50. Heriot - "Devoured by the Mouth of Hell"

Talking about metal at its very best, Heriot are on the verge of something very special indeed. This is metal but stretched in an inventive direction. It’s brutal and jagged but they play with that aesthetic giving it real light and shade. Usually, all-consuming heaviness can be rather one-dimensional. But not here. What Heriot does is give their jarring intensity real depth and breadth. For something so colossally monolithic there is a lot of subtlety and subversiveness going on. Electronic sounds and even moments of fertility appear just on the edge of hearing. An incredibly clever and rewarding album that is metal but also unashamedly plays with conventions.