In 1994, when I was in my teens, there has been an album, that simply blew me away since day one. I still remember when and where I bought “Bitterness” and everytime I put the CD in the player and the first tones of ‘Life Shatters’ appear I am 16 again. It brings back so much great memories, of a time when you did not have to care about your fucking job or how to pay your bills. From time to time, I miss those days. So, when I got the chance to review the actual but alas last album of that Stockholm based entity, I knew it would be some kind of an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. Back in the days I was so pissed when they released “Swallow The Snake”! How could they jump on that bandwagon called Death’n’Roll that so many bands at that time thought would be a great decision?! But it should be the final nail in the coffin since DESULTORY decided to change their name to ZEBULON and go on with a total different style of music. The more I was surprised when they stated their comeback in 2010 with “Counting Our Scars”. I never ever would have thought, that they would be able to do an album again that should be blessed with all the trademarks they were known and loved for. But despite the allover positive response from both, media and fans, nothing really happened when it came to tours / gigs and interviews. I’m not sure if it was lack of time within the band or already at that time no more real interest in playing live, as they just played a couple of selected shows with the performance at Hellfest in 2015 being the last one, if I’m right. And in between, some time has passed again, to be precise, another seven fucking years of silence. So now it’s June 2017 and we all have to face the fact that the final curtain for one of the greatest Swedish Death Metal bands of all time is about to fall. Yes, you’re right; the current and new full length entitled “Through Aching Aeons” will be their final release. The four piece has decided to call it a day, but not before leaving the world of the living with a bang! Honestly, when I listened to the record for the first two or three times in a row, I was a bit disappointed somehow. Where has all that audible frustration and despair been gone? I just could not point it out at first. It is a bit more subtle these days and simply needs some time to evolve. The atmosphere on their current output is a darker one than ever. The band already stated during their demo sessions in 2013 that this will be their most brutal album ever. And they were so damn right. Vocalist Klas spits out his own visions of misery and despair way more rude and aggressive than ever before. Maybe it is just the way he sings nowadays or some kind of adjusting the vocals to the new found harshness. You can hear blasts in more than one song and the whole production is so bone dry and raw in contrast to “Counting Our Scars”. To me the Necromorbus production on the just mentioned predecessor was a more warm one, which I liked a bit more. Right now, I ask myself what the whole album would have sounded with that great Sunlight Production, “Bitterness” has been blessed with? But hey, that’s just a thought. Back to reality. It’s been the first album in their history (I just fade out that “Swallow The Snake” faux pas) that I wasn’t able to get into from the first listening. But for now it’s already been the seventh or eighth spin in a row and with every further one, it’s getting better and better and better. Man, the bittersweet harmonies and leads are still there and the drumming is just the typical way of pounding the skins Thomas Johnson style. Best example for this humble description of mine might be the fourth track ‘In This Embrace’. Goosebump moments ahead like it’s 1994 and “Bitterness” has just been unleashed. Obviously the Morberg brothers and their two sidekicks still had a lot to say before being ‘Forever Gone’. And what better way to end your swansong release with a track called ‘Our Departure’? There are bands releasing albums and stuff on a regular basis, year by year, without dropping one single outstanding one. And then there’s a band like DESULTORY. A band that comes up with a new full length after seven fucking years and without having heard any single note yet, you know what to expect: simply none less than another masterpiece of Swedish Death Metal made in Stockholm. I strongly advise each and every one yearning for the good old hey days to put “Through Aching Aeons” on their shopping list. Don’t you dare to miss out on one of the best releases in 2017! Other bands play, DESULTORY kill! Thanks guys, for accompanying me for more than 20 years; you will be sorely missed. www.facebook.com/pages/desultory/50447918404, www.pulverised.net