It is so good, I have to steal a quote from their record label... "Chicago death merchants BERATOR vomit forth 20 minutes of fierce, old school black/death on coke via Dark Descent Records. So, that sums it up nicely, let's get started, shall we?

The band describes the record as something that is meant to be played straight through, a twenty something minute ensemble of "rhythm and violence." Straight forward with non-stop riffs. They are ready to unleash their reign of terror. To get your dose of death, you have the choice of digital, CD, cassette, vinyl, or they will be on the road in the U.S. this Summer, so maybe you can get a t-shirt to go with it.

Before you even get a chance to listen to the music you have to spend some time getting lost in the cover art by Paolo Girardi. I couldn't get past it for a minute. It has a lot going on, you can see light at the end of the tunnel, but the struggle is real. There is so much thought and detail in it, it has to be mentioned.

Kicking it off with "Sultans of Incest," I hear a hint of BLACK SABBATH in the very beginning, but that quickly changes to the reality that it is supposed to be, something a lot more dark, real evil, no doubt. There is nothing "nice" about it. If you are reading this, I'm sure that you will enjoy it. The same goes for "Onslaught to Absolution," there is no holding back, they are coming straight for you with number two. Hold on, it is going to be merciless.

"Dead Rats," I love it for the title alone. It isn't a fancy song and about what you would expect. It even has a nice little guitar part in the end after the bass and drums beat the rats to death with their loudness.

Rumbling straight through, they are keeping the drummer, Dave Clark, busy. While he is leading the way on this song, the simple riffs eventually carry through to more complex guitar work with another nice solo to finish. The madman on the drums doesn't get a break for even a second and actually speeds up on the next one if that is possible. "Final Crucifixion," is the second to the last song, not the final nail. I think that they want you to feel just a little more pain.

In the end, "Swine Cult," has you drinking the kool-aid. I'm not sure if I like the beginning or the end of this album better. For me, the first two were memorable and so is this this last one. A good problem to have, I suggest that you take the time to figure it out for yourself.