Photo credit: MM Photography
Scotland’s rising black metal legend, Hellripper, has announced its fourth studio album, Coronach, will be released on March 27, via Century Media Records, the project’s debut with the label. To celebrate, Hellripper has shared the new single, “Hunderprest.” The accompanying performance video was filmed at UK’s Damnation Festival 2025, by Sethpicturesmusic, and edited by Jake Ten. Watch it below and read more.
Pre-order Coronach here: https://hellripperband.lnk.to/Coronach-AlbumID
Hellripper mastermind, guitarist/vocalist and songwriter James McBain comments on the new single,
“Hunderprest” hits immediately with a chaotic deluge of dissonance, and is what I felt to be the perfect way to open the album — leaving the listener with no time to prepare. Based on the legend of ‘Hunderprest,’ or ‘dog priest’ – the vampire of Melrose Abbey. The sinful chaplain inherited his nickname because of his habit of hunting on horseback with his pack of hounds. After his death, legend says he was buried in the graveyard of Melrose Abbey; and because his spirit could not find peace, he would rise from his grave when night fell to harass the villagers and his former mistress to satisfy his bloodthirst. He was eventually defeated when a group of monks from Melrose Abbey exhumed Hunderprest’s blood-soaked body in broad daylight and set it on fire, throwing the ashes into the wind to be sure that the vampire would no longer be able to torment the town.”
“Musically, the track primarily takes influence from a mixture of thrash (Kreator, Merciless, Metallica) and black (Watain, Rotting Christ, Tribulation) metal, with a healthy dose of some more ‘atmospheric’ d-beat elements from the likes of Oathbreaker and Fall of Efrafa.”
He adds about the album, “Coronach is a personal exploration of Scottish Culture — its music, literature, history & folklore. From Pictish mysteries to Victorian Gothic literature, sinister lore, classic Scottish poetry and modern urban tales, the album tells stories of the country throughout the ages. Inspired by anything and everything from Venom and Mercyful Fate, to Watain and Opeth, to Manic Street Preachers, film scores and traditional Scottish music, the album is a good representation of myself all wrapped up in a nice speed metal package! Quite a bit of experimentation went into this album, and I wanted each track to contain something that I had never done previously. Whether it be the inclusion of a different instrument, or how a song begins, I aimed to offer some element of surprise in each track.”
“The album, named after the vocal lament traditionally sung at funerals in the Scottish Highlands, encompasses everything the band is about: mixing modern and old-school influences, past and present storytelling, the dark side of Scottish history and my personal interpretation of it. As always, the writing and recording took place in my home studio, with various other people putting their stamp on a few of the tracks. The album was mixed by myself, and was mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios, and the artwork was done by Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration). Fàilte gu Alba – Welcome to Scotland!”
In addition, Hellripper will be embarking on a European headliner with support from Schizophrenia and Sarcator, which will introduce the band’s upcoming studio album release (More details about that soon…!). The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found here: https://www.hellripper.com/tickets
Coronach tracklisting:
01 Hunderprest
02 Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)
03 The Art of Resurrection
04 Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)
05 Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm
06 Sculptor’s Cave
07 Mortercheyn
08 Coronach
Album credits:
Recorded and mixed by Hellripper’s James McBain at Coronach Studios in Scotland, UK
Mastered by Damien Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in the USA.
Cover Artwork: Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration
Formats:
Jewelcase CD
Digital Album
LP (formats below):
– “Black Cuillin” LP on black vinyl (Unlimited, available in Europe)
– “Wild Thistle” LP on transp. magenta vinyl (Ltd. to 400x copies, available from UK retailers and Hellripper)
– “Saltire” LP on blue vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available from selected German & Austrian retailers and from Hellripper)
– “Highland Mist” LP on grey vinyl (Ltd. to 1000x copies, available from Hellripper)
– “Baobhan Sith” LP on transp. forest green vinyl (Unlimited, available in the USA)
– “Granite City” LP on electric smoke colored vinyl (Ltd. to 500x copies, available in the USA)
– “Bean Nighe” LP on ultra clear vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available in the USA from Hellripper)
Hellripper Live US Dates 2025/2026
January:
22 Helsinki (Finland) @ Tavastia
March:
21 Aalst (Belgium) @ Oilsjt Omploft Festival
27 Glasgow (Scotland) @ Garage *
28 Bern (Switzerland) @ EmMetal Festival
April:
03 Nottingham (England) @ Saltbox ***
04 London (England) @ The Dome *** [VENUE UPGRADE]
06 Utrecht (Netherlands) @ De Helling ***
07 Dortmund (Germany) @ Junkyard ***
08 Hamburg (Germany) @ Logo *** [LOW TICKETS]
09 Copenhagen (Denmark) @ Pumpehuset ***
10 Berlin (Germany) @ Lido ***
11 Warsaw (Poland) @ Voodoo ***
12 Kraków (Poland) @ Zascianek
13 Vienna (Austria) @ Arena ***
14 Budapest (Hungary) @ Dürer Kert *** [LOW TICKETS]
15 Munich (Germany) @ Backstage *** [LOW TICKETS]
16 Prague (Czechia) @ Subzero ***
17 Mannheim (Germany) @ 7er Club ***
18 Paris (France) @ Backstage by the Mill ***
June:
06 Maastricht (Netherlands) @ South of Heaven Open Air [LOW TICKETS]
13 Hauptmannsgrün (Germany) @ Chronical Moshers Open Air
September:
04 Ostrava (Czechia) @ Metal!!! Festival
* Hellripper & Sarcator
*** Hellripper, Schizophrenia & Sarcator
More shows to be announced soon!
The brainchild of guitarist/vocalist/solitary force, James McBain, Hellripper has been running like a denim-vested, backpatch-encrusted William Wallace, bravehearting his way through metal’s bloodiest battlefields since first coagulating his personal darkness in 2014. Taking armaments from “Kill ‘Em All” era Hetfield and “Welcome to Hell” era Mantas, McBain has immersed his fascination with darkness and speed with Scottish history and come with bloody masterpieces like 2023’s Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags. McBain is presently sharpening his blades and casting new spells that will transmogrify into Hellripper’s Century Media debut “Coronach”.
Hellripper Lineup:
James McBain – All Instruments & Vocals
Hellripper live and video performance line-up:
James McBain – Guitar & Vocals
Joseph Quinlan – Guitar
Andy Milburn – Bass
Max Southall – Drums
Follow Hellripper:
https://hellripperband.lnk.to/bio