Metalcatto
Yes, I don’t live under a rock. If anything, I have the three Vs—if you know, you know—but everyone has been going head over heels for Hellripper‘s Coronach. I’m familiar with the project’s previous releases, but for some reason, I always forget to return to them. Needless to say, the expectations are understandably high. There’s something about this Black/Thrash/Heavy combo that has escaped me before, and it could happen again, but let’s be optimistic for once. It’s time.
Okay, fine. This thing is awesome. Now roll credits and stop reading, or stay and enjoy. Coronach does everything we know Hellripper does, but more epic and more furious. This is retro and fresh extreme Metal that takes the best of both eras. You have a lot of bombastic guitar solos that almost make me think of Megadeth or Metallica back when they were good, but also vocals straight out of Gorgoroth—raw, hateful, and uncompromising. The combination shouldn’t work on paper, but in practice, it’s a perfect storm.
What you can be sure of is that Hellripper is going to throw everything it has at you. There’s not much of a break here. If Spectral Wound was more technical and aggressive, this is what it would sound like. There’s no lack of wild and creative takes here that still respect the best traditions of our little Metalsphere. As you can tell, this thing hits harder than a gorilla on meth, but let’s explore the less cool part.
Alright, ultra-personal note. I don’t get why Hellripper likes to mix the vocals as if they were coming out of a 90s Norwegian demo while the rest of the instruments have the sickest, most modern production around. It creates a strange imbalance that takes getting used to. Also, as effective as some of the ideas here are, they’re not exactly new. The influences are worn proudly on the sleeve, and if you’ve spent any time in this corner of metal, you’ll recognize most of the building blocks. Yet, everything is delivered with such dedication to the craft that I can barely complain. Hence, take these comments just as that—nothing that will likely hinder your enjoyment of Coronach.
Coronach is another breathtaking ride that reminds us how much attitude Metal can still have in an era of overproduction and safe choices. I wasn’t fully on board last time, but now you’ve bribed me well. Time to go back and enjoy the previous releases with a different perspective. What? A reviewer can’t find redemption? Even the cynical ones deserve a second chance. I earned it!
Label: Century Media Records
Release date: March 27, 2026
Website: https://www.hellripper.com/
Country: UK
Score: 4.2/5.0
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