Reviews: Lorna Shore, Wolfheart, Castle Rat, Vittra (Spike, Mark Young, Matt Bladen & Martin Brown)

Lorna Shore – I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me (Century Media) [Spike]

They say Lorna Shore have always played at the brink of collapse, flipping the dial between brutal and beautiful. I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me doesn’t just play there, it builds itself out of that space, expands it, wallows in it, and still smashes through it. Nearly 67 minutes across ten tracks, this is a statement so elaborate you catch new detail every time you zone in with headphones.

Opening with Prison Of Flesh, the album wastes no time in asserting its weight. The intro feels like thunder rolling across a ruined cathedral, strings whispering, drums pounding before it erupts into full deathcore carnage. That duality sets the stage: this record wants to crush and elevate. On speakers you feel the kicks in your chest; in headphones, you hear the splinters in the snare, the swirl of synths behind the distortion.

Tracks like Oblivion and In Darkness double-down on chaos. Oblivion in particular drags you into its maelstrom, symphonic layers, squealing guitars, vocals that shift between bestial and anguished with razor-sharp precision. There are moments where the orchestrations threaten to wash away the brutality, but the band pull back just enough so neither overpowers the other.

Unbreakable offers a brief, bruised reprieve, a moment of almost clean expression shadowed by the surrounding fury. It feels like holding your breath before the storm drops again. And drop it does: Glenwood, Lionheart, then Death Can Take Me carve their pain with both sweep and jagged edge. Choir-like backing vocals creep in, amplifying the sense that this isn’t just destruction, it’s mourning.

The pacing reveals its strength in longer tracks like Forevermore. Ten-plus minutes of cumulative tension, where you travel through peaks and troughs, blasts, breakdowns, ambient respite and in the quieter moments, you can almost smell rust and cold metal.

Instrumentally it’s immaculate. Josh Schroeder’s production gives enough clarity that every blast beat slams, every ambient interlude breathes, every riff is a threat. Will Ramos still roars like he’s clawing his voice out, but there are shades, layers, that speak of wear, of loss, of knowing the darkness you fight might already be inside.

If you need comparisons, think early Pain Remains but more ambitious, more layered, less content to let orchestration just fill space. Or Shadow Of Intent at times, especially in how the symphonic components pull you toward both awe and dread. But Everblack… is not imitation, it feels like the next stage of what deathcore with symphonics can do when you push its emotional and sonic boundaries.

There are moments of nearly brutal perfection Death Can Take Me with its apocalyptic choir swell, Forevermore as the closing exhale. And yes, at 67 minutes it pushes endurance, but the journey stretches deserved weight across its length. By the end, it doesn’t feel too long, it feels lived. Lorna Shore build a cathedral from collapse here. Harsh, haunting, expansive and very much their defining moment so far. 9/10

Wolfheart - Draconian Darkness II (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Mark Young]

Draconian Darkness II is an EP follow up ne companion piece to Wolfheart’s 2024 release and as a result is a short, focused set of songs that comprise a mixture of new and repurposed material. The band itself is new to me, so rather than try to compare it to its older brethren I’ll approach this as a standalone statement of intent.

And it’s not bad at all. Carnivore is all about an epic start, massive riffs and drums that crush, all wrapped up in a tight ball of metal goodness. It basically acts as a jumping on point for those like me and is effectively a sign that says follow me for more melodically driven metal. It offers up a little slice of differing sounds – the slow measured entry into the repeating bottom-heavy riff, the restrained keys that give it a hint of atmospheric black/melodic metal and the final third where they show you that they can pick up the pace, putting a boot to the throat. 

Production wise it’s on point, but they do have that ‘sound’ of what I call modern guitar, its like a dark fizz, but if you put that to one side it is an effective way to kick things off. Forefathers keeps that momentum going, admittedly slowing a little after that frenetic final act of carnivore. For me it is a stronger track than the opener, the use of the keys following a pattern that makes the song sound huge. Yes, that guitar sound is still here (sorry lads, I don’t like it) but they burn through proceedings in a way that keeps you engaged with it. Again, that orchestral backing is superb and is quality way to wrap up what is a very strong one-two from them.

From the new to the redone – Burning Sky is delivered live and by the Christ it is scorching. There is something that has changed between the studio and then this version, a feeling that is based on the two new songs presented here. This one has all of the heaviness you could want without sacrificing any of the backing orchestral movements. It sounds huge, that fizziness dialled back to suit and the result is sublime.

