Since the release of their 2020 single “Cleansed Existence”, Bristol’s industrial metalcore hellraisers HERIOT have been touted by artists, journalists and fans alike as extreme music’s next breakout prospect. “Devoured by the Mouth of Hell” doesn’t just double down on the crushing claustrophobia of HERIOT’s prior material – it also includes ideas that they previously hadn’t touched. Openers “Foul Void” and “Harm Sequence” prove that with a dizzying one-two punch, the first song being a powerhouse of groove with melodic touches, whereas the second’s a full-tilt metalcore rampage. Elsewhere, such standouts as “Opaline” and “Visage” take the ambient tones HERIOT previously only hinted at and build complete songs out of them. The band still sound as raw and direct as ever, yet there’s a refinement that can only come from their sheer drive to make something worthy of all the hype around them. The attention inspired HERIOT to focus as intently on their instruments and their craft as they possibly could, and “Devoured by the Mouth of Hell” was meticulously honed through months of writing and recording. Composing and demoing alone took almost a year – then, once the band entered the studio in early 2024, they sought help from a who’s who of modern metal. Sylosis leader and ex-Architects guitarist Josh Middleton produced, while Justin Hill of prog metal luminaries Sikth engineered the drums and Grammy award winning Will Putney (who plays in metal/hardcore heavyweights End, Fit For An Autopsy and Better Lovers) mixed. HERIOT have created a dense, oppressive yet diverse masterpiece. Their momentum will only continue to steamroll once the metal masses have heard their new ideas, and it won’t be long before the band rocket from metal’s brightest ‘rising stars’ to simply ‘stars’ in their own right
