Hellripper is a solo black/speed metal group fronted by Scottish multi-instrumentalist and songwriter James McBain. Rooted in the deviltry, uncompromising extreme metal, and thrash-punk emissions of artists like Venom, Darkthrone, Megadeth, Sabbat, Kreator, and Motörhead, McBain often looks to historical events to craft his tales of witchcraft and the occult.

Emerging in 2014 with the EP The Manifestation of Evil and a 2015 split 7" with Philly-based doom/black metallers Batsheva, Hellripper's first full-length effort, Coagulating Darkness, was a family affair. Released in 2017 through Barbarian Wrath, McBain recorded the album at home in Aberdeen and enlisted his parents as guest vocalists. The LP elicited acclaim in the underground community for its adherence to old-school speed and thrash metal values. 2019's Black Arts & Alchemy EP adopted a more punk-metal approach, while 2020's narrative-driven long-player The Affair of the Poisons, the band's first outing for Peaceville Records, combined meaty hooks with thrash-blasted black metal. 2023's Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags saw McBain deliver an epic blackened thrash set inspired by the landscapes and dark folklore of the Scottish Highlands. ~ James Christopher Monger