Following the release of debut album Coagulating Darkness in 2017 which thrust Hellripper firmly into the gaze of underground metal maniacs, the Black Arts & Alchemy EP brought even more attention and notoriety to this special act upon its release in 2019, as Hellripper’s ascent gained further momentum. With four black/thrash anthems delivered in Hellripper’s uncompromising & unwavering style, and including an additional cover version of Running wild’s Iron Heads, the release demonstrated an ongoing mastery of composition and execution whilst remaining true to the firm heavy metal roots which had brought so much appraisal to date. Featuring the band’s trademark intricate and expertly-crafted concoction of hyperspeed riffing and solos, Black Arts & Alchemy was also notably mastered by Joel Grind of celebrated US thrashers Toxic Holocaust. Inspired by the likes of old-school legends including Venom, Kreator, Sabbat [JPN] and Metallica, James McBain formed Hellripper in 2014 and with the release of the debut EP The Manifestation of Evil shortly after, the Scottish band was already making a very clear statement of hellish destruction with an electrifying brand of blackened thrash. Building on the momentum of the debut EP with a string of split releases, the debut album Coagulating Darkness was released in 2017 to media acclaim, with the UK’s Metal Hammer hailing Hellripper as “Scotland's King of the arcane mosh” & the band receiving attention throughout Europe and the US. This was followed by the EP - Black Arts & Alchemy, before an eventual deal was inked with Peaceville, resulting in 2020’s The Affair of the Poisons, leading on to 2023’s monumental breakthrough release, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags.
