The walls of Place Bell shook as deathcore giants Lorna Shore headlined one of the heaviest tours to hit Laval in recent memory. With a stacked lineup featuring Shadow of Intent and The Black Dahlia Murder, fans packed the venue for a night of brutal vocals, blistering riffs, and nonstop energy. Even before Lorna Shore took the stage, the crowd was already locked in — and every band delivered a set fit for a headliner.
Connecticut deathcore band Shadow of Intent kicked off the night, marking the third time they’ve played here in just over a year — proving Laval and Montreal can’t get enough of them. While vocalist Ben Duerr was absent due to the birth of his child, the band brought in Adam Mercer, who filled in flawlessly and kept the crowd fully engaged.
Fans here have history with the band — from their tour with Dying Fetus to their previous co-headliner with Fleshgod Apocalypse — and once again, the reaction proved why they always come back.
Melodic death metal legends The Black Dahlia Murder followed, bringing their signature chaos from Michigan to Quebec. No strangers to the scene, they’ve been tearing up Montreal stages for years — most recently alongside Dying Fetus in 2023.
The band encouraged a wave of crowd surfers to hit the barricade, and fans answered instantly. For a band nearing its 25-year mark, there’s zero sign of slowing down. They were the perfect addition to an already stacked bill.
Once Lorna Shore hit the stage, it was clear why the venue was packed. The New Jersey deathcore band has skyrocketed since the viral success of their 2021 track “To the Hellfire,” and frontman Will Ramos proved exactly why — unleashing some of the most unreal vocal ranges in modern metal. Even while admitting they were sick, the band played with full force and announced that Laval was the biggest show of the tour so far.
Their photographer Nick Chance even joined them onstage — also known for being in the Birmingham death band Beautiful Child of God. Lorna Shore closed their main set with “To the Hellfire” before returning for a massive three-song Pain Remains encore (Parts I, II, and III), sending the crowd home breathless.
From the crushing opener to the emotional, cinematic encore, this show proved why deathcore is dominating the live scene right now. Every band gave more than the crowd expected, and Lorna Shore showed why they’re becoming one of the most important extreme metal bands on the planet.
Three bands, zero weak links — and Laval got one of the best stops of the tour.
