The Infernal Sea – Hellfenlic (Review)

The Infernal Sea are a black metal band from the UK and this is their fourth album.

Following on from 2015’s The Great Mortality and 2020’s Negotium Crucis, Hellfenlic contains 43 minutes of new material for us to eagerly get our grubby hands on. To me, The Infernal Sea are a standout band in the UK scene, and Hellfenlic simply reinforces their exalted status.

From start to finish, Hellfenlic exudes pure quality. Here The Infernal Sea take their already considerable strengths and reinforce them, making for an album that is really damn good.

If you haven’t encountered The Infernal Sea before, then what you’ll find on Hellfenlic is second wave black metal with personality and venomous bite. You can hear the legacy of bands like Mayhem, Gorgoroth, Darkthrone, and Celtic Frost in The Infernal Sea’s style, but they absolutely make these influences their own. Hellfenlic is the sound of a band taking an ancient template and bending it to their will in no uncertain terms. The end result is a highly engaging album of compelling hooks, riffs, atmospheres, and vocals that all come together to deliver something greater than the sum of its parts. It’s also surprisingly catchy too.

These new songs are very well-crafted and are hideously enjoyable if you’re a fan of the style. The classic black metal approach is used well – with both first and second wave elements – and is delivered with contemporary skill. However, there are also other influences here that you can hear in select places; the classic rock that infects Witchfinder, the blackened thrash charge of Black Witchery, or the mournful folk violin on expressive closer Messenger of God.

One of the key strengths of Hellfenlic is that is contains an emotive edge that’s unusual for black metal outside of the very best acts. The Infernal Sea are adept at many things – blackened groove, malevolent atmosphere, gripping riffs, etc. – but it’s this emotive side that propels them to yet another higher level than the one that they’re already more than capable of inhabiting. The band clearly feel every aspect of their dark art, and this shines through powerfully. At this point I should also mention the vocals, as these are diverse, well-performed, and commanding throughout.

What more can I say? This is black metal in top shape. It’s an essential listen, and I urge you to not miss out on this extremely enjoyable and satisfying record.