from what i hear, they only picked this sort of thing up as their career went along. bandwagon-syndrome? i think it is a disgrace. . . 3 of the best extreme metal bands are rascist pigs (burzum, graveland, nm). but it doesn't detract from the music, but it is still a fucking shame.
and i agree with your deaths design review. . . there are some riffs that are so shitty, ugly and pedestrian that i thought "man, this album is gonna go to shit" and then BAM! instant beauty, in a vocal line, a string section, or a melodic keyboard riff. this is the only album that can go from shit to shangri-la in less than 1.43 seconds. luckily, the shitty parts aren't all that frequent. in my opinon, the contrasts in this album are the center of its appeal. it's all about the contrast. . . if it was all nasty, mediocore riffs, this thing would be in a used bin already. if it were all beauty, it would find itself sandwiched between my vivaldi and mozart cds (it would have no chance of ever getting played then!) the contrasts are key.