Hellripper - Coronach (2026)
This is tight and well-executed black-thrash. The riffs have intent, and the songs actually move — which already puts it above a lot of genre entries that just rely on speed. But the ceiling is clear. The builds don’t fully convert into something overwhelming. They land, but they don’t hit hard enough to stay with me. I register the structure, I don’t feel the payoff. There’s also a sense of control that works against it. The darkness feels stylized, almost too clean in its execution. I’m never fully pulled into it. It’s solid, focused, and clearly competent. It just doesn’t break past its own limits. Pros Sharp, driving riffs The guitar work has real pull. It’s not just speed — there’s shape and memorability in the riffing. Solid structural intent Songs actually move and build. There’s an effort toward arc rather than pure aggression stacking. Cohesive black-thrash identity It fully commits to its aesthetic — dark, fast, and rooted in genre tradition without feeling fake. Cons...