While the world was still reeling from the sucker punch of 2020 last year, UK's metallic menace Heriot managed to string together a succession of releases that instantly catapulted the band into the greater consciousness of heavy music.
Interspersed throughout the year, the band churned out a concrete collection of singles in 'Dispirit', 'Recreant', 'Cleansed Existence', ‘Near Vision/Enter the Flesh’, in addition to their take on the Machine Head classic, 'Ten Ton Hammer,' that bridged the modernity of metalcore with the band's strong sense of searing sludge.
The venomous vocal barrage from the tandem Jake Packer and Debbie Gough, in combination with Erhan Alman (guitar) and Julian Gage (drums) presented a unit that understood how to flexed a unique maturity - armed with all the hostility of hardcore and technicality of metal for the best of both worlds.
Within that fruitful year Heriot went from a relatively unknown collective to seeing comparisons to modern needle-movers like Nails, Knocked Loose, Code Orange, and Vein - underscoring how the band was assessed in their ability to craft a contemporary, yet classically-cognizant sound. Regarded as a blue chip prospect in the space of heavy art, Heriot's menacing march quickly made them a band to watch a prime example of the health of the category.
That amounts to a band that has earned the kind of momentum that merits an anticipated debut. Setting April 29th as the arrival date, Heriot has introduced Profound Mortality as their convincing introductory statement, packaged with a scathing first offering in the single, "Coalescence". Set to be released on Church Road Records, a thriving label pushing some of the genre's freshest, most ferocious ensembles, the future of heavy music looks especially bright if the three-minute onslaught is any indicator.
Embarking on a new year that will include a their recorded debut, along with festival plays at 2000Trees and Bloodstock, in addition to a supporting run with juggernaut Rolo Tomassi, Heriot will have plenty of opportunities to transition from prospect to proven among heavy music's emerging class.
The band's backbone in drummer Julian Gage spoke about the trajectory of Heriot and how Profound Mortality aims to substantiate the hype and sway fans from intrigued to invested.
Heriot managed to gain significant traction in a relatively short amount of time. Do you find it ironic that the band made such strides during such a stall for music?
Gage - The lockdown ended up being a creative release for us in all honesty! With time on our hands, we’ve been able to really put our all into this new music and re-invent the band’s sound. Prior to 2020, we couldn’t have imagined that Heriot would progress like this without being able to go out and play shows! The music industry is changing a lot in response to the pandemic, but the amount of new bands bands coming out and releasing great music is absolutely incredible to see.
You have earned some lofty comparisons in Vein, Primitive Man and Code Orange - do you feel like that assessment aligns with the creative direction of the band?
Gage - Individually we all have quite different tastes but Vein, Primitive Man and Code Orange are all bands we have a common love for! Heriot’s sound is a blend of our contrasting influences. From caveman riffs to industrial abrasive elements, we try to create something we all find interesting to play and listen too.
Now five singles and a Machine Head cover in the span of about a year - that’s a very productive creative pace. How does Profound Morality punctuate your introduction?
Gage - We wanted to build a fan base before committing to a record and the singles helped us do exactly that. The first three singles allowed us to experiment and really hone in on our sound. We didn’t want to leave too much time in between each release, and we’ve approached Profound Morality in the same way. It was written over a 5-day period and it’s a great mix of everything we’ve done up to this point. It’s a really cohesive record and we can’t wait for people to hear it in full.
The thematic weight of your music is particularly bleak. How has the climate of the last couple of years permeated in your craft creatively?
Gage - It’s been a bleak period. So much has happened in the space of two years that it almost feels impossible to not portray our own feelings about this experience we’ve all lived through. Our music is often described as ‘raw’ and this is something that we love. We want to vent our frustrations and our anguish - there’s a lot to be angry about.
Profound Mortality as a title feels very much like a loaded statement. What was the intent behind the title?
Gage - Profound Morality sums up everything in this record, the reflection on human behaviour, us achieving fulfillment and how that empowers tyrants of industry. People are pushing further the moral boundaries of society to achieve what they want, be it good or bad. Profound Morality defines the extremes of society now and the fear of where they’ll end up in the future.
Having already shared the stage with Svalbard, plus confirmed appearances at 2000Trees, Bloodstock and a run with Rolo Tomassi and Pupil Slicer - do you feel like there is added pressure to deliver on the hype propelling the band?
Gage - Absolutely. Putting out music and not knowing when we were going to be able to get out there and play it live was a strange feeling. As more people started paying attention to the band, the pressure to deliver grew. As soon as we got out there and finally played that all went away. After the Svalbard tour we came away with a newfound confidence and now we can’t wait to get back out there again!
Profound Morality arrives on Church Road Records on April 29th. Pre-order the EP - HERE
