Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
Release Date: 17th February 2023
Label: Peaceville Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Thrash, Speed Metal, Black Metal, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Midnight, Toxic Holocaust, Venom, Dissection, 80s Thrash.
Review By: Rick Farley
Scotland’s high octane band Hellripper are back with album number three. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags releasing on Peaceville Records is a hell-bent for headbanging, sinister dose of speed, thrash, black and heavy metal all wrapped up tightly into one lethal dose of intense fury.
Greatly influenced by bands like Dissection, Venom, Motorhead, and 80s thrash metal, you’ll quickly get the idea of what to expect from the speedy blackened traditional metal attack of album opener The Nuckelavee. It’s fast, angry, diabolical and a hell of a good time. Boasting the story in Orcadian folklore of a mystical sea creature that appears as a horse like demon while on land. Based out of Scotland’s Northern Isles, the creatures’ breath brings plague and death wherever it travels. The frenzied song definitely reflects this with its hell tinged blast of fucking steam rolling rage. Blisteringly fast metallic guitar riffs galloping into some melodic 90s black metal menace. The fierce adrenaline comes in high doses and rips and shreds its way through your skull, only setting you up for worse things to come.
Hellripper’s sole member and mastermind James McBain is the mad genius behind the fervent riffs, face melting solos, and the screechy gut-wrenching vocals. Inspired by the landscapes and legends of the Scottish Highlands, McBain explores the darker side of Scottish history and folklore. His infectious handle on the best parts of several traditional metal genres infused with some skilled song writing makes for a speaker blowing, head banging, kick in the teeth of nostalgia drenched speed metal anthems.
Goat Vomit Nightmare is a speedy black n roll tune with some punky bite to it. The easily screamed one line chorus’s brief pause in chaos gives the listener time to reset their headbanging stance, only for the feverish neck breaking to resume with shredding bluesy guitar solos swirling over fast-paced riffing and thrashing drums. The punishingly fast The Cursed Carrion Crown is a masterclass in thrash guitar antics fuelled by extreme brutality. The song lyrically is a tale of a 45 member clan of cannibals who lived in caves off the coast of Scotland that would kill, dismember and then eat their victims. Viciously fast guitars, anthemic NWOBHM melodic flourishes, and a healthy dose of Rust in Peace era Mustaine influenced guitar work from the midsection towards the end make this a standout track full of snarling hell and stylistic nightmares. Eight minute album closer Mester Stoor Worm is a catchy, full-fledged opus, complete with sharp hooky riffs, melodic but gritty black metal and guttural vocals all intent on heavy metal savagery. A stompy groove with glorious melodies close out the album on a high note. Almost offering up a slight reprieve from the forty-three-minute beating you just took.
Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, while ambitious, is not overly innovative or particularly original, but honestly in this case who the fuck cares. This is blasphemous, aggressive, old school influenced speed metal leaning heavily on the brutal and dark side of things. A total high quality blast of awesome from start to finish, it’s for those of you who just want a good fucking time with your metal. Headbanging, smashing shit, thrashing about, and raising your fist high in the air, Hellripper is that band. A chew you up and spit you out kind of album that’s fun as hell. Yes please! 
(4.5 / 5)
