(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a new album by the Scottish band Hellripper that’s set for release on March 27th by Century Media Records.)
The story of Hellripper is quite a humble one, and the project’s meteoric rise in the metal scene has been exciting to witness. The brainchild of sole songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James McBain, it all started as an EP in 2015 – The Manifestation of Evil – that he hoped a few folks in the local Aberdeen, Scotland scene would dig, and it’s been quite the rapid ascent since.
His approach to black/speed/thrash is deeply rooted in the black metal classics like Bathory and Venom, the punky thrash of Toxic Holocaust, and the rock ‘n’ roll swagger of Motörhead, but done so in his own highly singular amalgamation of those aforementioned influences. Having gained further steam with each album, his 2023 effort Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags has been the most complete thus far, adding a sense of refinement within the raw, pacey attack that makes Hellripper so damn fun and memorable.
With his fourth full-length Coronach, which is titled after a traditional improvised song during a wake in the Scottish Highlands, McBain continues fine-tuning Hellripper’s sound with added instruments and songwriting techniques, while not straying from the firmly established overarching approach. There’s enough primal intensity in the album’s 44 minutes to power a freight train at full throttle, and the newfangled elements bring a fresh purview to the riff-centric chaos, ensuring that this isn’t a mere rehash or more of the exact same.
If there would ever be a question of intent, that’s answered immediately in the scorching opener “Hunderprest” – a track that’s as aggressive as anything Hellripper has conjured, telling the tale of the Vampire of Melrose Abbey with a burning determination and plenty of flair. Consider our socks knocked off and our body bruised, and this is just the start.
Thematically, the album still focuses on Scottish legends and folklore, with the thrashy, winding “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)” referencing the Baobh-shìth, and “Mortercheyn” being a sequel of sorts to “The Nuckelavee” from Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, telling of the disease that the mythic monster infected horses with in a blitzing, blackened punk style that batters one into submission. Hellripper’s music still serves as both a Scottish history lesson and a neck-wrenching good time, while also being a balanced effort that never leans too far in one direction.
McBain adds a personal touch to this go-round by way of the groovy, anthemic “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite),” which references his childhood and family history. That touch adds a thematic dimension that we’d like to see explored more in the future, as the enthusiasm and vigor that ooze out of this entry are infectious as they are important to the creator’s journey.
For those who want to shred with the goat via a direct onslaught, the squealing “Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm” has you covered. The piano medley that begins “The Art of Resurrection” lulls the listener into a false sense of security before annihilating with riff after glorious riff, resulting in a song that deftly infuses freshly introduced instrumentation with the established snappy thrashiness that consistently sticks the landing with tremendous bite.
Conversely, for those who thirst for something more expansive, the title track is an absolute tour de force that allows McBain the space to utilize some new tools to his already hefty arsenal, including clean vocalisations, the occasional gloomy melancholic passage, and crunchy, mid-paced bits to add both nuance and blunt force of a differing persuasion. There’s even a nod to Chopin’s “Marche funèbre” from “Piano Sonata No. 2” to set the mood and place; a crafty insertion, indeed. That extended solo also flashes serious technical prowess, whilst also fitting the song’s pathway, weaved into the rich textures on offer with gusto. This song takes significant chances, and comes through the other side as one of the most dynamic, intriguing, and altogether impassioned rendings by Hellripper yet.
When one zooms out and looks at Coronach on the whole, we have an album that brings much of what has already established Hellripper as such a delight with unimpeded momentum. With that, all who are initiated are going to find a cornucopia of pulsating, domineering tunes to embrace. When all of the nitty-gritty details are delved into, however, you’ll find that’s where Coronach truly shines – an album that’s a cohesive experience, much more than a collection of hair-raising individual songs.
It’s plainly evident how much McBain has grown as both a songwriter and a musician, keenly balancing the more complex elements with the flat-out thrashy, black/speed/rock ‘n’ roll mania that will always be the stylistic heart and soul of Hellripper. Coronach is going to please a lot of folks, and if the right cards are played, Hellripper is going to continue advancing as far as they so desire. All hail the goat, as those in the know say.
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Bandcamp: https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/