Pain Remains
Pain Remains makes everything large: guitars, drums, vocals and the symphonic layers around them. Lorna Shore still create more than a contest in scale. Melodies keep the songs recognisable and give their hard eruptions a purpose beyond making an immediate impression.
Welcome Back, O' Sleeping Dreamer takes time over an expansive opening with choir-like sounds. When the heavier instruments enter, that richer layer remains important to the music. Fast drums and sharply accented guitars sound precise while Will Ramos moves between deep vocal sounds and high screams.
Into the Earth gives those extreme vocals particular attention. Guitar parts and hard rhythms provide enough musical context for the voice to offer more than a technical display. Apotheosis again makes room for symphonic sounds, with fast drums and heavy interruptions distributing the tension differently.
The final part is the record's most ambitious. Its three-part conclusion begins with Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, where a steadier rhythm places greater emphasis on melody. The aggression then grows and the whole develops a larger, continuous structure. Guitar lines and symphonic parts help connect the separate movements.
That expansive approach demands attention. The record lasts more than an hour and frequently uses its elements forcefully at the same time. Anyone who prefers plenty of empty space between notes may find the sustained pressure excessive. Pain Remains remains especially convincing because the band connect its size to strong melodies, however. The long conclusion gives the album a clear destination and shows the difference between sounding large and developing a large structure. Lorna Shore retain their extreme foundation while finding room for recognisable ideas and emotional tension within it.
