[1] Varg Vikernes recorded the first four Burzum albums between January 1992 and March 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen.

The album cover features a drawing by 19th-century artist Theodor Kittelsen named Fattigmannen (The Pauper).

[5][6] Promotional copies sent to fanzines included the song "Et hvitt lys over skogen" (Norwegian for "A White Light Over the Forest") instead of "Tomhet".

According to Vikernes, Hvis lyset tar oss is a concept album, about: [...] what once was, before the light took us and we rode into the castle of the dream.

[5]Kelefa Sanneh wrote, "it starts with three long and smudgy midtempo songs, with rudimentary guitar-playing and vocals that sound like screams from down the hall; the mood is grim but also rather wistful, especially during the fourth and final track, an atmospheric keyboard piece that last fourteen minutes.