Back in the 80s, it was said “Home taping is killing music. So are Venom.” A modern adaption of this ancient phrase would be, “Streaming is killing music. So are Hellripper.” The one man British black metal juggernaut has returned with his second full length album, The Affair of the Poisons, and what an affair it is. Clocking in at only 29 minutes, it’s a musical short, sharp shock that at any given point blends black metal (both first and second waves), thrash metal, speed metal, crust punk, and even traditional metal. Did I miss anything?
The title track opens this album like a raging infernal bull (or perhaps an oversized goat), tearing through the town square and ready to gore anyone in its way. It’s relentless, brutal, blackened thrash insanity, combining the primitivity of the first wave with the wickedness of the second wave. From there, the album takes a turn for the filthy. The lead riff to “Spectres of the Blood Moon Sabbath” has a raw, punky NWOBHM edge to it. It’s Venom meets Discharge meets Di’Anno era Maiden and if that makes zero sense to you, I get it. Cue up that track now!
“Vampire’s Grave” is arguably the punkiest track, sounding like it’d be found on Lemmy’s drinking playlist, although “Blood Orgy of the She-Devils” gives it a run for its money. Can we take a second to appreciate that song title? “Blood Orgy of the She-Devils”: The greatest 1970s B horror movie never made. “The Hanging Tree” closes Affair out the way it began. Here we have, yet again, another unholy matrimony of black metal’s first and second waves. With its shift in tempos, keys, and the inclusion of a mellow guitar outro, I might even go as far to label “The Hanging Tree” as prog.
All of these songs rule, but it’s the performance of evil mastermind James McBain which can’t be ignored. His vocals are the fiercest and most convincing in the genre today. So if you’re expecting an uninspired Cronos knockoff, fear not. The riffs are possessed by the spirit of early Sodom, yet fresh and original in nature. And the solos make sense. There’s no needless shredding. Instead, we’ve got structured, melodic solos played at lightning speed, fully framing the songs.
The Affair of the Poisons is, by far, the most exciting blackened speed/thrash album since Bewitcher’s self titled debut. Whether the trendsetters, tastemakers, and paid jackasses “get” Hellripper or not is unimportant. I’ll tell you what is important: I can’t crank my volume knob any further to the right! AAARRRRGGGHHH!!!
9 out of 10
Label: Peaceville Records
Genre: Black/Speed Metal
For fans of: Sodom, Venom, Toxic Holocaust