With very little in the way of recorded music released prior to this release but notably a swathe of well received and high profile support slots including recently with Rolo Tomassi; UK metallic hardcore outfit Heriot have forged a scintillating reputation in a short space of time. Now with the eagerly anticipated debut EP Profound Morality (Church Road Records), the band are showing that they are truly living up to expectation by delivering a short but sharp release which reveals surprising depth.  

Opening track ‘Abaddon’ sets up a foreboding atmosphere with its slow, industrial-tinged ambience before ‘Coalescence’ swiftly erupts in frantic fashion of howls and pace. It doesn’t take long for Heriot to reveal a depth in their sound however, as this ferocity briefly drops to a more brooding soundscape with low, hypnotic clean vocals courtesy of guitarist/vocalist Debbie Gough before increasing the intensity again with altering paces and both Debbie and bassist/vocalist Jake Pecker trading piercing shrieks and guttural growls; all of this in the space of three minutes.  

The following brace of ‘Carmine (Fills the Hollow)’ and ‘Near Vision’ are similarly intense throughout, and showcase degrees of differing paces throughout and ranging from grindcore levels of frantic energy to towering breakdowns in ways that complement each other hugely. The final, titular track feels reminiscent of the slow, grinding weight of Godflesh, building in vocals from ethereal tones to bellowing roars whilst musically it hits a slow, bulldozing tone.  

Amongst this, it intermits with a couple additional atmospheric Industrial tinged passages which further showcase a diversity within their sound. In the short run time of the EP, ‘Mutagen’ is an especially captivating example of welcoming calmness in the fray with its electronic tinge and echoed vocals whilst ‘Abbatoir’; although well executed, feels superfluous in the EP’s short run time. Despite this however, the only real drawback to Profound Morality that is that it is over far too quickly; it simply flies by. This is an excellent opening statement from a band that has already shown that they have a wide palette to work from and importantly, this release hints that even more exciting things are to be expected in future.  

Buy the album here: https://linktr.ee/heriotmetal

8 / 10

CHRIS TIPPELL