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
Climaxes lack full payoff
Builds are there, but they rarely hit with enough weight to feel decisive.
Emotional intensity stays external
It feels performed rather than lived. The darkness is convincing, but not overwhelming.
Limited expansion beyond the formula
It refines black-thrash well, but doesn’t significantly evolve it.
Genre: Blackened Speed Metal
Country: UK
Final Verdict: 65% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 101th / 272
Highlight: Coronach
Made me think of:
Toxic Holocaust
Bathory
Venom
#newalbum #newalbum2026 #albumrelease #newmusic #albumoftheday #nowspinning #NowPlaying #musicdiscovery
#BlackenedSpeedMetal #Hellripper #UK
#LP #Album #release
