Desultory was part of the first wave of Swedish death metal bands, alongside Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed 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."