Hellripper return with Coronach; another blistering collection of speed metal rooted on Scottish folklore and heritage.

CORONACH

Coronach is the new Hellripper album and is released via Century Media. It feels like James McBain has put everything he loves and is into it. Eight tracks of speed-black-metal, rooted in Scottish heritage, folklore, and a wide mix of influences, from classic black metal to thrash, which are, (McBain says it often ) his main influences. There are also touches of prog, gothic and symphonic metal.

It’s no secret that McBain draws from very different kinds of music, and not always metal. This curiosity shows in every riff and rhythm. He’s from the Highlands, and the album reflects not only his musical idols: Celtic Frost, Bathory, Watain, Agalloch, Slayer, Annihilator, Toxic Holocaust, Midnight, Dimmu Borgir, but also darker corners of Scottish culture, history, and myth.

HUNDERPREST

The album opens with Hunderprest, its first riff reminding me, surprisingly, of a faster YYZ by Rush, before keyboards layer in classic black metal tones like Dimmu Borgir or Arcturus. Harmonised Iron Maiden-style guitars add melody through the speed, with some subtle prog twists. The final seconds drift into a soft symphonic echo, a small but effective detail.

Kinchyle is the McBain clan war cry from the bottom of the crest. The riffs hit like marching boots and drums  hammering a rhythm that feels made for shouting back in an ancient Scottish battlefield .The chorus is immediate ,you can hear the crowd singing it already. This  track feels like McBain leaving his mark: “McBain has been here, this is my territory.”

FURIOUS DEMONS

The Art of Resurrection opens with a piano intro that recalls Paradise Lost, before black metal returns, carrying a gothic edge. The song’s composition and vocals echo Tribulation, giving a moment to breathe while keeping tension alive.

Baobhan Sith starts like a furious, demonic figure hunting you, while a disturbing nursery rhyme runs beneath the riffs. The music twists and coils, with passages showing prog influence, capturing the legend’s menace without over explaining it.

Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm is nearly four minutes of pure speed metal, a breakpoint in the middle of the album that jolts the listener with raw energy before returning to Scottish folklore and storytelling.

SCULPTOR’S CAVE

Sculptor’s Cave mixes fast riffs with a sense of place, evoking an archaeological site through rhythm and melody. McBain balances speed with narrative, letting history resonate without slowing the drive.

Finally, Mortercheyn, released as the fourth single, begins with a guitar fading in almost like a synth. Its name comes from a Scottish word for glanders, a disease affecting horses and humans, and the riffs and drums carry that creeping menace. A symphonic base appears in the second half, using an Arabian scale, layering texture over the speed metal core.

The title track Coronach closes the work, beginning with seven seconds from Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2, funeral march. It then slides into a cadenced rhythm before black metal kicks in. A spoken voice is reminiscent of Sacramentum’s Fog’s Kiss. McBain tell us about Scottish heritage musically describing  the Highlands funeral lament, and it pulls together riffs, rhythm, melody, and folklore in one track. The chorus: “Rattle the death bell, we bid the farewell, let the quines cry out…”  lodges itself in your head.

Coronach flows naturally, with each track carrying personality while connecting to the larger story. You can hear McBain having fun exploring music, history, and folklore.

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