Artist: Hellripper
Title: Coronach
Type: Album
Label: Century Media
Hellripper are on their fourth album. That makes me feel like time has flown by which, considering the speed James McBain (the one man responsible for the album) plays at I guess this makes sense. Oh but never forget that they are also an essential live band with an incredible lineup of exploding with energy and musical chops. But here we have Mr McBain fully in control of everything.
Their last album ‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ was a spectacular success, and like that Coronach is just jammed full of fantastic Scottish folklore and ludicrously dextrous songwriting. I mean you won’t be able to keep still fo an hour after this hits you for the first time. It just… er… well, rips.
So ‘Hunderprest’ launches the album exactly as it means to go on. For those unfortunately unfamilar with this beast, we are talking lightning fast guitar riff hurtling into breakneck runs and a delerious touch for infernally catchy melody. I mean it should be illegal. You are not supposed to be able to play this fast, this melodic and this ravenous all together at the same time. Black metal snarling vocals, ultra-speed metal riffing and heavy metal melodic hooks tossed out like nails from an F1 car.Icing on the cake? The lyrics. This one is based on the sinful chaplin of Melrose Abbey. Yes, you get the lyrics with a CD and a little histroy of the song. Yes even ‘Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm’ which is, I kid ye not, based on ‘Thrawn Janet’ by Robert Luis Stevenson.
If that isn’t just the greatest excuse to buy this than, oh I dunno, what about the fucking music.
Listen to the opening of ‘Kinchyle’. Slow it down ant its NWOBHM goodness but it twists speed and tears through shift and turn, never neglecting to jam that hook into you. And this time the song is about growing up in the Granite City itself, Aberdeen. Face your future, the noose or knife. And one of the must glorious metal guitar solos in an absolute age.
We stop by the fine tradition of body snatching with ‘The Art Of Ressurection’ with the vocals imbued with an extra savage bite, the riff a malicious but weirdly gleeful ball of energy. ‘Babobhan Sith (Waltz Of The Damned)’ besides being about a favourite folklore vampiric creature has a deep vein of black metal to it this time, even a tiny pinch of very old Cradle Of Filth in the rhythm in place, but that riff, speed and melody mix is pure Hellripper.
The aforementioned ‘Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm’ is just a joy of scampering, sprinting guitar runs powered by a driving riff. ‘Sculptor’s Cave’ has a weird little melody that whirls in circles with an almost, brief, Middle Eastern touch. It flies by. A juddering, choppy section, a fluid melodic wave riding over it. A barked title. It is just absolutely grin inducing stuff. And ‘Mortercheyn’, an almost sequel to my favourite track on the previous albumvocals ‘The Nuckelavee’ about the disease that passes in the wake of said creature of horror, is a rampant piling on of guitar.
The album closes with the epic title track. The death march, some fantastic clean vocals; highly appropriate as apparetnly a ‘Coronach’ is an improvised song for the dead. Spoken word steps ominously through the dark melody, like a serpentine procession to the grave. ‘Forget your lamentations I hope your torment never ends…’ This is a monumental track, full of musical passion and atmosphere. The midsection that leads into the guitar solo is darkly beautiful, the solo itself just fantastic heavy bloody metal unchained.
Ah, look. If you know Hellripper I’m guessing you’re buying this, but if you’re new you really, really, really need to hear them. The songwriting talent is as insane as the musicianship on display; guitars, vocals, bass, even the usual horror of drums are performed with not just sufficient skill but with life affirming oh my fucking hell who is this flair. James McBain is absolutely brilliant and in his total element with this. Managing dark, dark subjects with still an incredible joy for the music is insane and entertaining the hell out of anyone in earshot, he is a one off and this album is another step on for Hellripper in my opinion.
And as I said at the toip they are also an insane full live band. Get out there and see them. And buy this damned album.
Gizmo
Hellripper – Scotland | Scottish Speed Metal
Cover by Home | Nightjar Illustration
Walking The Liminal Space 