Scottish blackened thrash metal outfit Hellripper\u2018s fourth album \u201cCoronach\u201d will be landing on March 27th through Century Media. Vocalist\/multi-instrumentalist James McBain serves as the mastermind for that project, which just launched a video for the opening song,\u201dHunderpest\u201c. McBain also had the following to say about this second single from that record:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Hunderprest\u2018, hits immediately with a chaotic deluge of dissonance, and is what I felt to be the perfect way to open the album \u2014 leaving the listener with no time to prepare. Based on the legend of Hunderprest, or \u2018dog priest\u2019 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
He was eventually defeated when a group of monks from Melrose Abbey exhumed Hunderprest\u2019s 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 metal (Watain, Rotting Christ, Tribulation), with a healthy dose of some more \u2018atmospheric\u2019 d-beat elements from the likes of Oathbreaker and Fall of Efrafa.\u201d<\/p>\n
McBain elaborated on what to expect from \u201cCoronach\u201d as well, stating:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Coronach\u2018 is a personal exploration of Scottish Culture \u2014 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!<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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). F\u00e0ilte gu Alba \u2013 Welcome to Scotland!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCoronach\u201d track listing:<\/p>\n
01 \u2013 \u201cHunderprest\u201c
02 \u2013 \u201cKinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)\u201c
03 \u2013 \u201cThe Art of Resurrection\u201c
04 \u2013 \u201cBaobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)\u201c
05 \u2013 \u201cBlakk Satanik Fvkkstorm\u201c
06 \u2013 \u201cSculptor\u2019s Cave\u201c
07 \u2013 \u201cMortercheyn\u201c
08 \u2013 \u201cCoronach\u201c<\/p>\n