"Bitterness" is a glorious musical dead-end; a Stockholm death metal band recording at Studio Sunlight in the post "Wolverine Blues"-era. Thankfully there is more to it than that. Comparing "Bitterness" to contemporary death-ish metal crap like "Soulless", "Across the Open Sea" or "Massive Killing Capacity" would be insulting. The Entombed influence had seeped into Desultory but it didn't consume them. They retained the best bits from their "Into Eternity" debut and upgraded them. The result was one of the most surprising and worthwhile metal records of its time.
The most memorable aspect of the band’s debut album was the guitar melodies. These are even better here. Stefan Pöge sounds more measured, varied, and more comfortable repeating phrases for emphasis. He gives the songs a more mournful, less thrashy feel. He seems to have integrated some classic metal influences, and some of this reminds me of Savatage, Queensr che, or maybe even Rainbow. The songs are more complex and distinct, with stronger riffs. The guitar tone is thicker and more typical of the Sunlight/Skogsberg sound. Klas Morberg adopts a deeper, shoutier style of vocals. He sounds more like LG Petrov than Tomas Lindberg here, but he still has a powerful voice.
The first half of the album is particularly good. The speed passages of "Left Behind" and "Taste of Tragedy" combine with the slower, crunchier moments of "Life Shatters" and "A Closing Eye". Every song is packed with killer solos, great riffs and interesting lyrics. The band took more risks than they did on the debut. There are some stark riff changes (e.g., 1:36 of "Left Behind"), adding an element of unpredictability. The second half of the album is good too, though less immediate. The slower songs ("Bleeding", "Among Mortals" and "Winter") only make sense after repeated listens. The two faster songs are brilliant; "Enslaved" sounds like a busier, more intense version of material from the debut, its middle section achieving the emotional climax the band have long sought. The final song "Cold Bitterness" is the album's best. The pure speed and aggression belies the band's technical brilliance. My favourite bit on the entire album is the transition at 2:10, where Pöge plays a simple riff over some mind-bending, chaotic drumming, it almost sounds like Atheist.
This album is better than "Into Eternity". Desultory took the best aspects of "Wolverine Blues" (dirty, slummy rock rhythms and a thick guitar tone), and added their own flourishes. They created music that was as heavy, challenging and complex as anything in Sweden at the time. "Bitterness" benefits from repeated listens because there are no easy reference points. There are few (if any) records that sound similar. The slower moments bear comparison to Paradise Lost, maybe "Shades of God"-era. The faster songs predict what Deceased would later do on "Fearless Undead Machines"; incorporating classic metal influences into a death metal sound. Neither comparison tells the whole story. "Bitterness" is unique.
Unfortunately for Desultory, the locus of control for Swedish death metal in 1994 was heading west. The Stockholm scene was dwindling. Entombed had lost interest in the genre and the other big names were crumbling. In Gothenburg meanwhile, At the Gates began their own melodic death metal journey with "Terminal Spirit Disease", which was released a few weeks after this record. Of the two albums, "Bitterness" is stronger but more difficult to comprehend. It may have been an artistic triumph but it lacks the clear vision of At the Gates. This cost Desultory and they missed their chance. Stefan Pöge left the band soon after, which robbed them of their prized asset. Looking back, "Bitterness" was the sweetest of misfortunes.