Hellripper/Black Arts & Alchemy/Reaper Metal Productions/2019 EP Review

  Scotland's  solo  project  Hellripper  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  mixture  of  black,  speed  metal  and  punk  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  ep  "Black  Arts  &  Alchemy"  which  will be  released  in  April  by  Reaper  Metal  Productions.

  A  very  fast  thrash  and  speed  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats. Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  some  80's  style  shouting  vocals  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  great  amount  of  old  school  hardcore  punk  elements  along  with  an  influence  of  Motorhead.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the music  also  mixes  in  influences  of  NWOBHM.

  On  this  recording  Hellripper  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  black,  speed  metal  and  punk.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hellripper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  speed  metal  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "All  Hail  The  Goat"  and  "Headless  Angels".  8  out  of  10.

https://reapermetalproductions.bandcamp.com/album/black-arts-alchemy

      

Hellripper/Coagulating Darkness/Granite Factory Records/Barbarian Wrath/Diabolic Might Records/2017 CD Review

  Scotland's  Hellripper  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  black  and  speed  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  an  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017 album  "Coagulating  Darkness"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Barbarian  Wrath, Granite  Factory  and  Diabolic  Might  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  bass guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  80's  style  speed  metal  riffs  and  high  pitched  black  metal s creams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  style.

  A  great  amount  of  first  wave  black  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  songs  while  also  having  a  more  modern  vibe  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  fast  musical  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  punk  rock  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Hellripper  remains  true  to  the  black  and  speed  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Blasphemy,  Demons,  Black  Magick,  and  Dark  Witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hellripper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bastard  Of  Hades"  "Within  The  Everlasting  Fire"  and  "Coagulating  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

https://barbarianwrath.bandcamp.com/album/coagulating-darkness

Hellripper Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with you and your musical projects these days?


Well, I have released three EPs so far this year with 3 different bands; Hellripper, Rats of Reality and Lock Howl. At the moment I have 3 split EPs confirmed with Hellripper and all should (hopefully) be out before the end of the year and I am working on a death metal EP that I also hope to release this year.


2.In January you had released an ep with your solo project, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?


'The Manifestation of Evil' contains 4 tracks and is under 10 minutes long, so it's quite fast. I would describe the sound as a mixture of first-wave black metal and speed/thrash.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music in the bands?


The lyrical themes in Hellripper tend to be horror-based and in most cases involve the occult. The lyrics in Rats of Reality tend to focus on “real” subjects and reflects more on the state of society at the moment and with Lock Howl the lyrics are quite dark and focus on a few things, one being the paranormal.


4.With 'Hellripper' you had some lyrics that where more satanic, can you tell us  alittle bit more about your interest in Satanism?


I don't really have an interest in Satanism to be honest. The theme fits the music of Hellripper and is quite fun to sing about. That's about it really.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hellripper"?


There is no particular meaning, the name just popped into my head one day and I thought it sounded cool.


6.With 'Hellripper' you record everything by yourself, how would you compare that to working with a full band?


It's different in quite a lot of ways, the main thing being that working on your own means there is no compromises, but it also means there are no outside opinions or ideas that could potentially improve a song.


7.Can you tell us a little bit more about your other band 'Rats Of Reality'?


Rats of Reality is a band that started last year at some point by Peter (drums) and I. We released an EP last year where Peter played drums and bass and I handled guitar and vocals. The EP had a sort of old-school punk sound mixed with some thrash. Not long after the EP was released, Clarkie joined on bass and we soon started to play gigs. We released a second EP last month in which the sound changed quite dramatically and is more black metal influenced crust.


8.What are some of the best shows you have played with 'Rats Of Reality' and also how would you describe your stage performance and also are there any touring plans for the future?


I couldn't really pick out a particular show that I would say was the “best” since I think quite a few have been great (some have been not so great but that's how it goes). I feel our songs have quite a lot of energy in them so each performance is quite lively. We are hoping to tour later this year but nothing is set in stone yet.


9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?


I'm currently looking for a label to release a split involving Hellripper and a label to release some CD's of the latest RoR EP.


10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the more extreme styles of metal and punk?


From what I've heard, feedback has been pretty positive!


11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?


Hopefully I will be doing more-or-less the same thing involving a few different projects/bands from multiple genres and hopefully the songs will continue to improve.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?


I'm influenced by any sort of rock/metal music from blues to death metal. Regarding Hellripper, influences include Sabbat [JPN], Venom, Celtic Frost and similar bands.


A few of my favourite bands at the moment are: Crypt Sermon, Beastmilk, Enforcer and Ranger.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?


I'm into football, that's about it really.


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?


Thanks for the interview and to anyone who bothered to read this far! Check out the music if you haven't already and thanks for the support!

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Hellripper/The Manifestation Of Evil/Hellforced Records/2015 EP Review

  Hellripper  are  a  solo  project  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  ep  "The  Manifestation  Of  Evil"  which  was  released  by  Hellforced  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  punk  influenced  thrash  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  d  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilzed  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  early  80's  punk  vibe.

  Most  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  vibe  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  and  raw  style  of  first  wave  influenced  black  metal while  punk  and  thrash  are also  a  very  important  element  in  all  of  the  tracks  that are  present  on  the  recording.

  Hellripper  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  first  wave  style  of  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  punk,  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements  that  where  around  in  that  era  while  the  vocals  gives  the  music  more  of  a  second  wave  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hellripper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flesh  Ripper"  and  "Black  Mass  Sacrifice".  8  out  of  10. 

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/the-manifestation-of-evil