Heriot (band)

Heriot are a British metalcore band. The band was formed in Swindon in 2014 by drummer Julian Gage, bassist and vocalist Jake Packer and guitarist Erhan Alman; in 2019, guitarist and vocalist Debbie Gough joined the band. Originally a "doomcore" outfit, the band became known for their genre-blending sound, drawing from various metal and non-metal subgenres. The band is named after Anglo-Saxon-era death duty tax, and medieval motifs are seen throughout their artwork and videos.

In 2022, Heriot released their third EP Profound Morality, which brought the band mainstream exposure. The band signed to Century Media Records in 2023 and will release their debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, on 27 September 2024.

2014–2018 Formation and early releases
Heriot were originally formed in late 2014 by drummer Julian Gage, bassist and vocalist Jake Packer and guitarist Erhan Alman. All three members met at the same school in Swindon, and discussed forming the band whilst attending the 2000trees festival. Their name, coined by Packer, refers to the Anglo-Saxon-era death duty tax.

The band self-released their debut EP, Violence, in January 2015. Heriot gained some notability with their second EP World Collapse, released on 28 October 2016, and from their performance on the New Blood stage at the 2016 Bloodstock Festival. Packer moved to Bristol to attend university at the end of 2016, forcing Heriot into an indefinite hitaus and hurting the band's momentum. The band still occasionally performed shows in 2017 and 2018.

2019–2022: Gough joins and Profound Morality
In 2019, Heriot added vocalist and guitarist Debbie Gough (of the Birmingham-based Dead Hands) to their line-up. The addition of Gough caused a shift in the band's writing and dynamic; by the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had emerged a completely different-souding band. Heriot's debut single with Gough, "Cleansed Existence", was released on 26 November 2020. Gage said that the band "relaunched" themselves with the single's release: "We [Heriot] see that as a fresh start: the only thing that really stayed is the name". By 2022, Heriot had disowned their early output and removed it from streaming services. In February 2021, Heriot were contacted by Church Road Records, with the band announcing their signing to the label in April of that year.

On 29 April 2022 Heriot released their third EP, Profound Morality. The band decided against releasing a proper album at the time as they still wanted the freedom to experiment with their sound. According to Stereogum, the EP took the band "from an anonymous part of the glut of metal bands populating UK scenes [...], to one of the country’s most hyped heavy exports." The band's tours in support of the EP were larger than any they had done prior to the COVID-19 pandemic; they performed at several festivals including 2000trees, ArcTanGent, Bloodstock and Download,  and embarked on supporting tours in the United Kingdom with Svalbard, Rolo Tomassi, Pupil Slicer, Zeal & Ardor and Boston Manor. According to Metal Hammer, Heriot's touring acheivements during 2022 allowed them to "[emerge] confidently as the breakthrough band of the year." In January 2023, the band were featured on NME "NME 100" list for "essential emerging artists".

2023–present: Century Media Records and Devoured by the Mouth of Hell
On 14 February 2023, at the tail end of a supporting tour with Rolo Tomassi, Heriot released a new single, "Demure", which they said marked the start of a "new era" for the band. They began writing material for their debut album in March 2023, though work was put on hold to allow the band to tour across Europe during the summer. During that time, they performed at the 2023 editions of the 2000trees, Slam Dunk and Standon Calling festivals.

On 15 November 2023, Heriot released "Soul Chasm", their first single since signing with Century Media Records. On 2 May 2024, they released another single, "Siege Lord". On 5 June 2024, the band announced that they would be releasing their debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, on 27 September 2024 and released "Foul Void" as its second single. The band recorded the album with Sylosis frontman and ex-Architects guitarist Josh Middelton and Will Putney. Throughout June 2024, Heriot performed at the Rock im Park and Rock Am Ring, Download, Resurrection, Jera on Air and Hellfest festivals. In November and December 2024 they will support Sylosis and Fit for an Autopsy on their co-headlining tour of Europe.

Style and influences
Heriot are often described as a metalcore band. Guitar.com described the band as "genre-agnostic", whilst Blabbermouth.net described their Profound Morality EP as "post-everything". The band's sound has been described as featuring and combining elements from a wide variety of metal subgenres, including blackened metal, death metal, gothic metal, doom metal, industrial metal, sludge metal and post-metal, as well as those from non-metal genres including post-rock, hardcore, industrial, noise and ambient music. The band's early sound was described as sludge metal, hardcore, and "doomcore".

The band's musical influences include Banks, Billie Eillish, Black Sabbath, Brutus, The Chariot, Code Orange, Converge, Deftones, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Godflesh, Health, Knocked Loose, Korn, Lamb of God, Nails, Oathbreaker, Power Trip, Primitive Man, Vein.fm, and Wand.

Gough has said that Heriot is "a very visual band and we work very hard to cement our music as an immersive experience." The band incorporates medieval motifs into their artwork and videos; the cover of Profound Morality features a chainmail cap, and the music videos for its singles also feature medieval elements. Heriot has frequently collaborated with Harry Steel on their videos and artwork; they have called him the band's "unofficial 5th member".

Band members

 * Erhan Alman – guitars (2014–present)
 * Debbie Gough – guitars, vocals (2019–present)
 * Jake Packer – bass, vocals (2014–present)
 * Julian Gage – drums (2014–present)

Discography
Studio albums EPs Singles