Thrash is often hailed as one of the most important and iconic subgenres under the heavy metal umbrella, but in truth, the style’s popularity has peaked and waned in the last forty years— the legendary acts that brought blazing fast riffs and wild solos into the public eye ultimately struggled to remain relevant throughout the 90s, and it wasn’t until the ‘pizza thrash’ renaissance of the late 2000s that the subgenre would find its footing once more. Now another twenty years removed from ‘revival’ records like Municipal Waste’s ‘The Art of Partying,’ it’s Scottish powerhouse Hellripper who’re carrying the torch of old-school thrash mania. New album ‘Coronach’ certainly satisfies that itch.

It’s clear that James McBain is a student of the greats, as his fourth record is all but singing the praises of 80s metal: even despite its blackened edge, the project exudes the energy and exhilaration of those early thrash albums we all know so well, right down to its balls-to-the-wall guitar work. Speed is clearly the name of the game here— if you’ve ever seen Hellripper live, you’ll know how eagerly McBain celebrates the pace and intensity of his work— and right from opener ‘Hunderprest,’ ‘Coronach’ is a gripping listen. None of these songs are content to become stagnant or plain, but instead revel in all the blistering transitions and full-throated power that makes thrash metal so beloved. ‘Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm’ reads like a hearty love letter to Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All’ in particular, leaning into the campiness of its shred-tastic solos, rock’n’roll riffs and hilarious disco drum beat. There’s no criticising the energy McBain and company bring to the table— ‘Sculptor’s Cave’ drags the exotic scales of Iron Maiden’s ‘Powerslave’ into modern times, kicking and screaming all the while.

More interesting than the ‘revivalist’ (or the dreaded ‘nostalgic’) style of ‘Coronach’ is the approach Hellripper take to rejuvenate and modernise thrash metal at large. The terrific scale evoked by the album’s cover nods toward the grandiose presentation that engulfs these eight tracks, which are as menacing and as progressive as they are fast. ‘Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)’ may be a more stripped-back and straightforward cut than the preceding ‘Hunderprest,’ but its quiet acoustic guitar interlude is our first taste of the multi-faceted record to come: once the solemn piano intro and soaring melodic death metal of ‘The Art of Resurrection’ ditches those thrash throwbacks altogether, the extent of McBain’s sonic evolution reveals itself. The Hellripper discography has always been rife with change, and ‘Coronach’ falls right in line with the increasingly explorative songwriting we’ve seen on albums past— even if the band are far from abandoning their roots just yet, the furious chanting and sweeping lead lines of the title track (a true standout among strong competition) will weigh you down regardless.

If McBain’s ambitions were indeed to make ‘Coronach’ his bolded and most all-encompassing work to date, he’s largely succeeded, though not without the odd caveat. The light elements of black metal that Hellripper continue to dip into from time to time (most notably in the vocal department, which tend to fit these vibrant tales of Scottish folklore nicely) are welcome, but they hardly needed to seep into the record’s production— when every performer is flying their way through a project this grandiose and dramatic, it’s always disappointing to see their efforts drowned in a muddy, unfocused mix such as this. Ultimately, the album as a whole doesn’t quite manage to elevate itself above the sum of its influences, capturing that supreme sense of scale only in occasional bursts. How much mileage you get out of ‘Coronach’ will depend on your willingness to enjoy the relentless aggression of ‘Mortercheyn’ and the tried-and-true riffs that make up ‘Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned),’ and how easily you can put aside your hopes for something larger.

If your vinyl copy of Exodus’ ‘Bonded by Blood’ or of Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?’ has finally worn out its usefulness, Hellripper’s newest release must surely be exactly what you’re looking for. McBain is a master of his craft at this point, and his dedication to explosive guitar work and energetic songwriting is as exhilarating as it ever was: hell, this may be his strongest record to date! Looking at ‘Coronach’ as yet another piece in his discography, it does feel like the album will become the penultimate stepping stone that goes on to lead us to Hellripper’s true magnum opus. For now, we’ll simply have to settle for one of the best thrash metal records of the year so far.