HERIOT is definitely not for the weak hearted. A violent assault on your eardrums and senses with aggressive, intense, primitive, and brutal vocals. "A lot of our songs are about being let down by the system" explains vocalist/guitarist Debbie Grough, who co-writes the lyrics with vocalist/bassist Jake Parker. HERIOT has gained quite a reputation for heart-stopping live performances. With the release of Cleansed Existence in 2020, the band let loose their bludgeoning attach on the Death/Doom/Industrial metal world. Their sound is extremely unique and obscure with barrage of manic guitar riffs, wild screaming, piercing vocals, plodding bass, and pounding drums. Originally a three-piece band when Grough joined forces in 2019 to give the band a more nasty, sludgy, and filthy sound and direction.
This album is an aimless bombardment of noise with very little music creativity. After listening to this album, I concluded that this is what hell must sound like.

The album starts out with "Abaddon", a nice, heavy beginning mixed in with some percussion and some, best described as "sound effects". There is no singing on this song, which I didn't realize till after listening to the entire album, was a blessing in disguise. Next up, "Coalescence", deep, dark background vocals that eventually lead to a particularly good heavy beat (hey maybe we're on to something), that evolve into scary screams. I almost called the police and reported a murder in progress. A true Death metal beginning to "Carmine (Fill the Hollows)" fast, furious guitar licks leads into deafening, incoherent growls from Parker that left me wondering where they were headed with this one. "Near Vision" is in your face, slam dunk doom metal with interesting dual growls from Grough and Parker, did provide some crushing riffs with distortion mixed in and ends with ear-piercing screeching. A very compelling start to "Mutagen" with symphonic and angelic tones from Grough, that sound like a voice crying out for help in the distant, partner that with some vigorous drumbeats surrounded by white noise, this one could easily be the back ground music from a slasher film. Finally, some pure Death metal on "Enter the Flesh", distorted beefy guitar combined with the thundering bass and drumbeats. "Abattoir" opens with deep, deep bass riff that persists throughout the song, there are some "disturbing" sounds that also peculate as well, sounds like the tribe is summoning the witch doctor, this is a bad song. The album ends mercifully with the title track "Profound Morality", also the longest song at 4:05. Again, strange, irrational sounds, echoing vocals and shrieking squalls, that FINALLY get to a somewhat rocking sound but all in all, a slow, depressing song with underwhelming lyrics "The hooded fiend looks over me, blooded beast, my end is easy".

The incredible part about my position with Metal Temple in reviewing all types of music, is that I am privileged to be able to listen to new, exciting, and different hard rock/metal bands. Even when it's not my type of genre. I always listen to the music with an open mind and no pre-conceived judgements and seeing how I'm not a big Death/Doom metal fan, I gave this album an extra intense listen, but I was in for quite a surprise with HERIOT. I listened to a lot, and I mean a lot of muddled and disturbing noise and sound effects with very uninspiring lyrics on "Profound Morality". One aspect of Death metal that I like is the heavy pounding, blasting guitar riffs and solos, this album had none of that. I think this album was recorded in a sound effects studio not in a recording studio. I really hate to be mean in my reviews, but about the only positive thing I can say is, thank goodness all the songs (except for one) were under three minutes.