0
Ancient
Ancient
Norwegian black metal band
1
Johan Reinholdz
Johan Reinholdz
Swedish musician
2
In Battle
In Battle
band
3
Edge of Sanity
Edge of Sanity
Swedish death metal band
4
Skyfire
Skyfire
Swedish band
5
Cellador
Cellador
band
6
Månegarm
Månegarm
band
7
Runemagick
Runemagick
band
8
Swallow the Sun
Swallow the Sun
Finnish death/doom metal band
9
Aleah Stanbridge
Aleah Stanbridge
South African singer-songwriter
10
Xysma
Xysma
Finnish band
11
Solution .45
Solution .45
Swedish band
12
Gory Blister
Gory Blister
band
13
Aeon
Aeon
band
14
Sólstafir
Sólstafir
Icelandic band
15
Cynic
Cynic
American band
16
Evocation
Evocation
Swedish death metal band
17
To/Die/For
To/Die/For
Finnish band
18
Hirax
Hirax
American thrash metal band
19
Bolt Thrower
Bolt Thrower
English band
20
Immolation
Immolation
American death metal band from New York
21
Dan Swanö
Dan Swanö
Swedish musician
22
Omnium Gatherum
Omnium Gatherum
Finnish melodic death metal band
23
Expulsion
Expulsion
Swedish death metal band
24
Skinlab
Skinlab
band that plays groove metal
25
Insision
Insision
Swedish band
26
The Red Death
The Red Death
American band
27
Ensiferum
Ensiferum
Finnish folk metal band
28
Impious
Impious
band
29
Kaamos
Kaamos
Swedish death metal band
30
Order from Chaos
Order from Chaos
31
Konkhra
Konkhra
band
32
Into Eternity
Into Eternity
Canadian band
33
Vomitory
Vomitory
Swedish metal band
34
Samoth
Samoth
Norwegian musician
35
Sadus
Sadus
band that plays thrash metal
36
Ceremonial Oath
Ceremonial Oath
band
37
Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry
band
38
Abruptum
Abruptum
Swedish band
39
Dissection
Dissection
black/death metal and later melodic death metal band
40
The Devil's Blood
The Devil's Blood
41
Trees of Eternity
Trees of Eternity
Swedish-Finnish band
42
Grotesque
Grotesque
Swedish death metal band
43
Cataract
Cataract
band that plays thrash metal
44
Hatchet
Hatchet
American thrash metal band
45
Carnage
Carnage
band, musical group
46
Mikael Stanne
Mikael Stanne
Swedish singer
47
Blind Illusion
Blind Illusion
band
48
Arsis
Arsis
band
49
The Obsessed
The Obsessed
American band
50
Leviathan
Leviathan
American band
51
This Ending
This Ending
band
52
Monotheist
Monotheist
53
Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity
Swedish band
54
Revocation
Revocation
band
55
Heavy Load
Heavy Load
band
56
Bitch (band)
Bitch (band)
American band
57
Voivod
Voivod
Canadian heavy metal band
58
Damaged
Damaged
band
59
Armagedda
Armagedda
60
Intruder
Intruder
61
Defleshed
Defleshed
band
62
Krisiun
Krisiun
Brazilian death metal band
63
In Solitude
In Solitude
Swedish heavy metal band
64
Graveland
Graveland
Polish musical group; black metal band
65
The Absence
The Absence
band
66
Toxic Holocaust
Toxic Holocaust
American thrash metal band
67
Flowing Tears
Flowing Tears
German gothic metal band
68
Luna Mortis
Luna Mortis
American heavy metal band
69
Disillusion
Disillusion
German band
70
Shape of Despair
Shape of Despair
Finnish doom metal band
71
Into the Moat
Into the Moat
72
Sear Bliss
Sear Bliss
band
73
Ann Beretta
Ann Beretta
74
Immortal Souls
Immortal Souls
band that plays melodic death metal
75
Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer
band
76
General Surgery
General Surgery
band
77
Anaal Nathrakh
Anaal Nathrakh
British metal band

Desultory was part of the first wave of Swedish death metal bands, alongside Entombed, Dismember, and others. Into Eternity, their Metal Blade debut following a lesser-known EP release, is standard for the genre, energetic and forceful, straddling the line between the more brutal American death style and the melodic Gothenburg variety.

Though not groundbreaking, it was considered a fine album by fans. By most accounts, their follow-up, Bitterness, is more of the same, but 1996's Swallow the Snake takes quite a different approach, dropping the death vocals (and, for the most part, death metal itself), for a more heavy rock sound likened by some to Soundgarden. Having been dropped by Metal Blade, they disappeared, but the three members from the Snake album recruited a new fourth member and, continuing the progression from that last album, continued on as the rock act Zebulon, releasing one EP and two LPs.

Aftonbladet has called Desultory's final album a "fine farewell."