HELLRIPPER

Well, here we go, folks! The Hellripper returns all boozed-up on demon fuel and hellbent on total destruction. The man in question is Scottish maniac James McBain; the brainchild behind black/speed metal band Hellripper. If you don’t know anything about this band, let me start by saying this is essentially a one-man project by McBain, who handles all instruments. I can compare him to Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust fame in many ways, although Toxic Holocaust sticks to punky-thrash jams as a preferred flavour. Here we get a musical landslide of blackened speed/thrash jams, delivered with raw energy and an aggressive attitude.

Embarking on album number four, Hellripper are on the move, joining Century Media Records to bring the next chapter of their growing musical legacy to the masses. I think this one is going to be super special in many ways, showing maturity, but retaining the ferocity of the previous three records. Simply called Coronach, this record is a powerful statement of heavy metal, with all the fixings on your plate. You get black metal, thrash, and speed, plus a mastery of guitar tones that break free of all the usual genre constraints.

To start us out, we get blitzed early with ‘Hunderprest’. Here is a song that brings an evil vampire priest out into the light. The song is bristling with sonic speed and energy; plus, the vocals are spat out in raspy goodness. The next track, ‘Kinchyle’, is a whopper of greasy, fuelled guitars, taking you on a motorcycle ride into the deepest pit of hell. As a fan of Marvel’s Ghost Rider, I can see this song becoming the demonic biker’s theme song. ‘The Art Of Resurrection’ starts out with a slow dirge, but quickly bursts into a riff-centric thrasher of speeding intensity. There are tons of twists and turns that exhibit Maiden-style melodies mid-way through to keep you engaged right to the end. Track number four, ‘Baobhan Sith’, is all about Scottish mythology lyrically, but is all toe-tapper musically. It’s filled with groovy heft and melodic opulence, but the metallic swagger in the second half is what I dig most about this track.

The best title for a song has to be ‘Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm’ for obvious reasons that need no further elaboration from me. The track is high-octane, suggesting Venom, Iron Maiden and Motorhead all got into a threesome. Without a doubt, this is my favourite track on the album, and I think I will be putting this track on repeat over the next little while. I love the Maiden worship in ‘Sculptor’s Cave’ right at the start. It’s a romp in some ways, what with the galloping guitars and bouncy melodic thrusts throughout. The second half of the song goes deliciously manic while retaining the black metal mindset. ‘Mortercheyn’ follows with a blast of blackened thrash and speedy ferocity. The vocals are furiously spat out while swaying intensely to the changing tempo. Then we get to the title track ‘Coronach’, a sprawling epic that spans eight-plus minutes. It’s a full-fledged approach to vocals, touching upon many styles like death, black and clean singing, which is the real treat here. Again, the mid-section is pure Maiden during their 80’s dominance, allowing the song to thrive in a realm of genre diversity. For me, this is my second favourite track on the album, and it could eventually jump to number one after a few more listens.

I have to say this is one hell of a record. There is much to like here, given the manic arrangements and the blending of musical genres. Sure, you get heaping amounts of black metal tropes, but I believe the strength of Coronach lies heavily in taking chances into newer musical landscapes. The old-school ethos of Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Venom, Darkthrone, and many more represents an acknowledgement of what has come before. It makes Coronach special for an old-time metalhead like myself, and it’s good to see a musician like James McBain revel in those roots as well. Hellripper does it all here, and I hope they continue going down this path.