Hellripper

Led by Scottish musician James McBain, Hellripper has been crafting a direct, fast black/speed metal since the mid-2010s, drawing on 1980s thrash, early forms of black metal and a punk-like energy. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, the project started as a solo endeavour with a demo and the EP The Manifestation of Evil in 2015, which embedded Hellripper in the network of underground labels and distros. The debut album Coagulating Darkness arrived in 2017, establishing a formula centered on high tempos, biting riffs and a high, abrasive vocal style, while the EP Black Arts & Alchemy (2019) consolidated this move toward a compact, melodic sound. With The Affair of the Poisons (2020) and Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (2023), Hellripper gradually broadened its palette by incorporating darker atmospheres, references to Scottish folklore and some more developed song structures, while retaining an aggressive speed-metal core. On stage Hellripper performs as a band around James McBain, touring mainly across the UK and Europe on extreme metal circuits and at festivals, where the fast, direct nature of the songs remains central.