HELLRIPPER Digitally Releases Two New ZEKE Covers Ahead of Imminent Tours

September 15, 2026

Scotland's ibex-obsessed blackened thrash bastard of Hades, otherwise known as HELLRIPPER, is now unleashing two digital singles ahead of his upcoming worldwide live assault, which kicks off this Thursday in Europe before laying waste to North America for the first time ever in support of HAVOK! To celebrate, the Goat Kvlt mastermind is now offering two cover versions of legendary Seattle speed metal punks, Zeke. Listen now to the black thrash versions of the tracks “Let’s Get Drugs” and “Mainline" Below.

HELLRIPPER guitarist/vocalist/songwriter James McBain comments, “ZEKE has been a favourite band of mine for many years now, and I sure have gotten a lot of mileage out of that shirt of mine as a lot of people have pointed out! The influence they have had on the sound of Hellripper cannot be overstated - 100mph balls to the wall metalpunk with endless guitar solos? Count me in! These two tracks were released as part of the Decibel Magazine Flexi series earlier this year, and I'm happy to now have them out there for everyone to listen to. ZEKE YOU!”

The extensive U.S. trek will kick off on October 21 in Salt Lake City, UT and will decimate everything in its path until the final stop on November 20 in Denver, CO. The full itinerary can be found below and tickets to all upcoming live performances are available HERE.

HELLRIPPER will be supporting its critically-acclaimed new album, 'Coronach,' which was released worldwide on March 27, 2026 via Century Media Records, making it his debut to the label! 'Coronach' can be streamed, downloaded, or ordered HERE.

Enter the GOAT KVLT HERE.

HELLRIPPER LIVE NORTH AMERICAN DATES (w/ HAVOK):

10/21: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall

10/22: Boise, ID @ Shrine Social Club Ballroom

10/23: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

10/24: Portland, OR @ Dante’s

10/26: Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post

10/27: Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone Berkeley

10/28: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater

10/29:Fresno, CA@ Strummer’s

10/30: Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar Billiards

10/31: Mesa. AZ @ Nile Theater

11/02: Dallas, TX @ AM/FM

11/03: Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live

11/04: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown

11/06: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell)

11/07: Nashville, TN @ Basement East

11/08: Asheville, NC @ Eulogy

11/09: Richmond, VA @ Canal Club

11/11: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage

11/12: Harrisburg, PA @ Capital City Music Hall

11/13: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

11/14: New York, NY @ Racket

11/15: Lakewood, OH @ Mercury Music Lounge

11/17: Detroit, MI @ Catacombs at the Sanctuary

11/18: Chicago, IL @ Reggies

11/19: Kansas City, MO @ Recordbar

11/20: Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/25: Montreal, QC @ Piranha Bar

11/26: Quebec, QC @ La Source De La Martinière

11/27: Ottawa, ON @ Dominion Tavern

11/28: Toronto, ON @ Supermarket Bar & Variety

Hellripper EU Live Dates (w/ NECROFIER):

TH 17.09.2026 Hannover (Germany) - Cafe Glocksee * / Sold out!

FR 18.09.2026 Esbjerg (Denmark) - Tobakken *

SA 19.09.2026 Aarhus (Denmark) - VoxHall *

SU 20.09.2026 Gothenburg (Sweden) - Monument *

MO 21.09.2026 Oslo (Norway) - Vaterland * / Sold out!

TU 22.09.2026 Norrköping (Sweden) - Dynamo *

WE 23.09.2026 Stockholm (Sweden) - Kollektivet Livet *

TH 24.09.2026 Malmö (Sweden) - Plan B *

FR 25.09.2026 Lübeck (Germany) - Treibsand *

SA 26.09.2026 Hinte (Germany) - Coast Rock Festival *

SU 27.09.2026 Namur (Belgium) - Le Belvedere *

HELLRIPPER Latin American Dates:

