From their Facebook page, "Formed in early 2010, THE INFERNAL SEA's style is rooted in the traditional Black Metal sounds. Not afraid to experiment and push the boundaries, the band brings an eclectic mix of influences to their sound. Their sound and intense live performances have carved them into something unique and terrifying. "Negotium Crucis" is the band's third full-length, and contains nine tracks.

"Destruction of Shum" leads off the album. It goes right for the throat, with a scream, a wall of guitars, and blast-beat drumming. It settles into a groove, with the riffs experimenting a little. But this is fairly traditional Black Metal. "Befallen Order" opens with more of that chaotic style. Once it settles, the riff branches out somewhat. Overall however, I don't really hear much in the way of "pushing boundaries," except for the guitar solo, which is unusual for the genre. "God Wills it" clocks in at just under six minutes, and opens with a lumbering pace and a deep, dark riff. The intensity doesn't let up, however, but it's fairly standard when it comes to the genre.

"Fields of the Burned" is close to eight minutes in length. It opens with a solemn guitar riff, and a bit of ambiance. But those drums roll in like thunder, and that wall of sound is once again present. The main riff does venture out just a bit, and there are some harrowing screams. "Devoid of Fear" tears into your flesh from the opening note. Again, it is intense but I would not call it eclectic or experimental. There are some heavy thuds here that provide a bit of change, but overall, it's pretty standard stuff. "Negotium Crucis" opens with some kick drumming and a mid-tempo pace. The vocals are absolutely raging.

"Unholy Crusade" opens with a frightening guitar riff that sort of hangs out there in front of you, beckoning you to follow it. From there, it rolls into the standard Black Metal blueprint. "Rex Mundi" is more of the same. It's a longer song, but the sound is very similar to previous tracks. The drums are working double time here...hell, quad time. It slows a bit around the half-way mark, but doesn't change much in sound, save for the more despondent tones. "Into the Unknown" closes the album, at over seven minutes in length. It opens with a slower pace, allowing the evil to seep in. Though the drums pick up in pace, the guitars stay steady. I cannot hear the bass for the life of me...it is drowned in vocals, guitar and drums.

Overall, based on the description above, I was expecting a bit more out of the album. Unfortunately, it's your average run-of-the-mill Black Metal, that really isn't eclectic or experimental at all, and I listen to a lot of Black Metal. It just blends in with the thousands of other bands out there in the genre. There is much room for latitude here, but the band just doesn't take it.