Live Review: Hellripper Live in Athens ~ October 19th 2024

Dagon M. February 19, 2025

Review by Dagon M.

Hellripper is one of the modern era’s most prominent Black/Speed Metal bands. The Scottish band, with James McBain as the mastermind, has managed to accumulate quite a big following, and deservingly so. With three full-length albums in their arsenal, they have a very strong showing, with each release being better than the last, on their journey to establishing their musical identity. Their 2023 album “ Warlocks Grims & Withered Hags” is their grand opus so far, making their first appearance on Greek soil long awaited.

Photos by Ioanna Kitrou

Opening up the concert in support of Hellripper was a local band named Incineration AD. The band formed in 2021, presented a very strong mix of Black & Death Metal that got the crowd going from the beginning. With their trademark being their looming drummer, which made the ground underneath us shake, they delivered an explosive performance. They presented trucks from their already released material as well as a new beast of a track that leaves us with great expectations moving forward. In 40’ minutes of Total Armageddon, they showed the great character, of a band that has found their identity, and the scene is theirs for the taking. Highlight of their performance was also their cover of “Black Magic”, at a very fast tempo that forged the crowd into a giant mosh pit. Incineration AD is a band that I will seek to see again in the near future.

Photos by Ioanna Kitrou

With everyone riled up, Hellripper made their appearance with a carnage of more than an hour that was about to follow. James gives the signal for the pits open at the beginning of “All Hail the Goat” and with “Spectres Of The Blood Moon Sabbath” &“Hell’s Rock’n’roll” following, there was no stopping the chaos. The drummer was like a machine gun pummeling and everyone else followed in a perfect performance. The setlist was on point with anthems like “Goat Vomit Nightmare”, “Bastard of Hades” and “Hexxenacht”, as well as surprised like “Vampires Grave” & “Fork-Tongued Messiah”. The band left no room to catch your breath with the crowd going absolute ballistic. The frenzy that was unleashed even made the band return back for 2 more encore songs, with Mcbain even stage diving onto the crowd at one point.

The high number of people in attendance was very encouraging to see, as after this night a return of Hellripper back to Greece is guaranteed. James showed his gratitude to the fans, as after the show finished, he patiently signed everyone’s tickets, as well as taking photos and chatting with everyone coming up to him. Hellripper are not just here to stay but to make their mark. They are at the elite of the genre, and they will only keep getting bigger year by year. Hopefully, I will be seeing them very soon and as put in sheer perfection by James himself;

ALL HAIL THE GOAT!