcore.
What's even crazier is seeing just how much they've grown in such a short period. Having sold out the Enmore Theatre in early 2025, seeing them step up to the Hordern Pavilion and pack out a much larger venue was genuinely special. It's a testament to the impact they've had on the genre and the ever-growing audience they've attracted along the way. Watching a band go from selling out smaller venues to commanding a stage of this size is something special, and Lorna Shore's rise is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
But it wasn't just the size of the venue that made this show so memorable. With the release of I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me, fans were treated to a headline set that could showcase the band's evolution across their three recent releases with will. And when it came to the setlist, Lorna Shore made it absolutely unforgettable.
Looking back at their previous Australian appearances, their first tour gave fans the opportunity to experience ...And I Return to Nothingness in its entirety, alongside the majority of Pain Remains, including the full three-part “Pain Remains” trilogy. By the time they returned for Good Things later in the year, the band had a much larger catalogue to draw from, allowing them to mix songs from these releases into a festival-length set. However, with a headline slot at the Hordern Pavilion and a brand-new album to showcase, this was the perfect opportunity to give Sydney fans a much more comprehensive look at their recent discography.
The setlist featured six tracks from I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me: “Glenwood”, “In Darkness”, “Oblivion”, “Prison of Flesh”, “Unbreakable” and “War Machine”. This gave the newer material a substantial presence throughout the night, demonstrating just how much the band's sound continues to evolve while retaining the intensity that made them such a force in deathcore.
We were also treated to “Into the Earth” and the complete “Pain Remains” trilogy, consisting of “Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames”, “Pain Remains II: After All I've Done, I'll Disappear” and “Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire”. Hearing the entire trilogy in a headline set was a massive highlight, allowing the band to bring one of their most ambitious and emotionally driven compositions to the Hordern Pavilion in full which had the entire crowd sobbing to a deathcore ballad.
To round out the setlist, Lorna Shore revisited ...And I Return to Nothingness with “Of the Abyss” and, of course, “To the Hellfire”, which is the track that helped propel the band into a whole new level of recognition and turned countless listeners towards modern deathcore. What made this set so special was the balance between the band's newer material and the songs that helped establish them as one of the genre's biggest names. Rather than relying solely on the tracks that first brought them widespread attention, Lorna Shore showcased how far they have progressed, delivering a set that represented several different stages of their journey.
From the stacked lineup to the packed-out Hordern Pavilion, this was a night that Sydney's deathcore community won't be forgetting anytime soon. Lorna Shore's continued growth in Australia has been incredible to witness, and if this show proved anything, it's that their connection with Australian fans is stronger than ever.
From start to finish, Lorna Shore's 2026 Sydney show was an unforgettable night for Australian deathcore fans. Each band brought something different to the table, making the entire evening feel special from the moment the first band hit the stage. What stood out to me most was just how strong the deathcore scene is in Australia, with the Hordern Pavilion packed out to witness three incredible bands share the same stage. Seeing Lorna Shore continue to grow and draw crowds of this size is genuinely amazing, and I can only hope we get to see more lineups like this make their way down under in the future. Once again, a massive thank you to destroy all lines for having me at the gig.
