After an overhaul of their sound with vocalist/guitarist Debbie Gough joining their ranks, Heriot introduced themselves to an unsuspecting world with the blistering non-EP singles ‘Dispirit’, ‘Recreant’ and ‘Cleansed Existence’ alongside their absurdly heavy cover of Machine Head’s ‘Ten Ton Hammer’. By turning heads with crushingly unforgiving sounds and gathering significant momentum by releasing music regularly, Heriot are a band on everyone’s lips, making their debut EP Profound Mortality highly anticipated by the masses across the metal scene.
Combining the electronic elements of the new wave of metallic hardcore pioneered by Code Orange with the brutal and discordant hardcore mastered by Knocked Loose, it is fair to say Heriot are not a band for the faint of heart. Profound Mortality is a swift and devastating assault on your mind and body, having no qualms in dispatching you in an efficient manner. Focusing on the more toxic aspects of human behaviour, like greed, corruption, betrayal and the class divide, the very visceral nature of this EP reflects on the anger and frustration that we are all feeling at this current moment in time. Despite all this unrelenting rage, there is a sophisticated and haunting electronic aspect that moves and evolves underneath the chaos. As a result, the industrial sounds create an intense, eerie atmosphere with Gough’s plaintive vocals sending chills up your spine.
Profound Mortality opens up with the unearthly introduction track ‘Abaddon’ and build a significant tension before launching into the ruthless ‘Coalescence’. Heriot also bring to the table a slice of blackened grindcore to their sound, alongside the deep gutturals from Jake Packer, the dual vocal assault is complete with Gough’s harsher high pitched vocals that wouldn’t sound out of place on a black metal album. As a result ‘Near Vision’ is a short, sharp and savage attack on the senses with one of the beefiest breakdowns in hardcore. ‘Mutagen’ offers a quick respite for the listener but is no less ghostly and spine-tingling in its approach, Gough’s hauntingly enchanting cleans are hypnotic in the industrial soundscape. Title track ‘Profound Mortality’ consolidates the EP by mixing elements from all the previous songs to create an exceptionally doom-y and foreboding finale to this bruising EP.
Heriot have more than lived up to the hype surrounding them and Profound Mortality is nothing short of incredible. Given the impact that they have made already, Heriot will know doubt blow the minds of many with this EP, and place themselves in the conversation as soon to be heavyweights of the UK metal scene.