Sometimes the problem with reviewing is the sheer volume of new stuff you get to hear which, inevitably, means you end up behind the curve on some things. Hellripper, one man outfit from the Highlands of Scotland, being a perfect example for me. They’ve been lauded by many already for their previous two albums and I was particularly intrigued as a couple of gents of my acquaintance are big fans and knowing their love of old school and old school style heavy metal from Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road to Visigoth and Eternal Champion I was curious how this notoriously noisy band fitted in.

Because make no mistake, Hellripper absolutely live up to their name.

‘The Knuckelavee’ just kinda launches itself at you right from the start, all scampering guitar like claws running across stone and snarling vocals. Yet also straight away there’s that insistent melody. Speed metal steering a rattling course between black and thrash with a heavy metal head of steam. The guitar break is just phenomenal; rough and driving and dripping venomous melody. Oh aye and the lyrics (yay for getting lyric sheets) are damned cool. Devilish sea monsters, rotten flesh… A demonic horse-like sea demon if you want to know.

I put my head back on, reset my jaw and get knocked straight back on my arse by an absolutely raging ‘I, The Deceiver’. Sargeist punch meets Midnight chaos and that true heavy metal muscle. The arrangement is top draw, the tempo shifts flawless, the feel gnarly, dirty and fantastic.

The title track slows the pace and raises a dark but truly epic quality that fills the dark. The lyrics once more are just excellent; traditional dark folk themes threaded through a classic horror haunted land. Old gods and dismal melody and metal somewhere out there where the mist lingers. We even get what sounds like bagpipes wailing..

This is so assured, so single minded music but the sound is that perfect edge-of-the-seat, ragged arse riot that the best metal always is. Conjuring a demon and clinging to its thrashing tail.

‘Goat Vomit Nightmare’ is a joyful snapping ride with moments of delicacy woven in. ‘The Cursed Carrion Crown’ is an utter thrashing ripper, a nod to Sawney Bean, a King Diamond-esque scream and five minutes of butchered corpses with a fast rhythm that even KMFDMs drum machine would be proud of. And that vein of Scottish folk in the melody? Brutal joy indeed.

‘The Hissing Marshes’ is just awesome. Motorhead and Midnight racing each other to the finish in an utter heads down rush. ‘The Poison Womb’ is all angry slashes and a lower rumble, a perfect lead into..

‘Mester Stoor Worm’ our epic closer. Once more looking to the sea, the horror writhes and the images dragged out by choppy riffs and fluid guitar melody. It courses similar waters to Old Corpse Road perhaps in places but always steers back to that raging dark heart. And when the melody dips into low rumbling thunder as the guitar soars over it, everything is simply…right.

Hellripper are just jaw dropping. Their perfect blend of black, thrash, speed and heavy metal should appeal to fans of all those genres. Mr McBain’s song writing is flawless here, the arrangements amazing and the depth shocking. Yet everything just…well, everything just rips. It is that rare dark beast where the raw, rattling, filthy sound seems cut from the storm of chaos and yet the hands on the reins know exactly how to ride this utter beast. Oh and the production is spot on too.

Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags is the first truly great album of 2023. And it will be near the end too, no doubt at all in my mind.

Grin inducing, face ripping, skull crushing metal at its absolute finest.

Damn.

(9.5/10 Gizmo)

https://www.facebook.com/Hellripper1

https://peaceville.bandcamp.com/album/warlocks-grim-withered-hags