It isn’t often that I have the privilege of conducting a full band interview, so when the opportunity arose to interview the frontman, guitarist, bassist, drummer, songwriter, and producer for blackened speed juggernaut Hellripper, I jumped at the opportunity. Of course, those in the know with a healthy sense of humor (something the black metal scene is severely lacking) will be more than aware that all of those titles are one in the same when it comes to Hellripper, the project being the diabolic vision of James McBain. We were supposed to speak in 2023 upon the release of his last album, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags: A conversation that never happened due to reasons neither he nor I could remember. Yet as the old saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait.” In this brand new interview, McBain discusses the making of his latest opus, Coronach, Scottish folklore, playing live, and unexpected influences.
Greetings James and welcome to Defenders of the Faith! How are you doing today?
James McBain: Thank you very much, man! I’m doing very well. It’s good to finally speak to you. I appreciate the interest in the band and having me on here, listening to what I got to say *laughs*.
I’d like to start by congratulating you on yet another tremendous Hellripper album in Coronach. How soon after Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags did ideas start coming together for this latest effort?
JM: First of all, thank you. I think there’s some ideas that were there before the last album was even a thing. There’s a couple of riffs on track #3, “The Art of Resurrection”, that are maybe 15 years old: Something that I’ve had floating around that I’ve never had the right place for. Some songs were in progress during the writing of the last album, but just weren’t coming together at the time, or I wasn’t happy with where they were at the time. They required further development. I really started getting going later in 2023. I started the real process, actually getting things together and working on developing things in late 2023, so yeah, probably about 6 months after. After the last album, I needed to have a little break from writing, or serious writing, I guess. It’s been a constant working on this album for the last 2 and a bit years. I’m glad that this one’s finally finished. It was fun to work on, but very time consuming. It took a lot of work and a lot of effort, so it’s cool to finally just throw this one out there to people and see what they think finally *laughs*.
Was there anything you did differently when making this album as opposed to past Hellripper releases, or do you tend to follow the same approach?
JM: It’s usually the same general approach. Usually, the thing that I do differently is take in different influences. I work in my home studio. I work at my own pace. I guess something different was this time, we were touring a lot over the past 2 years, which wasn’t the case in the past. We didn’t tour as much. Writing and recording took place in between a lot of shows. Still the same process, just a different kind of timing. That’s about it. It’s the same process. I enjoy the process I’ve finally established over the years. It’s the most effective for me. It gets the best results out of me. I think the only thing different, like I said, is bringing in different elements. I wanted to experiment a bit with different song structures, different time signatures that I’d never used, different instruments that I’d never used before, or I don’t use regularly. It was cool to do something a bit different, but still keep the overall process the same.
Expanding upon the last question, at this point in Hellripper’s career, how does a song come to be? Do you usually start with a riff, hook, lyric, or perhaps a combination of all three?
JM: A combination of the three. It’s usually some sort of guitar part, a riff or a melody. It’s usually that and I build on it. I work slowly these days and I work on a lot of different things at once. Usually, I come up with one of the things you mentioned. I write it down or I record it. Then, I leave it to work on something else and I’m working on 10 things at the same time, gradually building different things up: Adding a riff to one thing and then leaving it, adding a vocal thing to one thing and then leaving it *laughs*. It’s a model process, but again, it’s just the way I work. Different ideas come at different times. It’s just the way things work for me. 9 times out of 10, it’s a guitar thing that comes to me first, because that’s obviously my natural instrument, my main instrument. It’s my favorite. It’s what I usually jam on at home. Occasionally, I’ll play the bass, but usually, the guitar is the primary focus.
At what point in your musical career did you start picking up those other instruments: Bass, drums, and vocals?
