Scotland's blackened thrash metal band Hellripper has revealed details of its upcoming fourth studio album, Coronach, set for release on March 27, 2026, via Century Media Records. The album explores Scottish culture through music and folklore, accompanied by a new single and video. Pre-orders are now available alongside announcements of a European tour.
Hellripper, the solo project of guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter James McBain, is set to release its fourth full-length album, Coronach, on March 27, 2026, through Century Media Records. Recorded and mixed by McBain at Coronach Studios in Scotland, UK, the album was mastered by Damien Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios in the USA. The cover artwork features illustrations by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration.
The tracklist spans 44:09 minutes across eight songs: 1. Hunderprest (05:49), 2. Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite) (04:33), 3. The Art of Resurrection (05:44), 4. Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned) (06:24), 5. Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm (03:53), 6. Sculptor’s Cave (04:35), 7. Mortercheyn (04:18), and 8. Coronach (08:48).
Coronach will be offered in multiple formats, including Jewelcase CD and digital album, as well as limited-edition 180g vinyl variants such as Black Cuillin (black, unlimited in Europe), Wild Thistle (transparent magenta, limited to 400 in the UK), and others like Saltire (blue, limited to 300 in Germany and Austria) and Baobhan Sith (transparent forest green, unlimited in the USA).
To mark the announcement, Hellripper released the opening track "Hunderprest" as a single with a video filmed at Damnation Festival 2025. McBain described the song: “'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.” He noted influences from thrash metal bands like Kreator, Merciless, and Metallica, black metal acts such as Watain, Rotting Christ, and Tribulation, plus atmospheric d-beat from Oathbreaker and Fall of Efrafa.
On the album as a whole, McBain explained: “‘Coronach’ is a personal exploration of Scottish Culture — its music, literature, history & folklore... 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.”
An earlier single, “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite),” is already streaming with a video directed by David Gregory. Hellripper will promote the album with a European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator starting in March 2026, plus festival appearances.
Since forming in 2014, McBain has drawn from Scottish history and metal pioneers like Metallica's Kill 'Em All era and Venom's Welcome to Hell. Previous releases include Coagulating Darkness (2017), The Affair of the Poisons (2020), and Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (2023). The live lineup features McBain on guitar and vocals, with Joseph Quinlan on guitar, Andy Milburn on bass, and Max Southall on drums.