SA 09.01.2027 Mangualde (Portugal) - Mangualde Hardmetalfest

TH 14.01.2027 Rio De Janeiro (Brazil) - Experience Music

FR 15.01 2027 Curitiba (Brazil) - Basement Cultural

SA 16.01.2027 Sao Paulo (Brazil) - Burning House

SU 17.01.2027 Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - Caverna

TU 19.01.2027 Buenos Aires (Argentina) - Uniclub

WE 20.01.2027 Santiago (Chile) - Sala RBX

TH 21.01.2027 Lima (Peru) - Vichama Conciertos

SA 23.01.2027 Bogota (Colombia) - Ace of Spades

SU 24.01.2027 Quito (Ecuador) - Necronik

TU 26.01.2027 San Jose (Costa Rica) - Amon Solar

TH 28.01.2027 Monterrey (Mexico) - Cafe Iguana

FR 29.01.2027 Hermosillo (Mexico) - London Pub

SA 30.01.2027 Tijuana (Mexico) - Dragón Rojo

SU 31.01.2027 Mexico City (Mexico) - Circo Volador

HELLRIPPER 2027 DATES (+ more TBA):

SA 13.03.2027 Eindhoven (The Netherlands) - Dynamo / Welcome To Hell Festival

TH-SU 25-28.03.2027 Oslo (Norway) - Inferno Festival

FR-SA 28-29.05.2027 Buchenbach (Germany) - Boarstream Open Air Festival

TH-SA 03-05.06.2027 Stykkisholmur (Iceland) - Satan Festival

FR-SU 11-13.06.2027 Leeuwarden (The Netherlands) - Into the Grave Festival

* w/ Necrofier

+ w/ Havok

The brainchild of guitarist/vocalist/solitary force, James McBain, Hellripper has been running like a denim-vested, backpatch-encrusted William Wallace, bravehearting his way through metal's bloodiest battlefields since first coagulating his personal darkness in 2014. Taking armaments from “Kill 'Em All” era Hetfield and “Welcome to Hell” era Mantas, McBain has immersed his fascination with darkness and speed with Scottish history and come with bloody masterpieces like 2023's “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags” that Metal Injection stated: "Bursts with growth and a mature exploration of darkness and eeriness while maintaining that original high-octane burning”. McBain is presently sharpening his blades and casting new spells that will transmogrify into Hellripper's Century Media debut “Coronach”.

Hellripper Lineup:

James McBain – All Instruments & Vocals

Hellripper live and video performance line-up:

James McBain – Guitar & Vocals

Joseph Quinlan – Guitar

Andy Milburn – Bass

Max Southall – Drums

Album credits:

Recorded and mixed by Hellripper’s James McBain at Coronach Studios in Scotland, UK

Mastered by Damien Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in the USA.

Cover Artwork: Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration

Formats:

Jewelcase CD

Digital Album

LP (formats below):

- “Black Cuillin” LP on black vinyl (Unlimited, available in Europe)

- “Wild Thistle” LP on transp. magenta vinyl (Ltd. to 400x copies, available from UK retailers and Hellripper)

- “Saltire” LP on blue vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available from selected German & Austrian retailers and from Hellripper)

- “Highland Mist” LP on grey vinyl (Ltd. to 1000x copies, available from Hellripper)

- “Baobhan Sith” LP on transp. forest green vinyl (Unlimited, available in the USA)

- “Granite City” LP on electric smoke colored vinyl (Ltd. to 500x copies, available in the USA)

- “Bean Nighe” LP on ultra clear vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available in the USA from Hellripper)

Pre-order // pre-save: https://hellripperband.lnk.to/Coronach-AlbumID

Links:

HELLRIPPER Unleashes Electrifying Title Track from Upcoming Opus, "Coronach"

February 10, 2026

Scotland's ibex-obsessed blackened thrash bastard of Hades, otherwise known as HELLRIPPER, is now unleashing the electrifying title track from his upcoming fourth studio album, 'Coronach,' which will be released worldwide on March 27, 2026 via Century Media Records, making it his debut to the label! The anthemic single, “Coronach,” can now be heard along with a lyric video created by Irvan Dionisi / Theblackvisual.id below.