JM: It’s just over the years that I was forced into doing it, forced into doing everything myself. It’s my own fault. I wanted to start a solo project, so I had to learn how to do everything *laughs*. Learn how to scream properly over the years. At the start, I had no idea what I was doing. I still don’t, but I’ve developed a sort of technique. I had never recorded, mixed, or produced anything. I thought, “I’m gonna need to learn.” It was a slow, difficult process. I’m still very much learning and I’m nowhere near where I would like to be, but I’m getting better. That’s the fun thing with Hellripper and the process that I have: I’m always learning. Every song I write, I learn something and I can apply that to future music, future things I’d like to do differently, or anything that I’d learned in the process of making the last album. It’s fun to do that. I forced myself into doing everything.
For example, I’d never played lead guitar before until Hellripper started. I’d always been bands with friends that were lead guitar players and way better than me. I was happy to play rhythm guitar. I liked writing music more than playing lead guitar, so I always fell into that role. Then, I started Hellripper and I thought, “I have to learn how to do a guitar solo.” Over the years, if you listen chronologically, the solos get a bit more complex, a bit more difficult, a bit more technical. Not in every case, but in general, just as a result of me constantly learning over the years.
When listening to Coronach, what immediately strikes me is just how dramatically Hellripper evolved from its 2014 conception to now. Could you talk a little bit about this? What events have taken place that have led to where we are today?
JM: Again, the primary thing is that I’ve learned over the years. I’ve always been a fan of different music. I love any kind of metal, loads of rock, punk, electronic music, pop music. I love something from any style, and I’m always trying to absorb different things to influence me. At the start, I was learning what to do. I didn’t want to overcomplicate things. I didn’t have the ability or confidence or anything, or songwriting ability or technical ability or production ability to apply all these influences. The goal originally with Hellripper was straightforward metalpunk, black speed metal, quite simple. At the same time, when I formed Hellripper, I had a couple of different projects where I focused on death metal, post-punk, and I had a band that played crust punk.
Over the years, just as I became better as a songwriter, I learned what worked and what didn’t work. I became more confident in my songwriting ability. I listened to more music and absorbed more influences. Gradually, I was able to throw in different things into the sound. It keeps me inspired. Rather than limiting myself to one specific style or one specific sound, the goal with Hellripper now is I take every influence I have and use it to compliment the core sound of Hellripper, the black speed style. Hopefully, it creates something a bit different, a bit more personal to me, improves the songs. It’s from learning and absorbing different stuff over the years.
What would be an example of an artist who’s influenced Hellripper that fans wouldn’t expect?
JM: Loads of stuff! For example, I’ve been really into a lot of indie music recently. I always have been, but I’ve been relistening to a lot of Arctic Monkeys. Let’s say alternative rock, British rock and American indie. Anything from Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Oasis, Alice in Chains, that kind of thing. It can influence me in any way. It can be a production idea, a song structure that I really like. You might not hear it in the music because it’s masked by blast beats or 200 BPM shredding, but some of the ideas come from unconventional things, things that you wouldn’t think of being an influence on my music. I think that’s important, absorbing everything and using it in your own way. For example, the latest single, “Hunderprest”, it’s a really black metal, d-beat, chaotic song in some places, and it climaxes with a guitar solo. That came from listening to a song called “Violins and Tambourines” by Stereophonics. It sounds nothing like my track, but it builds up into a loud climax with some lead guitar parts. I don’t think anyone would be able to pick that up unless I said *laughs*.
Whereas past Hellripper releases seemed exclusively rooted in first wave black metal worship, both Warlocks and Coronach seem to boast an increased second wave black metal influence. I certainly hear shades of Emperor and Satyricon throughout. Was it a conscientious decision to start incorporating these second wave influences, or rather something that came naturally with the aforementioned evolution of the band?
JM: Yeah, it was natural. There’s never really a conscientious decision to do anything. Usually, something will come out and then, I’ll decide if I can use it or incorporate it in some way. I have a million different folders full of riffs and recordings on my phone. I’ve got so many voice recordings while I’m walking to the store or the post office, acapella singing a riff into my phone *laughs*. It’s just from what I listen to at the time. If I’m listening to a lot of black metal, that will naturally come through. If I’m listening to more speed metal or punk, that will come through. That shows in the releases as well.
