Album Review: The Infernal Sea - Hellfenlic
Reviewed by Rick Eaglestone
The Infernal Sea return to once again weave a darkened path - focusing on the horrific murder and persecution of so-called Witches perpetrated by the Puritan Church for their fourth studio album, Hellfenlic - This album also sees them bring their visceral nature to the prestigious Candlelight Records
The albums opening offering Lord Abhorrent is at times murky with deepened basslines with elements of Satyricon but for the majority is a cacophony of fury which cascades into waves of old English, blasphemy, and belligerence for highlight track Shadow of the Beast which is absolutely brutal in its delivery.
Witchfinder changes the dynamic incorporating some nice occult rock elements with a ritualistic twist without losing its black metal core, this then moves into some desolate storytelling and delivery on The Hunter and competing this unholy trinity is the first single from the album Bastard of the East.
Commenting the band say:
"This single delves deep inside the notion of how incredibly delusional Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General was. He was a brutal, sadistic murderer, who strongly believed that he was carrying out God’s work. He extracted false confessions out of many fearful innocent women, during a time of great paranoia within the Church. He believed demons were rampant, causing mischief, fornicating, and spreading blasphemy. It was the Witchfinders’ mission to protect the church and the people from these ‘lies."
A nice surprise comes in the form of shortest track Black Witchery which has an undeniable blackened thrash aesthetic. Pounding basslines and solos – what’s not to love? this in particular really gives The Infernal Sea and extra dynamic and well, they follow this up with their slowest, bleakest offering Frozen Fen which elevates the storytelling and concept of the album with a nice blend of atmospherics and visceral tones.
Hellfellic - an Old English translation meaning 'a Fen of hell' concludes with the ambitious nearly nine-minute Messenger of God which begins with gentle acoustic soundscapes with some nice folk elements interwoven under a bleak backdrop which gives this first Candlelight release from The Infernal Sea a real finesse and as everything that has been presented here in the bands trademark plague doctor inspired masks and shrouds only adds amplifies the production and presentation and I am already looking forward to the next chapter of their darkened path.
