Live Review: The Infernal Sea, Burial, & Crimson Throne – 229, London

Friday night couldn’t get more grim and plague ridden as the aptly named ‘Apocalyptic Tour’ lands in London. With it, three of the best bands out there currently in the well represented UK Black Metal scene. It seems very normal now to be saying that it’s been a while when it comes to live music…but it really has been a while since we saw the mighty Infernal Sea grace a London stage with all things considered and what better way to dive back in than at London’s 229, one of a few grass roots venues around who have been plugging away harder than ever to get live music back to where it belongs.

As usual, our headliners are not alone and there’s certainly no shortage of sheer savagery on display as Crimson Throne are the ones to open the show. If you’ve seen The Infernal Sea on other dates in the past, you’ll likely know Crimson Throne well (and Burial for that matter). It’s a set filled with atmosphere and the sounds of hell while the band are also shrouded in red lights – a fitting visual for the noise that fills the room. It’s a bold opening statement from a band who should absolutely be a highlight in the scene right now. The band are of little words and leave everything else to do the talking for them. In truth, there’s nothing they could possibly say that could make the performance any better.

Photo: Jay Russell

Burial (not to be mistaken for William Bevan’s Burial) are also very familiar to sharing the stage with The Infernal Sea and quite rightly so. While Crimson Throne were a band of not many words, Burial seem to the opposite and are here for a good time with beers in hand. Make no mistake though, the sound, the ferocity and the delivery of their set is anything but ‘fun’ sounding and bound to ruin your day in the best of ways possible. The trio waste no time in getting stuck in. There’s less ‘atmosphere’ on display here compared to what came before but instead, the band relies on the plentiful energy and the wildness their own sound brings to the stage which becomes a perfect segway for our headliners.

With the supports doing a masterful job at warming up the cosy 229 crowd, The Infernal Sea make their way to the stage walking through those in attendance. The band have now come to really settle into their stage show. There are lanterns, robes and plague masks – its an expected part of the experience at this point.

Photo: Jay Russell

Once again, we have ourselves a performance where the music is doing the talking. There are no interactions between band and fan. Those in attendance have been summoned and they shall pay attention to the plague-ridden noisy sermon being presented to them. It’s safe to say the band have a captive audience.

It’s extremely difficult to not pay attention to The Infernal Sea when they deliver such an exceptional performance. With such a variety of material fused into the set, we find ourselves experiencing the exciting and damn right delicious ebbs and flows of an Infernal Sea show. We are presented with the viciousness and atmosphere of ‘Rex Mundi’, the cataclysmic chaos of ‘Entombed In Darkness’ and the rhythmic groove of ‘Negotium Crucis’. It feels like its more than just watching a band do their thing with a cult like feel you can’t help but be engrossed by. There’s no two ways about it, The Infernal Sea have plenty to offer from theatrics to music and as a punter, you’d be foolish not to pay attention.