It's hard to believe that this is the same Dimmu Borgir that made "Death Cult Armageddon", isn't it? A once raw, atmospheric, majestic BM outfit of young teens evolving to a pompous, grand extreme metal machine... But anyway, onto the album. 

If you've heard the band's 1996 effort "Stormblast", you kind of know what to expect; When I say "kind of", I mean you get the same atmosphere, except the guitars are higher in the mix, the production is grainy and reverbed, and the line-up is different. Shagrath is on drums; Silenoz is on rhythm guitar and vocals; Tjodalv is on lead guitar; Brynjard Tristan handles bass; and Stian Aerstad handles synth, keyboards, and piano. This album is considerably more of a BM album, but not a primitive or "grim" album. "For All Tid" possesses a sad yet majestic atmosphere, beautifully brought to life by wintry guitar melodies, melancholic synth parts, and a rather relaxing mid-tempo march to all the songs. 

"For All Tid" proves that power and beauty can be found through simplicity. The classic title track and the later to be re-recorded "Hunnerkongens Sorgsvarte..." are prime examples. Shagrath's drum work is minimal but suits the stripped-down essence of the music perfectly, and Silenoz's gutteral and mid-pitched rasps give the music an ethereal atmosphere during the spoken word parts. The operatic vocals on track 3 are also a nice touch, courtesy of the singer of Ved Buens Ende. 

My personal favorite tracks are the magical opener "Under Korpens Vinger", the short but folkish "Stien" and the awesome title track. If you're new to the band, I reccommend checking out "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant" or "Death Cult Armageddon"; But if you're eager to find some amazing atmospheric BM or just to look into the band's roots, check this out at all costs. (p_drl on Amazon.com)