Both lyrically and musically, the album is dark, sticking to the minor keys: Major keys need not apply. Choirs of harmonies drag depressing choruses down to new levels of sadness. The drums sometimes slip out of a traditional rock grooves into more of a rap-rock feel, and at other times involve odd-time signature patterns that have the bipolar effect of either challenging or annoying the listener. "A Point In Time" successfully incorporates patterns of three and four into a song with backing vocals are vaguely reminiscent of the Scandinavian metal group Opeth.

The slow, funeral-like dirges that pepper the album are energetic even in their sluggishness. The vocals alternate between bittersweet melodies and screamed rants. "Shed the Skin" ends with a surprise acoustic guitar outro that would sound more at home at a Renaissance fair than at a rock album. The same bard-like approach resurfaces on "The Day We Lied," showing the band’s intelligence and willingness to at least try something different.