If you listen to the first album, Coagulating Darkness, I was listening to a lot of speed metal and traditional heavy metal, anything from Iron Maiden and Enforcer, to Ranger and Agent Steel. You can hear that. There’s guitar harmonie and stuff like that. The next album, it’s a bit more fun, The Affair of the Poisons. At the time, I thought it was more thrash influenced, but listening back, it definitely has more of a black ‘n’ roll sound. I guess I was just listening to Midnight, Bewitcher, Venom, all that kind of stuff. Now, I’m just listening to a lot of different stuff and you can hear those different elements: Some melo death, some black ‘n’ roll, some second wave black metal, some post-punk, whatever you can pick up. It’s interesting for me, listening back, to see where my mind was at at the time. It reflects in the music.
Similar to Warlocks before this, Coronach features some epics, specifically the opening “Hunderprest” and the closing title track. What is it that attracts you to these more ambitious songs?
JM: I don’t know *laughs*! It’s just what comes out. Some tracks call for that and some don’t. Again, it’s probably confidence in my songwriting ability. I always found it difficult to write slower songs and I was never happy with my efforts when I would write something slower, so there wasn’t anything until the title track of the last album that I felt was good enough for me to release. I listen to bands that do it. The longer, slower, epic songs are very much in the vein of Bathory, viking Bathory. I would say the title track of the new album, again, is very Bathory, but also is in the late ’80s thrash, where it would be a half slow, half fast song. Metallica and Megadeth did it a lot with “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” and “In My Darkest Hour”, respectively. Other bands, Iron Maiden, all of their songs are super long.
I don’t really think of the length, do be honest. I think the songs got more complex, different structures. When you start adding parts to a song, naturally, it just becomes longer. I do try and cut things if I don’t think they’re necessary. It’s just that I usually find things necessary and they end up longer *laughs*. There’s also some songs like “Black Satanic Fvkkstorm” and “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)” that are fairly simpler, especially “Black Satanic Fvkkstorm”. It’s almost like a classic…well, I don’t want to say classic, but the Hellripper sound of a few years ago where it’s more straightforward, 3 minute rock n’ roll. I don’t really put an emphasis on any sort of song. It’s just what comes naturally and it just so happens that the last couple of albums, I’ve been influenced to go in that direction.
Like you just said, there’s no shortage of blackened speedsters here as well, which really make this album a diverse listening. What components does a song of this nature need to be effective and make it on an Hellripper album?
JM: If it’s a black speed song, if you’re looking at a song like “Black Satanic Fvkkstorm” or “All Hail the Goat”, the main thing I’m looking for is a catchy chorus. I almost think of it as a pop song. It’s a catchy chorus and a good riff, or good main melody. For that kind of thing, the song structures are a bit simpler. Usually, there’s a couple of choruses, a couple of verses, a bridge, and a guitar solo. It’s an effective and catchy song structure, and a catchy melody and chorus. For other types of songs, it really depends. I don’t think there’s a set formula. Something that works in one song might not work in the other. It depends on the riff before the last riff. One song might have a verse, then a chorus, but the next song you write, it might not make sense to put the chorus there and then you add another bridge before the chorus. It really depends. Usually, what I focus on is having a good riff and a catchy chorus, which is subjective and doesn’t apply all the time. There’s loads of different things, but I would say that’s the main igredient.
Something that’s very important to the music of Hellripper is your incorporation of Scottish folklore and history within the lyrics. In what ways did this lore shape the direction of Coronach?
JM: For me, it’s strange because the lyrics usually come last. They tend not to shape the music directly. However, there are sometimes where the vibe of a song or lyrics or subject matter will dictate additional details. For example, a track like “Coronach”, which is relating to a traditional Scottish funeral, it allows you to put in the bagpipes there and have them there for a reason. I think the bagpipes sound cool, but it makes no sense to put them in a song where it makes no sense that they’re there *laughs*. Same with “Hunderprest”, for example. Again, I’ll bring that up. The whole vibe of the song and the lyrical theme suggested to me a silent film. There’s a piano part in the middle of the track that I wanted to sound like a silent film, an out of tune piano playing a little melody. It’s little things like that, I would say. Like I said, I focus on the music first and then the lyrics come in, but there could be some subconscious thing there, making me go in a certain direction that allows me to put these things in because I’m subconsciously thinking of potential lyrical themes related to Scotland in some way. That’s going a lot deeper than I’ve gone *laughs*!
