Lorna Shore recently stopped in Oklahoma City at The Criterion while they were on their 2025 North American Tour. They had support from The Black Dahlia Murder, Shadow of Intent, and Peeling Flesh. The OKC crowd showed up in droves for this show by selling out the venue.
The Oklahoma local boys in Peeling Flesh were first up for the night. When Peeling Flesh took the stage in their hometown region, the crowd knew they were in for a violent, chaotic, and unforgettable experience. From the opening chords, the energy was immediate. Mosh pits erupted, bodies collided, fans stage-dived, and the venue shook with a kind of controlled chaos. Peeling Flesh proved once again why they’re one of the most talked-about acts in the brutal death / slam underground. Their music, style, and live show converge into more than just metal violence—they deliver a statement: that brutality can coexist with swagger, that extreme music can have personality and identity beyond riffing. The hometown aspect only intensifies it, the feeling that this is their territory, their fans, their declaration.
The next band to take the stage was Shadow of Intent. The stage was bathed in low red lighting, tendrils of fog drifting across the platform, and the crowd was restless. When Shadow of Intent finally stepped into the light, the shift was immediate — it was like a storm breaking. For this show, bassist Andrew Monias filled in as lead vocalist due to lead vocalist, Ben Duerr being absent for the birth of his second child. Andrew and the rest of the band didn’t skip a beat when it came to carrying on with the performance. If you see them live, this experience probably confirmed what you already suspected: that their music doesn’t just translate to the stage, it thrives there.
The Black Dahlia Murder was up next as direct support for Lorna Shore. The air in the venue was electric well before The Black Dahlia Murder hit the stage, guitar strings humming somewhere backstage, lights dimmed, fans trading knowing glances. When the band finally roared in, there was no sentiment of waiting: the show was a blitz from beginning to end. From the first note, the crowd responded like they were waiting years for this. Mosh pits formed, men and women alike let loose. Circle pits, stage dives, and crowd surfing were frequent, not chaotic for chaos’ sake, but part of the shared ritual.
As the curtain was drawn, the anticipation grew as the fans waited in eager anticipation for Lorna Shore to tear up the stage. The lights dropped. A hush fell. With a symphonic intro that crept under your skin, Lorna Shore exploded into sound — venomous, relentless, uncompromising. Will Ramos stood front and center, a demonic force, his voice a weapon of pig squeals, snarls, and guttural lows that rattled the very bones of the venue. Already, the crowd was losing it. Pits opened, bodies surged, people clambered over one another. The stage production ripped the veil between band and audience: fog, strobe, red and blue washes, lighting synced so surgical it felt like a surgical strike.
Holy hell. Live, Ramos is more than just a frontman — he’s a harbinger. His control over those monstrous vocals, the way he transitions from absolute beast mode to haunting sustained shrieks… you believe he’s pulling something from some dark dimension. The famous squeal in “To the Hellfire” hit like a punch to the gut. Halfway through the set he apologized to the fans for not moving around too much. He indicated he had a recent injury and was trying to not aggravate the injury. From the roars of the crowd, they were more than ok with the situation.
This was a two-way annihilation. The crowd fed off the band’s energy and ignited it in return. Mosh pits were open, crowd surfing was everywhere, sweat and shouts filled the air. When “Cursed to Die” hit, the pit turned into a maelstrom. Between songs, you heard crowd members catching breaths, wild cheers, people yelling lyrics back to the stage. Ramos addressed the crowd, reminding them that this feels like home — you believe it. The bond between band and fan was visceral.
This was the kind of show where you never quite know who’s going to knock into you next—intense, visceral, and alive. If you ever get the chance to see these bands live, don’t hesitate. This is what heavy music at its peak feels like.
