Their name sounds like the Swedish Chef having a coughing fit but Borknagar are nothing to sneeze at. Although the members came out of the early Norwegian black metal scene, their ambitions were grander than just beating blasts and picking tremolos. Instead, they went for a progressive approach, incorporating Bathory-style Viking metal and unusual song structures. This second sojourn into the elder realms contains some of their most powerful pieces, scraping beauty out of ugliness.

– Jeff Treppel