BERATOR "Elysian Inferno" Mini CD (Dark Descent Records 2022) Four years after their devastating debut demo, Chicago death merchants Berator vomit forth 20 minutes of fierce, old school black/death on coke via Dark Descent Records. In an age where an over-polished sound is the norm, Elysian Inferno delivers a welcome reminder of just how ferocious and vehement extreme metal can be. Guitarist Richard Olsen, who left behind his Profanatica duties to focus on BERATOR full-time, stresses the importance of production: “The BERATOR EP was tracked live, just me and Dan (drums) in his studio, and we built around those live tracks for the record, which in itself, gives it a level of raw power you can’t get from a click. Tim Pearson (bass, ex-The Chasm) and Pat Clancy (guitar, ex- Nachtmystium) then added their parts. The sound is entrancing, excruciating, and insane, for people who appreciate forward, to the point, nonstop riffs. It’s a seamless record meant to be heard as 20 some-odd straight minutes of rhythm and violence.”
