Interview - Hellripper

Introduction

Band: Hellripper
Latest album: Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, 2023
Gener: Black/Speed Metal
Country: Scotland
Label: Peaceville Records

Hellripper is a blackened trash metal band from Scottland. Founded in 2014 in Aberdeen by James McBain who is also the only full time member of the band. I had the great oppertunity to interview James after their phenomenal show at Karmøygeddon on the 3rd of May and the following is what i got out of him.

Interview

Kilian: So is it your first time in Norway?

James: No, we've been to Norway a couple of times now. We were here last in January for Orgium, Satanicum, Oslo, right? Also, yes, yeah, we've been to Norway. What's it? Maybe think this may beour fourth time, if I'm correct, it's always fun, man, it's always a fun time. The people are cool. This festival here is very cool. I mean, I'm enjoying this kind of taking in the town, village, wherever we are, just watching some bands chilling now, you know we're done. Yeah, for the rest of the night, we can chill and yeah, just have fun.

Kilian: It was really a great gig today. I mean, we were standing a bit more to the back. We did not manage to come up. It was crazy. It was really crazy. I was really surprised to see people crowd surfing. Yeah, we were just discussing it. You handled it's so great.

James: Yeah, no, it's cool, man. Yeah, we didn't know what to expect. You know, you never do but yeah, we just hope people like the show. Hope people enjoy it. It's always good for our kind of music, you know, if people are moving, but obviously we understand it's not that's not the kind of common thing everywhere, and lots of people don't like to do it. So, you know, yeah, you just never know what to expect, but yeah, that was crazy. Crowd surfing circle pits. There's people going there just having a good time. And yeah, just it was cool. We enjoyed ourselves, and it seemed like the the audience did as well. And that's all I can really hope for.

Kilian: It was really awesome. Do you have some plans , are you working on some new stuff, working
on a new album?

James: The rest of the year, we're going to be doing live shows, go to festivals and stuff like that through out the year, and then in between that and working on the new album, which will be releasedearly next year, if, if all goes to plan andyeah, then the cycle continues. We'll be doing more live shows and
rock and roll.

Kilian: Yeah, I remember, is it still like that you're doing everything basically on your own, yeah?

James: So the albums are all recorded at my house by me. Just myself with a few others. I get other people to kind of do guest vocals. I get someone else to do the Master. Yeah, I like to do as much as I can by myself. Just, it's just the way I like to work. And yeah, I enjoy doing it. It's my hobby. It's my passion. So,
yeah, I hope to carry on doing it that way.

Kilian: You worked together with Avertia, right?

James: Oh, yeah, yes for Midnight Returns, yes, I did a song. Yeah, I did that a while ago. Yeah, man, I've spoke with him for a while now, and we've always, I always meant to do something we just never had the time. And luckily, yeah, this time it worked out. And yeah, it was cool. Yeah, it was cool.

Kilian: Well, it was nice listening to it. He's our best friend, he actually came to Austria for us for our wedding. He sent me the tracks up front and I was like, well, that sounds kind of familiar, yeah? He was like, oh yeah, we're working together with another band. I'm not allowed to say it up front now. And I was like, is it Hellripper?

James: Yeah, it's always fun to do some vocals on a track. You know, it's a different process, when I'm doing vocals for my own stuff, obviously, I mix everything, and I do, like, a million takes, and I change everything, and the instruments change, the mix changes, and I redo things. Where as, doing something with someone else, it's what they want to hear is, you know. So you never know what they want to do until I just get to do it. I do my best and I say, Is this okay? They say, yes or no, yeah.

Kilian: Awesome. Well, thanks. Thank you so much man.

Hellripper Gallery

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Support Hellripper here: https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/music

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