If you think classifying it is difficult for the albums that are out now...wait until you hear the new stuff. He's complicated matters worse by making something even more hybrid than usual. Asgeir loosley called it "prog rock on speed", sometimes I think of it as hippie metal, a lot of people say it's progressive...but what does it progress to? I think the black metal references have dissapated by now. I think the old terms are inaccurate and we need new ones. Well...we don't really need another classification. But sometimes it's a necessary evil to be able to relate in conversation or catagorization. All I know is a lot of boundaries have been crossed on this one more than the last. It goes from some hectic, almost thrash sounding stuff into some symphonic interludes, and from heavy groove catchy stuff into some really mellow acoustic stuff. The instrumentation, including the vocals, are never really dwelling for too long on one sound. It's more of a rollercoaster of a journey than any of the previous songs I know. Which, by the way, is waaaaay more fun for me and most likely the other guys to play. And the result is something more enjoyable to listen to. Since I've heard the final mix, I've changed favorite songs a few times, always finding something new that just breezed by before. Have fun trying to make this one fit in, because it easily stands alone.
SDG