While you handle all musical aspects in the studio, you do have a live band who brings Hellripper’s music to the stage. Who is currently playing with you? Furthermore, what qualities do you seek in a musician whose job is to perform your music?
JM: Currently, we have Max Southall on drums. He’s been in the live band since the end of 2018 or the start of 2019. We’ve got Joseph Quinlan, who’s been in the band since 2018. Unfortunately, he’s doing one more tour with us and then he’s parting ways because other priorities. He’s been in the band 8 years now, so other priorities have taken over. On bass, we have Andy Milburn, who’s been in the band just over a year now. I treat the band like an actual band. I want everyone to get along, so the main qualities are I hope they can play the songs, that’s the standard, but mainly, I want people that get along with me and each other because we’re touring a lot, and increasingly so. We need a good vibe, a good atmosphere. You need to get along. You’re stuck with each other in vans and airports and the back of venues and planes for half of a year, so you want a good vibe and you want everyone to be on the same page, everyone to enjoy it. It’s difficult when you’re away for so long, so you want to make the experience as positive as possible.
A few years ago, Athenar of Midnight cut an album with the members of Midnight’s live band under the moniker Whitespade. Would you be open to the prospect of making an album with the live members of Hellripper under a different moniker?
JM: Possibly! Again, it’s not something I’ve given much thought to because we’ve been so busy, but it would be fun. I love playing with the guys. One of the problems we have is we live in four different cities, two different countries, so it’s very difficult to meet and get together. We are on tour so often that we see each other all the time, so it works, but it would be difficult to get together to write, rehearse, practice, and record. I’d love to do anything else. I always want to do some different music. I’m always thinking of side projects and other bands to do, but over the past couple of years, Hellripper’s taken up so much time and we’ve been so busy.
Things have been growing. It doesn’t make sense to stop and do that. I’m enjoying it as well, which is the main part. I want to keep riding this as long as I can while people are still interested and while it’s still fun, but yeah, never say never! I will do something else as a side project at some point. It could come at any moment. I might just have a bit of spare time, inspiration strikes, and someone might contact me and have me involved with something. You never know what’s gonna happen, which I enjoy. It’s fun when unexpected things happen and things are spontaneous. Anything can happen *laughs*!
Speaking of gigs, last year saw Hellripper make their U.S. debut at Hell’s Heroes in Houston. What was that experience like, and can the American Goat Kvlt expect further live dates in the future?
JM: Man, Hell’s Heroes was one of my favorite weekends. It was one of my favorite festivals. The organization was amazing. The people involved were great, from everyone involved: The organizers, the people doing the merch, the venue. It was cool, and it hardly even felt like a festival. It felt like a big community hangout party thing. It was weird. It was so fun and we were able to enjoy the weekend. We hung out with loads of people and had a great time. I absolutely want to go back, whether it’s playing or as an audience member, I’d love to go back.
Yes, we will be in the U.S., I’m hoping. We have something planned for later this year, so if all goes to plan, no admin or logistical issues, we should be in the U.S. in the fall. I think that will be announced in a few months. I’m hoping everything goes to plan. It’s time we get over there. We have wanted to come over there for a proper tour. Like I said, it was great finally making it over there for one show at Hell’s Heroes, but I want to visit America properly. America’s huge, so there’s so many places to go, but hopefully, with this new album, the more demand and everything goes well, hopefully it makes it easier and we can come back more regularly and things go to plan and it just becomes a regular thing. We can finally hail the goat with the American Goat Kvlt *laughs*!
The new Hellripper album, Coronach, is available now on Century Media Records. For more information on Hellripper, click here.