Hellripper announce very Scottish new album Coronach and release thrashing first cut, Hunderprest

Scottish thrashers and goat enthusiasts Hellripper have announced their return with their fourth album, Coronach, due on March 27 via Century Media.

According to frontman James McBain, the album is “a personal exploration of Scottish culture – its music, literature, history and folklore”. Fittingly, the opening track, Hunderprest, is about a sinister clergyman who rose from the grave after his death to feast on blood.

“It's based on the legend of Hunderprest, or 'dog priest' – the vampire of Melrose Abbey,” says James. “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. 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. He was eventually defeated when a group of monks from Melrose Abbey exhumed Hunderprest’s 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.”

Of course you want to hear that…

Further digging into the record, James explains that “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.”

It also finds Hellripper expanding the palette among the metal thrashing madness.

“[It's] 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!

“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. Fàilte gu Alba - Welcome to Scotland!”

Coronach full tracklisting:

1. Hunderprest
2. Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)
3. The Art of Resurrection
4. Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)
5. Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm
6. Sculptor’s Cave
7. Mortercheyn
8. Coronach

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