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Hellripper

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Hellripper is a one-man black/speed metal band formed by Scottish musician James McBain in 2014. Cited musical influences include black metal bands such as Venom and Darkthrone, thrash metal bands Megadeth, Metallica and Sabbat, and punk-oriented bands like Motörhead and Anti-Cimex.[2] Lyrically, Hellripper focuses on witchcraft, Occult, and Satanic themes, sometimes drawing from historical events, eg. the possession of Anneliese Michel, as in the song "Anneliese", or the Affair of the Poisons in the song of the same name.

Hellripper
James McBain performing with Hellripper in 2024
James McBain performing with Hellripper in 2024
Background information
OriginAberdeen, Scotland
Genres
Years active2014–present
Labels
MembersJames McBain
Websitehellripper.com

Career

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Hellripper was formed by McBain in 2014 and released the extended play The Manifestation of Evil shortly afterwards.[3] They released a 16-minute split album with Philadelphia artist Batsheva in 2015.[4]

In 2017, they released the full-length album Coagulating Darkness through Barbarian Wrath.[5][6] According to McBain, it was recorded at his house, and his parents were among the guest vocalists on the album. In an interview, he stated that he "focused on incorporating a lot more of a speed/thrash sound into the mix."[6] It was promoted primarily on social media platforms.[7] Metal Hammer praised the album, labelling Hellripper as "Scotland's king of the arcane mosh" and writing that the songs "stab and slash like newly minted classics beamed in from the mid-80s underground, but laden with contemporary oomph".[8] Kim Kelly, writing for Vice, wrote that Coagulating Darkness "feels as much a homage as it does an original creation", and called it "bloody good black/speed metal".[6]

2018 saw several releases alongside other artists including Barbatos, Nightrider, and Dulvel. They also appeared on the Worldwide Organization of Metalheads Against Nazis II compilation, alongside other metal bands such as Ghoul, Jucifer, and Immortal Bird.[9]

The EP Black Arts & Alchemy was released on 5 April 2019. McBain stated in an interview that the album's four songs were "more punk-influenced" compared to Coagulating Darkness, and that Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust helped with the mastering.[10] In a review for the heavy metal magazine Decibel, Vince Bellino wrote that the extended play contained "some of Hellripper"s best songs yet".[10]

Hellripper's second full-length album, The Affair of the Poisons, was released on 9 October 2020 through Peaceville Records.[3] The album was inspired by the identically titled Affair of the Poisons, a murder scandal in France during the reign of Louis XIV that involved allegations of poisoning and witchcraft.[11] In an interview, McBain described his intention behind the album: "For this album, the primary goal was just to write eight good songs. I wanted fast songs with good riffs, catchy choruses, and plenty of guitar solos."[12]

The Affair of the Poisons was well-received by critics. Nick Ruskell, writing for Kerrang!, gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and praised the energetic tempo of the songs, calling it "a speedy, Satanic delight that exhumes the corpse of early-'80s thrash and black metal".[13] Dean Brown of The Quietus similarly said that the album was "all about manic energy and forbidden enticement",[14] and Dom Lawson of Louder Sound called it "one of the most unrelentingly balls-out metal albums of the year".[12] Indie88 named it to a list of the best metal albums of 2020, writing that it was "an unrelenting, heart-palpitating experience from front to back".[15]

Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, Hellripper's third full-length album, was released through Peaceville Records on 17 February 2023.[16] McBain stated in an interview that the central theme of the album was the dark side of Scottish folklore,[17] which is shown in songs like The Nuckelavee (based on the Orcadian legend of the same name) and the album's title track which takes its name from a Robert Burns poem. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags gained positive reviews and debuted at 11th place on the UK Official Rock & Metal Album Charts.[18]

Live performances

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Hellripper began performing live shows in 2016, has done several European tours, and performed at music festivals such as Metaldays and Roadburn Festival.[19][20] When performing live, Hellripper performs with additional musicians.[21]

Live members

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  • Clark Core – bass (2016–present)
  • Joseph Quinlan – guitar (2017–present)
  • Max Southall – drums (2018–present)

Past members

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  • Mark Lerche – guitar (2016–2017)
  • Peter Barron – bass (2017–2018)
  • Calum Carruthers – drums (2016–2017)
  • Ross Findlay – drums (2017–2018)

Discography

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Albums

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  • Coagulating Darkness (2017)
  • The Affair of the Poisons (2020)
  • Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (2023)

Extended plays & compilations

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  • The Manifestation of Evil EP (2015)
  • Complete and Total Fucking Mayhem (2016) (compilation)
  • Black Arts & Alchemy EP (2019)

Splits with other artists

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  • Split with Batsheva (2015)
  • Split with Acid Cross and Kriegg (2015)
  • Prophecies of Ruin Split with Fetid Zombie (2016)
  • Speed Motorized Bastards split with Nightrider, Dulvel and Wastëland Riders (2018)
  • Split with Barbatos (2018)

References

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  1. ^ a b A., Alexandra (9 February 2024). "GALLERY: 28.1.2024 Hellripper, Toxic Holocaust, & Abbath @ Astra, Berlin". Tuonela Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  2. ^
  3. ^ a b "Hellripper to release The Affair of the Poisons in October". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  4. ^ Kelly, Kim (1 September 2015). "Shimmy Between Black'n'Roll and Black Metal on Hellripper and Batsheva's New Split Cassette". Vice. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  5. ^ Sodomsky, Sam (2 July 2017). "The Best Metal Albums of 2017 So Far". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Kelly, Kim (11 April 2017). "Hellripper's 'Coagulating Darkness' Is Bloody Good Black/Speed Metal". Vice. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  7. ^ Petridids, Alexis (7 November 2017). "Pornogrind and flying intestines: my journey into the labyrinth of underground metal". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Scotland's king of the arcane mosh". Metal Hammer. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2021 – via PressReader.
  9. ^ Kelly, Kim (25 October 2018). "Fuck Nazi Metal Sympathy". Vice. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Hellripper – Black Arts & Alchemy (2019) REVIEW". 4 April 2019.
  11. ^ Poscic, Antonio (6 November 2020). "MetalMatters: The Best New Heavy Metal Albums of October 2020". PopMatters. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  12. ^ a b Lawson, Dom (23 December 2020). "Possession, child sacrifice and speed metal: welcome to the world of Hellripper". Louder Sound. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  13. ^ Ruskell, Nick (6 October 2020). "Album Review: Hellripper – The Affair Of The Poisons". Kerrang!. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  14. ^ Brown, Dean (12 October 2020). "Hellripper". The Quietus. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  15. ^ Kennedy, Dave (22 December 2020). "Crushingly excellent metal albums from 2020". Indie88. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  16. ^ McBain, James. "Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags". Hellripper.com. James McBain. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  17. ^ Belinno, Emily (17 April 2023). "Interview: Hellripper's James McBain Finds a Unique Voice on Warlocks Grim and Withered Hags". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Official UK Rock & Metal Charts Top 40". Official Charts. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Death Angel, Four Other Bands Added To MetalDays - in Metal News". Metal Underground.com. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Roadburn's Pre Party: Ignition (Temple Fang, Hellripper, Wed, April 10) – Roadburn Festival". Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  21. ^ "A Peek Inside The Mind Behind Hellripper – James McBain". DRUNK IN A GRAVEYARD. 18 July 2017.
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