Hellripper Combine Bagpipes and Black Metal on “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags”
One-man Scottish black-thrash entity Hellripper continues their quest for total musical destruction with new album Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags. The latest single, the album’s title track, is a powerful reminder of the direction that Hellriipper creator James McBain is taking his band on the new album: away from typical “darkness of Satan” lyricism and into Scottish folklore. “Warlocks Grim and Withered Hags” even features bagpipes—it doesn’t get more Scottish than that! Says McBain:
“‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ is definitely the farthest I’ve gone away from the usual ‘Hellripper sound’ with it being a more mid-paced track than what I’ve done previously.
“The lyrics to this track (and the song title) are primarily inspired by Robert Burns’ Address to the Devil and reference the poem quite a bit (as well as other works of Burns), though where the poem kind of downplays and mocks the Devil, I wanted to switch the point of view and insert a few nods to the treacherous Scottish landscapes and mythical creatures – with nature being the Devil’s Church. For the first time in Hellripper’s music, you will hear the sound of bagpipes in the latter part of the song which also ties in with the lyrical theme.”
Warlocks Grim is out on February 17 via Peaceville. Hellripper have a few live dates lined up as well.
Hellripper, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags Tracklist:
1. The Nuckelavee [05:47]
2. I, the Deceiver [04:57]
3. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags [07:15]
4. Goat Vomit Nightmare [03:15]
5. The Cursed Carrion Crown [05:48]
6. The Hissing Marshes [03:50]
7. Poison Womb (The Curse of the Witch) [03:42]
8. Mester Stoor Worm [08:33]
Live Shows:
11 February – The Flying Duck – Glasgow, Scotland (UK)
11 March – Welcome to Hell Fest – Eindhoven, Netherlands (EU)
30 June – Pitfest 2023 – Emmen, Netherlands (EU)
5 July – Obscene Extreme Festival 2023 – Trutnov, Czech Republic (EU
27 July – Goldgrube – Kassel, Germany (EU)
28 – 29 July- Burning Q Festival 2023 – Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany (EU)
21 October – Derby Alt Fest 2023 – Derby, England (UK)
