This signing, and subsequent likelihood of an album release, helped in the conscription of the necessary guest vocalists such as Nils K. Rue of Pagan's Mind and Andi Kravljaca of Silent Call (ex Seventh Wonder), among others.

[9] In July 2010 the band played their first live gig at the Luminaire in London, a performance that was praised for its high fidelity sound but critiqued for the undersized venue.

Guest vocalists announced included Michael Eriksen (Circus Maximus), Andi Kravljaca (Silent Call), Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard), Jem Godfrey (Frost*) and Jonny Tatum (Eumeria).

[1] In early 2011 the band announced that they were embarking on a 23-date European tour with The Devin Townsend Project, spanning the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, among others.

[11][12] Aeon Zen's music has been described as transcending stylistic and generic boundaries, moving from soft to heavy and defying categorization as purely metal, rock, progressive or even classical.

A fusion of "many stylistic elements", Aeon Zen's music, as exhibited on A Mind's Portrait, includes "catchy melodies", "a diverse mix of songs and styles", and "progressive time changes"[13] which "run through the gamut of emotions".

"[20] However, even those critics who believed the band were yet to find their "musical identity", praised the album as a bold statement of intent, particularly given the young age of the musicians.