Hellripper’s mastermind, guitarist/vocalist and songwriter James McBain comments, “A coronach is a vocal lament traditionally performed at funerals in the Scottish highlands. Intertwined with my own words is the poem of the same name by Sir Walter Scott, which served as an inspiration for this story: the funeral of an ambivalent and mysterious figure, revered by his community for his heroic deeds but whose life hid many dark secrets. As well as lyrically, the track is also a musical experiment for me; it was primarily influenced by late 80’s thrash metal along with bands like Bathory, Gallowbraid and Atlantean Kodex. A dash of post-punk, a fair amount of Iron Maiden-style guitar harmonies, some classical references and the haunting wail of the bagpipes fading in the distance: this song feels like the perfect farewell to the album."

'Coronach' can be pre-ordered HERE.

In addition, Hellripper has recently announced a string of support shows for thrash metal legend Testament in Spain and France. In addition, Hellripper will next embark on European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator to promote 'Coronach' and has also revealed a number of festival appearances and two performances in Mexico. The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found HERE.

Enter the GOAT KVLT HERE.

Hellripper Lineup:

James McBain – All Instruments & Vocals

Hellripper live and video performance line-up:

James McBain – Guitar & Vocals

Joseph Quinlan – Guitar

Andy Milburn – Bass

Max Southall – Drums

Album credits:

Recorded and mixed by Hellripper’s James McBain at Coronach Studios in Scotland, UK

Mastered by Damien Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in the USA.

Cover Artwork: Adam Burke / Nightjar Illustration

Formats:

Jewelcase CD

Digital Album

LP (formats below):

- “Black Cuillin” LP on black vinyl (Unlimited, available in Europe)

- “Wild Thistle” LP on transp. magenta vinyl (Ltd. to 400x copies, available from UK retailers and Hellripper)

- “Saltire” LP on blue vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available from selected German & Austrian retailers and from Hellripper)

- “Highland Mist” LP on grey vinyl (Ltd. to 1000x copies, available from Hellripper)

- “Baobhan Sith” LP on transp. forest green vinyl (Unlimited, available in the USA)

- “Granite City” LP on electric smoke colored vinyl (Ltd. to 500x copies, available in the USA)

- “Bean Nighe” LP on ultra clear vinyl (Ltd. to 300x copies, available in the USA from Hellripper)

Pre-order // pre-save: https://hellripperband.lnk.to/Coronach-AlbumID

Links:

HELLRIPPER Announces New Album, Launches New Single + Music Video

January 17, 2026

Scotland's ibex-obsessed blackened thrash bastard of Hades, otherwise known as HELLRIPPER, is pleased to announce that his fourth studio album, 'Coronach,' will be released worldwide on March 27, 2026 via Century Media Records, making it his debut to the label! To celebrate this upcoming offering, HELLRIPPER is now debuting a raucous new black thrash anthem, “Hunderprest,” along with a spirited performance video that was filmed at UK’s Damnation Festival 2025 by Sethpicturesmusic and edited by Jake Ten. The clip can be found below.

HELLRIPPER mastermind, guitarist/vocalist and songwriter James McBain comments on the new single,

"'Hunderprest' hits immediately with a chaotic deluge of dissonance, and is what I felt to be the perfect way to open the album — leaving the listener with no time to prepare. Based on the legend of 'Hunderprest,' or 'dog priest' - 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. 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.

"Musically, the track primarily takes influence from a mixture of thrash (Kreator, Merciless, Metallica) and black (Watain, Rotting Christ, Tribulation) metal, with a healthy dose of some more 'atmospheric' d-beat elements from the likes of Oathbreaker and Fall of Efrafa.”

He adds about the album, "'Coronach’ is a personal exploration of Scottish Culture — 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! 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. 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). Fàilte gu Alba - Welcome to Scotland!”

'Coronach' can be pre-ordered HERE.

In addition, Hellripper will be embarking on a European headliner with support from Schizophrenia and Sarcator, which will introduce the band’s upcoming studio album release (More details about that soon…!). The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found HERE.

Enter the GOAT KVLT HERE.