From the full-on electric assault of Burning Sky, we are treated to an acoustic version of The Gale. The vocals on this one are delivered clean and is a stark reminder of how this music can really work in this scenario. Its one of the reasons why EP’s are such good fun, it gives the artist the scope to try something different that possibly could have upset the natural rhythm of a normal full-length release. 

The Gale has that kind of build that would be quality to play. Grave on the other hand is an orchestral version of that song which may tick a box for completists, and it is a great arrangement it is not really essential. As EP’s go it is a good set of songs that would give new listeners an idea of what they are all about. 7/10

Castle Rat - The Bestiary (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

So let's address the elephant in the room, The Bestiary is too long, literally about four songs too long. It's a 13 track record that could be a 9 track album, a by rights it should be. Their debut was excellent, it was a tight, riffy 9 tracks of proto metal where NWOBHM, 70's rock and Frazetta fantasy met with a theatrical edge.

It wasn't just me, their debut Into The Realm was critically acclaimed, the mix of stoner/doom/classic metal soundscapes and Dungeon & Dragons inspired choreographed battle scenes when they play live captivated audiences across the globe and more importantly these days the internet where they have become something of a phenomenon.

Using their immense popularity to crowdfund this follow up via Kickstarter (is that still a thing?), reaching their goal in minutes before heading into the studio asap to lay down this conceptual record with producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves In The Throne Room, Björk). So yes I said conceptual, the band say: "The Bestiary is a conceptual book of beasts containing a collection of mystical creatures from a world forgotten."

Continuing with vein of medieval fantasy they began on the debut, lead guitarist The Count (Franco Vittore), on lead guitar, bassist The Plague Doctor (Charley Ruddell), and drummer The All-Seeing Druid (Joshua Strmic) are led in their fight against Teh Rat Reapress by The Rat Queen aka Riley Pinkerton, who slings a mean rhythm guitar and provides the vocals for these tales of fantasy metal.

Now the band are damn good, all veterans of their scene, given a new shot at glory with Castle Rat, teaming up with a great vocalist to showcase this story driven style of proto/doom, however while they excelled with the heavier sounds of their debut, they have expanded a little on this record bringing in some Zeppelin or more accurately Heart-like histrionics and classic rock tendencies which lends them a more populist style, at times even taking some cues from pop.

The winds of change are definitely blowing on this record, much like how Ghost adapted their sound away from doom into what they are now, I can see Castle Rat, refining theirs with subsequent records until much of the proto-metal of their debut is all but gone. By adding some grandeur, playing more on the fantasy elements of their sound and styling and aiming for a bigger audience is not a negative thing for the band, if anything it will see them getting bigger shows and stages, (they've just been announced for Bloodstock next year) but it may cause division in their fan base, if the venture too far from what made them popular at the beginning. 

Still The Bestiary is an enjoyable record but one that tries to overload the listener at times. 7/10

Vittra - Intense Indifference (Self Released) [Martin Brown]

Vittra’s Intense Indifference plants itself firmly in the Swedish melodic death/thrash lineage, but with enough invention to keep things engaging across its ten tracks. The guitar work is more than simple doubling. Vittra regularly employ what could be called the metal species of counterpoint: harmonised leads, call-and-response phrasing, and the occasional contrary motion between parts that add depth to the riffing. It enriches the texture in a way that straight chugging never could.

Several songs stand out for variation. Burn(h)er and Soul Searcher open up the dynamics with shifts in atmosphere, while Transylvanian Buffet plays more unpredictably with rhythm and stops — complete with a honky-tonk piano detour that feels both tongue-in-cheek and memorable. The Leap slows into groove sections before surging back, and the Slayer cover closer Piece By Piece ends the record with a broader scope of textures. Across the board, the songs close with intent — no fade-outs or throwaways, but crafted endings that drive the point home.

The drumming deserves mention: it's full of feel, never over-complicated with the song always put first, and there’s real talent in how the kit underpins the changes. It isn’t all relentless blasting; fills, grooves, and tempo changes come with taste and energy, giving the record much of its drive.

The production is modern and tight: guitars are bright and forward, bass is refreshingly audible, and the whole mix hits hard at around –11 dB loudness without collapsing into flatline loudness-war territory. Editing and quantisation are clearly at play — the drums and riffs lock with mechanical precision — yet the band avoid sterility, letting dynamics and phrasing push through. The best of both worlds.

Intense Indifference ultimately succeeds because it balances polish with bite. Vittra show a strong command of their chosen genre, but they also bring enough variety, structure, and instrumental interplay to reward repeated listens. This is a record to put a smile on your face, make you nod your head, and then press play again once it's finished. 7/10