If there’s one band that has the entire UK heavy scene buzzing right now, it’s HERIOT. Fresh off a string of electrifying live shows and festival appearances, the Midlands metal titans have finally released their highly anticipated debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, via Century Media.
To mark the occasion, HERIOT have dropped a brand new track, Opaline, offering a deeper glimpse into their sonic arsenal. Fronted by a brutal-yet-melodic approach, this track is unlike anything we’ve heard from them before. Discussing the track, the band explained:
“‘Opaline addresses the need to accept that sometimes you must sit with the truth alone, however isolating it may be, until others are ready to understand it. It emphasises trusting your instincts but forgiving yourself for the times you couldn’t. This is the first song we’ve released with predominantly clean vocals and is in a direction we’ve not experimented with before.”
Recorded by HERIOT’s own Jake Packer, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell also boasts a heavyweight production team. Josh Middleton (Sylosis, Architects) was on hand to co-produce, while Grammy Award-winning Will Putney (END, Fit For An Autopsy, Better Lovers) stepped in to mix and master, ensuring the final product packs a serious punch. Additional engineering duties were handled by Justin Hill (SixTh, Betraying the Martyrs), making this album a collaborative effort involving some of the most respected names in metal production today.
This record has all the hallmarks of a game-changer for HERIOT, cementing their place as one of the UK’s most vital new voices in heavy music. The album follows up 2023’s Soul Chasm and Siege Lord, which were the first tastes of new material since the band’s signing with Century Media and subsequent summer tour with Architects. HERIOT’s upward trajectory began back in 2022 with the release of their debut EP Profound Morality (via Church Road Records), which catapulted them into the spotlight, earning worldwide praise and sparking a sold-out UK headline tour.
Since then, HERIOT have been going from strength to strength. They’ve shared stages with legends like Lamb Of God, Thy Art Is Murder, and Rolo Tomassi, while also laying waste to festivals like Download, 2000trees, Wacken Open Air, and Bloodstock. Their live show is the stuff of legend, combining raw power, relentless aggression, and an overwhelming stage presence that’s impossible to ignore.
At the core of HERIOT’s sound is the dual-vocal assault of Jake Packer and Debbie Gough, whose combined ferocity and range is nothing short of jaw-dropping. Backed by the thunderous riffs of Erhan Alman and the pulverising drums of Julian Gage, the quartet have crafted a sound that merges metallic sludge, hardcore, and unholy levels of distortion. Imagine the punishing force of Nails colliding with the intensity of Code Orange, shot through with the chaos of Knocked Loose and Vein.fm. It’s heavy, it’s experimental, and it’s completely their own.
With Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, HERIOT have staked their claim as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK metal underground, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. If you haven’t jumped on the HERIOT train yet, consider this your invitation to witness the next generation of British heavy music at its finest. Brace yourselves—Heriot are coming, and hell is coming with them.