Hellripper's 'Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags' - Album Review

The quest to discover new music is essentially endless. I do not think that I will ever get to a point where I am satisfied. As much as I love my favourite bands, I am always on the hunt for the next potential favourite - as well as looking more generally to expand my horizons. When it comes to music, it is very easy to stagnate. There is nothing wrong with having a narrow taste, but when there is so much good music out there not sampling as much of it as possible really feels like a waste. I have spoken on this blog before about my ongoing quest to generally appreciate more music from the extreme metal genres. This goal is something of a slow-burning one, but I do feel that over the past couple of years I have made quite a lot of progress. I have not reviewed a lot of extreme metal here, but I certainly listen to more death metal now than I did in the past - particularly when it comes to some of the genre's most defining acts. Black metal remains a real blind spot, though, and, in truth, it is always likely to be. I have covered both Dimmu Borgir and Behemoth on this blog, but I do not think that either band genuinely qualify as being true black metal - at least in recent years. I have always struggled with the abrasive, droning, and often un-melodic sound that generally characterises black metal - with the shrieking vocals also often acting as a stumbling block. As such, I am not about to break character and review some true black metal here - but one band with a black metal influence which I have recently been getting into is Scotland's Hellripper. Calling Hellripper a 'band' might not be accurate, given that they are, at least in the studio, essentially just multi-instrumentalist and songwriter James McBain. Despite this, though, McBain has been active as Hellripper since 2014 - and in that time has put out three studio albums, two EPs, and a number of singles/splits. It is the band's third studio album, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, which is the subject of this piece - but, for a bit of context, Hellripper play a pretty old-school brand of blackened thrash/speed metal. I would say that McBain's biggest influence here is classic Venom, but there are also plenty of nods to both Motörhead and early Slayer throughout - as well as a NWOBHM-esque approach to lead guitar melodies. As such, much of the material on Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, which was released last month, is fast-paced and uncompromising. Despite there being a strong black metal influence throughout, there is enough classic heavy metal and thrash to appeal to me. McBain's vocals are delivered in a manner which I can connect with, and the overall production is sharp - but with a retro edge akin to those bands referenced. Many of the songs here tell Scottish folk tales, which adds to the overall atmosphere nicely - with each song taking the listener on a dark journey despite the relentless energy. Despite Hellripper being a one-man band, three of the songs feature the guitar talents of Joseph Quinlan (Desert Heretic) - who also plays with the band live.

I have sampled some of Hellripper's previous work, but this album is the first which I have fully digested. It also appears to be the band's most expansive yet, with some of the songs here having more of a progressive feel and fuller arrangements. Most of the band's previous songs have been short and sharp, and there are some like that here, but this album feels much more developed than anything which has come previously. The Nuckelavee opens the album, and in many ways it feels like a mix of the band's older sound with this new-found expansiveness. Much of the song is extremely fast, opening with a furious riff. The complexity of the riff grows over the opening few bars, with the drumming beneath it becoming more frantic, before the pace slows somewhat when the verse kicks in. The verses feel more mid-paced, but there is still a frantic energy throughout. This allows the band's atmospheric side to shine - and introduces McBain's rasping vocals, which sit somewhere between a traditional thrash and black metal delivery. His voice is not as screechy as that of many black metal singers, but it is more throaty than would be typical in thrash. There are certainly Venom comparisons here, but the song overall is much thrashier - particularly when the faster-paced chorus rolls around. Not one to shy away from melody, though, McBain showcases his love of a more traditional metal approach during the instrumental mid-section. The duelling lead guitars are straight out of the Iron Maiden playbook, whilst much of the soloing is packed full of melody. I love the approach to the lead guitar parts throughout this album, and they are often what pull me in. The instrumental mid-section of The Nuckelavee is a winner for me, and it helps to break up the blasting intensity of the rest of the track which, apart from the verses, tends to be pretty furious. I, the Deceiver follows and, from the off, it takes a bit more of a traditional heavy metal path. The opening riff feels more chunky and mid-paced, whilst some of the early guitar melodies remind me somewhat of classic Mercyful Fate in atmosphere. These creepy guitar leads set the tone amongst the mid-paced riffing, but once the song proper kicks in the pace is upped. A big drum barrage leads into the verse, which is extremely fast, whilst the bridge between the verse and the chorus somewhat returns to the classic metal influences of the song's intro. The chorus ups the intensity even further, essentially going full black metal with some extremely raspy vocals and an expansive, rolling drum backing. An old-school riff is never too far away, though, and the fast pace of the main song is often broken by a chunky early 1980s riff - helping to give the song real character.

