Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Infernal Sea, The - The Great Mortality (2015)

I watched a documentary the other day about the UK black metal scene.  Amongst the commentary from various bands it was noted that there is no distinct British black metal sound that would make it standout from the Scandinavian or Polish sound.  I found this to be a pretty obvious statement once I had heard it but it absolutely rung true in that same instance.  I had already been playing The Great Mortality by East England's The Infernal Sea for a couple of weeks prior to catching the above documentary and it had already struck me how much Gorgoroth, Watain and Mayhem was observable in their sound.  This is by no means a bad thing of course.  The Infernal Sea are not plagarising any of those acts, they are just wearing their influences on their sleeves.

In the more blasting moments (on the shorter tracks especially) these vibes really show and the solid drum presence, coupled with those urgent tremolo riffs and scathing vocals make it obvious that this third wave band clearly have their roots in the second wave sound that we all know so well.  It is on the longer tracks that The Infernal Sea really get to shine though.  Key are the more atmospheric and paired-back sections that show a real depth to the songwriting prowess wihtin the band.  Spend some time with tracks such as The Bearer and you will find the less intense passage a welcome variant from the otherwise rampant energy of many of the other tracks.  Album closer Brethren of the Cross tends to lack the same space by comparison and is more of a glorious exploration of those influences done at pace.  It is perhaps one of the better tracks on the and it has a strong Satyricon sound to it.

Back to the documentary I mentioned, when bands from the UK can put together black metal as strong as this, who cares if it carries any identity of its own?   Looking at photos of these guys they clearly have their own look going on and have a passionate grip on the bands that they have been listening to for years.  The Great Mortality is an album that simply celebrates black metal, sipping at many different chalices along the way and making no apologies for the strains that dribble down the chin and onto the clothing.