When a wave is unleashed in Metal, many new acts are born, some grew up and reach worldwide success, others become cult bands (they’re known, but never experienced great commercial praise), and others are rarely spoken about. As example, think of NWOBHM: names as IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, SAXON, and some others are the famous ones; ANGEL WITCH, DIAMOND HEAD, TYGERS OF PAN TANG, GIRLSCHOOL, RAVEN, TOKYO BLADE and others are into the cult bands; and finally, HOLOCAUST, TANK, MORE, ATOMKRAFT, JAGUAR and others are barely remembered (it’s not a matter if they’re good or not, please). Such words mean: when a wave comes, many names lay hidden from public attention due many facts.

In Swedish Death Metal, the name of DESULTORY could be said as a cult band, and here is “Darkness Falls (The Early Years)” to show why such affirmative makes sense. This release is a compilation, once the quartet was lay to rest (after a reunion from 2008 to 2017). It comes to fill the space on the fans’ collection, because it brings to the fans the three Demo Tapes of their early years. Then can be said that it’s a fine depiction of how a band with a Death/Thrash Metal-like appeal on the beginning became a cult on Swedish Death Metal first wave. Yes, the Demos depicts clearly this transition. And about the sonority, it seems to be remastered, and even for Demo Tapes of those days, the sound quality isn’t bad at all, and the artwork is a kind of remaking of “Death Unfolds” cover.

It’s not a sin to say that the quartet, due its roots on Thrash Metal (in a way similar to German Thrash Metal acts KREATOR and DESTRUCTION) could be said as one of the pioneers of Melodic Death Metal (due the melodic traits of their roots, as heard on some of the guitar leads). The music on the compilation sounds aggressive and nasty (and progresses in this way as time passes from one Dome to the other), but clearly with melodic traits and hooks.

All the songs of this compilation come from the demos “From Beyond” (1990), “Death Unfolds” (1991) and “Visions” (1991). “Eternal Darkness”, “The Awakening”, “Cease to Exist”, and “Insanity” comes from the first Demo Tape, so it’s into a German Thrash Metal-like vein, with a clear technical and melodic approach. From the second one, here are “Passed Away”, “The Chill Within” and “Death Unfolds”, all of them starting to show Death Metal elements (the slow tempos and somber parts of “The Chill Within” are proof of these words), but still laying on a Thrash/Death Metal model. And “Forever Gone”, “Depression” and “Visions”, those ones from the third Demo, are what one will expect of the band that released “Into Eternity”, but again: the melodic traits inherited from their early Thrash/Death Metal roots are still shown. And by the way: the early versions for “Depression”, “Visions”, “Forever Gone” and “Passed Away” show the links between their past and their moment. And by the way: the packages are really excellent.

It’s not a sin to say that “Darkness Falls (The Early Years)” works as an epitaph for DESULTORY. But as death isn’t the end, it can be just preserving their name alive for a future return. Who knows?