EP REVIEW: Elysian Inferno – Berator
Chicago’s BERATOR may not have a vast back catalogue behind them, but they have quickly established themselves as an incredibly exciting band within the US’ underground scene. Musically, they lean really heavily into a borderline war metal sound, bringing together the more bestial approach of bands like PROFANATICA, BLASPHEMY and ARCHOGAT with slightly more fleshed out black and death metal components for a sound that draws heavy influence from the very early days of the extreme metal scene. Coming four years on since the release of the band’s first demo, R.A.I.D.S, they return with a new EP, Elysian Inferno, a record that not only reimagines the material from that previous demo, but also provides four new songs in a similarly monstrous vein.
Sultans Of Incest, which starts the record, appeared on the band’s debut demo back in 2018, and this newer version does a great job of updating it with a more polished and professional production while still not stripping away any of the intensity and charm that the original possessed. This rendition of the song is slightly longer, mainly due to the slower build at the start, which eases the listener in as opposed to launching straight into the harsher and faster parts of the music. This ultimately makes the track a lot more engrossing, although the chaotic approach is still very much present, with buzz-saw guitars, thunderous drums and caustic vocals all giving this a timeless, bestial extreme metal sound that works extremely well.
Onslaught To Absolution takes the lean guitar sound, frenetic melodicism and bellicose vocals of the previous track and provides a more focused feel, although it is certainly not without its chunky rhythms and bursts of rabid energy. It’s a song that expertly blends the harsher qualities of extreme metal’s primordial ooze, whilst also injecting a generous dose of catchy hooks and slower, darker passages into the mix for excellent results. Dead Rats, with its more measured tempos and booming, percussive drum sound, is far more primal than the preceding two offerings. It makes full use of a more cavernous sound in order to drawn the listener in. There are still hints of cacophony peppered throughout, but this is, for the most part, a significantly more reserved affair. It still packs a powerful punch though, showing that this music can be just as beguiling at its most ponderous as it can be at its most punishing.
War Lust drips with atmosphere, and shifts the music back towards a blistering pace and feral, unhinged style that makes this short but incredibly effective song so memorable. It’s a dizzying blend of discordant guitars, intricate drums, soaring, disjointed lead guitar work and arid, acidic snarls for vocals that all combine to be one of the record’s more visceral efforts. Final Crucifixion is a solid piece of music that is very much in the vein of war metal, coupling a sludgy guitar and bass sound with jarring riffs and dense gutturals for an exceptionally muscular song that does a great job of remaining fierce without having to resort to breakneck speeds and demented musical flourishes.
Swine Cult, much like the album’s opener, first appeared on R.A.I.D.S, and this newer version likewise benefits massively from the sharper production which allows the more intricate parts within this song’s relatively thick and grating sound to come to the fore. Notably, the slick technicality of the leads and the precise, pummelling elements within the drumming show once again that even when the band is at its most primitive and aggressive their music harbours lots of great, hidden nuances that result in it being all the more interesting when given a more in depth listen.
BERATOR clearly take a lot of cues musically from the early days of extreme metal, with death, thrash and black metal influences coagulating together in one noxious musical brew, giving them a sound that is familiar but far from derivative. Oftentimes residing in that hinterland where blackened death metal begins to blur into war metal, their sound is unflinchingly caustic and vicious throughout, with lots of impressive, primal energy that makes for a lively and brilliant sound. The two older songs that appear on Elysian Inferno work just as well here as they did on the band’s demo, and the four new offerings all similarly showcase that the nauseating, feral side of the band’s sound is only going to continue as they move onto their next chapter, which, if this EP is anything to go by, is going to be incredibly impressive.
Rating: 8/10
Elysian Inferno is out now via Dark Descent Records.
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