Crowned “Scotland’s King of the arcane mosh” by Metal Hammer magazine, Hellripper aims to
invoke the quintessential “black ‘n’ roll” sound, mixing influences from classic 80’s black metal
records with a more modern edge. Heavily inspired by witchcraft and the supernatural, Hellripper
is also deeply rooted in its Scottish origins, using the landscape, legends and historical events as
a backdrop for its lyrics and imagery. Hellripper is fast, loud and uncompromising. All hail the
goat!

Hellripper is a one-man black/speed metal band formed by James McBain and based in the
Scottish highlands. Formed at the end of 2014 and with the release of the debut EP ‘The
Manifestation of Evil’ at the start of 2015, the band have made their statement clear… Total
fucking mayhem!
2015 and 2016 saw the release of an EP and split EPs to positive reviews in the underground as
well as the assembly of a live line-up. The band’s debut album ‘Coagulating Darkness’ was
released in April 2017, with Metal Hammer crowning Hellripper “Scotland’s King of the arcane
mosh”.
2018 saw the band sign to US-based ‘Reaper Metal Productions’ – a division of ‘Hells
Headbangers Records’ and the release of a 4-track EP in April 2019.
At the end of 2019, the band signed a deal with ‘Peaceville Records’ for the release of their
second album ‘The Affair of the Poisons’ in 2020, which again, was also released to great
reviews and led to the band’s first appearance on the US Billboard Charts.
2023 saw the release of Hellripper’s 3rd full-length album, ‘Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags’ – a
record inspired by the darker side of Scottish history and folklore, with the title itself is taken from
a line in the Robert Burns poem, ‘Address to the Deil’ – to wide acclaim.