Description
Desultory Biterness
Label: Metal Blade Records CDZORRO 77
Format: CD, Album
Released: 1994
Genre: Death Metal
Tracklist:
1 Life Shatters
2 Left Behind
3 A Closing Eye
4 Taste Of Tragedy
5 Bleeding
6 Among Mortals
7 Enslaved
8 Winter
9 Cold Bitterness
Bass Håkan Morberg
Drums Thomas Johnson
Guitar Stefan Pöge
Guitar, Vocals Klas Morberg
Music By Desultory
Producer Desultory, Thomas Skogsberg
Recorded at Sunlight Studio, January 94.
© 1994 Metal Blade Records.
Made In England
DESULTORY offers the ever-growing Swedish Death Metal scene with yet another influential opus in 1994 with Bitterness. Capturing every vibe with pure conviction and sophisticated vileness, Bitterness is probably the most complete and one of the true attestations of the authentic, hungry and vibrant history of the early Swedish Death Metal sound! Will surely please every new and old DESULTORY fan!
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and mind numbingly beautiful,
What can I say about Desultory? This band is, for me, simply the apex of melodic death metal. Though I have been a metalhead since my first listen of Judas Priests ‘Hell Bent for Leather’ circa 1977, Desultory is the band that really hooked me into death metal, and gave me a passion for the genre that inspires me to this day. Obscure and under-appreciated, Desultory released 2 albums as a four piece outfit, both of which combine intricate melodies and time changes, intelligent and profound lyrics, solid (and at times thrashing) rhythms, and amazing lead guitar work (Stefan Poge is a god). The production is classic Tomas Skogsberg; heavy, dark and biting. Great sounding recording of the instruments, and a decent mix, result in a listenable, non-fatiguing record. As far as the performances go, they’re at least on par with anything the genre has to offer. Vocals are guttural, but not distracting or unintelligible, and seem perfectly suited to the task at hand. The guitar work is phenomenal, particularly the way the melodies effortlessly blend into amazingly articulated leads. Stefan Poge, the lead guitarist, constructs interludes that seem to have an existence all their own…a sort of timelessness that is difficult to describe. The drums and bass work are fantastic…pounding and relentless, most of the time right on the edge of completely losing control, which plays right into the themes the band is talking about.
Motifs at work here are a bit dark, though not of the satanic kind. Life and death, the experience of human loss, and the absence or loss of control, seem to be the main themes. Metaphors for the collapse of emotion, and the inexorable descent towards the end of love and life, are abundant. Winter, freezing ice, and impenetrable cold, are common images found within the lyrics. The subject matter is certainly adult, with moments of profound reflection and questioning, and thankfully never falls into the stereotypical patterns found elsewhere in the genre.
If you like metal and are looking for an accessible vehicle to indoctrinate yourself into the world of death metal, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
Highlight tracks: The whole album (though my favorites are ‘life shatters’, ‘among mortals’, ‘winter’, and ‘cold bitterness’).
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5.0 out of 5 stars A unique and solid release,
A great combination of vintage Swedish death, but with more melody. These guys were way ahead of their time, and clearly, no one ever really emulated their sound. Its not melodic Swedish DM like At The Gates, but possibly like a more melodic Dismember. “Bitterness” is a really classic album. The lyrics are very emotional, which is quite different from Dismember and Entombed. Its a shame these guys didn’t get the success they deserved.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Great Metal Maniacs!!!,
Desultory is one of the most under-rated bands I have ever listened to. When I first heard the album Bitterness, it completely had me shocked. The mixing of strong classical guitar riffs and massive drum beats and the deep growl singing are just one way that they struck my cool. The lyrics are very emotional and pure to life. Desultory without a doubt has overpassed all of my favorite bands! These guys really know how to jam! My advice to you; buy it […]
Desultory is easily one of my favorite bands to emerge from the Swedish scene. With a heavy focus on creating death metal that solicits depressive emotions but still retains the speed of other band in the scene, Desultory developed their own signature sound early on. Their second album, “Bitterness,” released in 1994, was their second and final masterpiece as it matched the quality of their debut album, “Into Eternity.” First off, I must comment on the lead guitar work. Stefan Pöge is an absolute genius when it comes to creating depressive melodies that still have high amounts of energy behind them. While this unique combination may seem paradoxical, Pöge somehow manages to make it work. Just listen to the lead work on “Life Shatters.” The melodies on that song never fail to evoke deep emotions. “Taste of Tragedy” and ”Winter” also display Pöge’s brilliance as a lead guitarist. His playing just works so unbelievably well and it’s a one of a kind style. There is also a potent driving force of emotion behind the vocal delivery. Klas Morberg‘s vocals sound a bit unconventional when it comes to death metal. Instead of common death growls, Morsberg uses a style that sounds like hardcore punk vocals, with a small touch of classic death metal growls. However, the vocals lean even more towards hardcore punk vocals than on their debut. The way he does the vocals is incredibly unique, and it really helps to build the emotional strain one would feel when listening to this release. The drumming and bass are also both very solid. “Bitterness” is an essential and original death metal release from Sweden that easily contends with the classics from the scene.
💀Rating: 99/100
💀Best Song: Life Shatters
💀Genre: Old School Death Metal
💀Duration: 38:46
💀Date: June 21st, 1994
💀Country: Sweden 🇸🇪•
💀Label: Metal Blade Records•
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