This was a brilliant night of Hardcore Metal at Birmingham’s newest and most exciting Extreme Metal venue, where Heriot, Inhuman Nature and Ordeal thrilled in a spectacular evening’s entertainment.
Heriot – Inhuman Nature – Ordeal
Devil’s Dog, Digbeth – 13 May 2023
Words and Photography: Andy Shaw
Ordeal

First up at a packed Devil’s Dog were local band Ordeal, who kicked off the evening in spectacular fashion, opening with Trapped and then quickly into Powertrip. For a young band, they have been able to craft their live performance and have the crowd loving their set.
Next was Guilt To Disguise, which went down really well, and after thanking the crowd, they finished their short and sweet set with Erased, ending with BHX.
We will be seeing a lot more from these guys.
Inhuman Nature

Next up were Inhuman Nature, a band really on the up. They opened with the title track from their 2022 EP Under The Boot, and they were off and running.
Chris Barling is a brilliant frontman, and his growling vocals are the perfect front for this stunning band. Then a couple of tracks from their self-titled debut album in, Carnivorous Lunar Activities and A Nuclear Frost.
Inhuman Nature are a firecracker of energy, and their Thrash Metal is certainly being enjoyed by the crowd. Next is the new single Take Them By Force, which is a stunning track, and they roll straight into Ride The Apocalypse, which is keeping the energy levels high.
Their fantastic set ends with Master Of Souls and Taste Of Steel to a deafening roar from the assembled crowd.
Heriot

Headling tonight are one of the brightest lights of the British Extreme Metal scene, and a packed Devil’s Dog is bursting with excitement.
Starting with Enter The Flesh from their debut album Profound Morality, it is easy to see why they are rated so highly. Jake Packer’s bass and vocals is brilliant. With the next track, Violence, he shows off his stunning vocals, ably assisted on vocals by Birmingham’s own Debbie Gough, who does this alongside her guitar duties.
The New song Demure is up next, and the pace and noise continue unabated, with the crowd getting fully into it. Up next are a couple of tracks from Profound Morality – Coalescence and the album’s title track.
Erhan Alman is stunning on guitar, with Julian Gage a powerhouse on the drums. 2021 single Dispirit is next, followed by Near Vision and Mutagen. They really are blasting their way through the set, and it’s a good job the venue has thick walls.
The set ends with Cleansed Existence, and these guys have shown that they are certainly on the up. What a cracking night.