An unforgettable evening. A sold-out show. An ecstatic crowd. That’s everything I felt on the night of September 19, 2024, at MTelus in Montreal. The first date of the tour features Lorna Shore, Whitechapel, Kublai Khan TX, and Sanguisugabogg. This tour was highly anticipated by the metal community, and Montreal was their first stop.
Sanguisugabogg was the first to perform. We were treated to heavy, crushing death metal riffs. It was a great introduction to warm up the crowd. They started their set with “A Lesson in Savagery.” Sanguisugabogg was incredibly dynamic, constantly encouraging the audience to mosh, resulting in several walls of death and multiple circle pits. It was astonishing to see such an intense crowd for just the first band. They finished their set with “Dead as Shit.”
Kublai Khan TX was the second band to play, and they brought chaos. A brutal hardcore band with violent beatdowns, heavy bass and drum passages, and typical hardcore “ARF ARF” vibes. I loved their stage setup with large red and blue targets. Their lighting was really cool to watch. They kicked off with “Supreme Ruler.” What can I say about the singer? Matt Honeycutt lit up the crowd from start to finish, getting people to two-step and mosh. It was fantastic to see a band interacting constantly with the audience. The pit never really stopped. They wrapped up with “Antpile” and “Antpile 2.”
Next up was Whitechapel, the veterans of deathcore, as they say. The bar was set pretty high after Kublai Khan TX, but they completely shredded. Their set was brutal and literally destructive. They started with “This Is Exile” and followed with “Possession,” leaving no one indifferent. I’ve never seen such a massive mosh pit that didn’t stop. Phil Bozeman’s vocals were phenomenal. Plus, they played two new songs: “A Visceral Retch,” released on September 12, 2024, and “Hymns of Dissonance,” which hasn’t been released yet. Whitechapel kept the audience active for the next band.
And then came Lorna Shore. The band everyone was waiting for. Of course, everyone was excited to hear the entirety of “Pain Remains.” The performance was absolutely insane. They played “Welcome Back, O Sleeping Dreamer,” followed by “Into the Earth” and then “Sun//Eater.” Even the singer from Kublai Khan TX made an appearance during “Sun//Eater,” playing alongside Will. It was mind-blowing. Will Ramos, as usual, gave his 100%, even after the loss of his brother earlier this week, as he mentioned during the show. It was an emotional moment when he shared they almost cancelled due to this tragedy but ultimately decided to honour him with the “Pain Remains” trilogy: I, II, and III, to close out the show. This performance will likely remain etched in the memories of many, as a lot enjoyed experiencing a remarkable album live in its entirety.
In conclusion, I would say this was probably the show of the year. Everything was perfect and impressive on all levels. Each band brought their own unique touch to ensure the first date was unforgettable.
Review – Melissa Francoeur
Photos – Ryan Rumpel
