After having a long time to listen to this record, my original opinion has changed. I hate to say it, but the drumming is really weak in comparison to the three previous records. Dave play's great during the fast and heavy parts, but when those slow parts come in, it sounds like an amateur is behind the kit. With the music as progressive as it is, a more seasoned and diverse drummer would have made a huge difference.
I think the best aspect of this record is the vocal talent. Mr. V, Vortex, and Lazare are in excellent form. The melodies, as always, are unique and catchy. While the actual material is great, I think the song arrangements suffer from "copy and paste" syndrome. This probably isn't the case, but the transitions between parts could definitely sound smoother.
I now place this record somewhere in the middle of Borknagar's discography, with Epic and Empiricism still being my favorites.