The title track follows, which feels much more mid-paced throughout. There is less of McBain's black metal influence here, with the track feeling quite a bit more anthemic overall - especially early on. The opening riffs are pretty strident, before some folky guitar leads join the fray. These folky leads are pretty present throughout the whole song - and they help the mid-paced track to stand out from the crowd. There are nods to bands like Ensiferum here, but the folk edge is not overpowering. The guitars add melody, but the overall sound is still very much in-keeping with the rest of the album. Both the verses and the chorus here have a real strut, adding to the song's overall anthemic vibe, and the main guitar solo borrows a lot from the melodic phrasing of Thin Lizzy. To add to the song's folk edge, towards the end some bagpipes (McBain is Scottish after all) are added into the mix - courtesy of Antonio Rodriguez. They are not overpowering, but instead used sparingly - adding to the overall vibe of the track nicely as it comes to a close. Goat Vomit Nightmare ups the pace again, and essentially returns to the fast and furious sound which Hellripper have generally employed up to this point. There is a strong Venom feel here, and the pace never lets up. At just over three minutes in length, it is the shortest song here - so it is fitting that it also the most uncompromising. The riffing is less distinct, but the driving drum patterns really keep the song moving - whilst the shout-along chorus would almost certainly go down well live. Despite the riffing perhaps being less interesting here, there is still time for a couple of guitar solos. They are less chaotic than might be expected, and the overall approach to melodic lead playing remains - with some strong NWOBHM vibes present as McBain shreds his way through the solos. There is a brief moment of respite, with the tiniest glimpse of an acoustic guitar melody, but this is extremely short-lived - with the intensity soon ramping back up. This intensity is retained throughout The Cursed Carrion Crown, which very much showcases McBain's love of Slayer. Whilst the vocals are much more black metal inspired, this song is very much inspired by thrash. The opening handful of riffs are very Slayer-esque, particularly Slayer's debut album, and there is even an opening scream which recalls Tom Araya in his youth. Despite the overall heaviness of the piece, the track feels more expansive than the previous song. The riffs are more pronounced this time, and it generally feels like less of an all-out assault. The thrash riffing keeps the pace high, but there is more of  a dynamic arrangement present. Not everything steams ahead at a break-neck speed - and the lengthy guitar solo section, featuring some back and forth playing between McBain and Quinlain, is packed full of melody and impressive shredding.

I mentioned Hellripper's Motörhead influence early in this piece, and The Hissing Marshes is where it is best heard. The opening bass riff could have come from one of Motörhead's classic albums, and the wider intro in general could have come from Lemmy. The section where the bass guitar sits alone against a simple double bass drum pattern is pure Motörhead, and it fun to see this sound mixed in with black metal elements. It is only really the intro that feels like pure Motörhead worship, but as these riffs also resurface during the song's chorus the overall piece certainly feels more anthemic overall. The classic metal influences shine again here - even though the verses are more extreme with traditional black metal elements. The song is a clash of styles but it works well, and being Motörhead influenced it is fitting that it is quite short - with no respite and an uncompromising sound. Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch) is another shorter, faster piece - acting as one final blast of relentlessness before the album's lengthier closing song. The drum grooves and relatively simple guitar riffing here have a strong speed metal feel - whilst the reliance on dual guitar leads to bridge each musical gap only reinforces that sound. Some of the guitar leads would not sound too out of place on an old Running Wild album - but the overall feel of the song is much heavier. McBain's black metal influences are still very much employed, with the overall atmosphere of the verses filled with a pummelling darkness, but the amount of guitar leads gives the song a hooky edge - which fits in nicely with the album's general feel. As alluded to, the album comes to a close in a more expansive way - with eight minute-plus Mester Stoor Worm rounding things out in style. It is the sort of song that feels like a mix of everything else on the album put together. At times it feels like the most extreme thing here, especially during sections which feature genuine blast beats, screeching vocals, and tremolo-picked guitars - whilst other heavy sections feel more death metal influenced, with McBain using more of a growling vocal approach. Short instrumental interludes break up the pace, whilst the occasional more mid-paced riff recalls some of Bathory's work. Given the lengthy of the song, though, it is perhaps surprising that lead guitar playing is not as key here as it is. This is much more of a riff-driven piece, with lots of room for the contrasting vocal styles to breathe, but when the lead guitars do take over they make their presence felt. It would have been nice if there had been a stronger lead guitar presence here, but an Iron Maiden-inspired section towards the end does tick quite a few boxes - as does a more aching section as the song fades out. Overall, this album has been one of the surprises of the year so far for me. I have been enjoying it a lot over the past month since it came out, and each listen reveals more - particularly from a guitar perspective. There is so much to like here when it comes to excellent lead guitar playing, but the songwriting and arrangements are great, too. It is extreme metal that people like me can get into, and I am going to enjoy going backwards through Hellripper's catalogue now.

The album was released on 17th February 2023 via Peaceville Records. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for The Nuckelavee.