DESULTORY — Through Aching Aeons (review)

DESULTORY — Through Aching Aeons album cover

Album · 2017 · Death Metal

4/5 · 2023-03-10
UMUR

"Through Aching Aeons" is the 5th full-length studio album by melodic Swedish death metal act Desultory. The album was released through Pulverised Records in June 2017. It´s the successor to "Counting Our Scars" from 2010 and features the same four-piece lineup who recorded the predecessor. In fact this lineup have been playing together since 1997, but under the Zebulon monicker from 1997-2008, after which they opted to change their band name back to Desultory (who originally disbanded in 1996). So "Through Aching Aeons" actually marks the 20 year anniversary for this lineup.

Desultory formed in 1989 and were pretty active in the early and mid-90s releasing three studio albums in the years between 1993 and 1996. Starting out playing melodic old school Swedish death metal and ending up playing a raw heavy rock/metal/death´n´roll style on "Swallow the Snake (1996)". They continued to play the latter style of music in Zebulon, but when they revived the Desultory name in 2009 they also opted for a musical change back to a melodic death metal sound. "Counting Our Scars (2010)" is a little more contemporary sounding with thrash and heavy grooves than the music style on their early albums, but still a sort of return to the roots album.

That musical direction is continued on "Through Aching Aeons", which is actually an even more "back to the roots" type album than "Counting Our Scars (2010)" was. Lead vocalist/guitarist Klas Morberg has returned to a more aggressive growling delivery (fully intelligible), and the guitar tone brings back memories of early 90s Sunlight Studio productions. Desultory manage to strike a good balance between old school melodic death metal ideas, and a couple of more contemporary musical ideas (thrash riffs and heavy grooves). "Through Aching Aeons" is overall pretty old school though. Desultory always mastered melancholic melodies and atmospheres while still bringing great rawness and power to their music, but on "Through Aching Aeons" you can add darkness to that equation, because this is a pitch black album.

Compared to their early releases there is less focus on soaring melodic guitar leads and harmonies (although they are still present in the music), and more focus on raw power (there are even some blastbeat sections on the album), heavy riffs (and faster thrashy riffs), aggression, and dark atmosphere (check out the intro and reoccuring cold melancholic guitar work on "Beneath the Bleeding Sky"). So upon conclusion "Through Aching Aeons" is what I had hoped "Counting Our Scars (2010)" would have been. The latter mentioned is also a good quality album, but "Through Aching Aeons" is in a whole other league. I hope it´s not too late for Desultory to finally get the recognition they deserve, because they are definitely one of those gems who deserve more attention, and "Through Aching Aeons" could be the album which brings them back on the map (or at least it should be). A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved).