As his 30th birthday approached, Bladee experienced a depressive episode, feeling anxious about ageing and the mixed reception to his previous solo album Spiderr (2022).

Cold Visions is Bladee's longest release to date; it is a rap album characterized by audio logos, references to his past work, and a recurring theme of paranoia.

[1] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote: "Bladee delivers most of his heavily-accented lyrics in a blurry, downcast, syncopated hum, while the blown-out beats conjure icy-tundra landscapes".

On "Don't Wanna Hang Out", he reveals more of the "previously established lore about the mystical Drain Gang High School", as described by Press-Reynolds.

Audio logos from his previous work are also included on the album, such as a tag from the 1998 film Blade and a sound effect from the 2008 video game Street Fighter IV.

[4] Fans created a document to name every reference and interpolation on the album;[4] Sam Goldner of Pitchfork called the samples and producer tags "overstimulating".

[18] The track "Yung Sherman" is a collaboration with the producer of the same name;[19] during one line, he compares losing his phone to heartbreak and creates "fairly intriguing internet poetry", according to Stereogum's Danielle Chelosky.

[11][10] According to Crissy Saucier of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, the track sees Bladee "reflect[ing] on patterns in his relationships, acknowledging a tendency toward self-destructive behavior".

[21] "Sad Meal" contains a harsh delivery and makes references to his debut mixtape Gluee (2014) and the scrapped project Rainworld;[15] the track is also written about being at McDonald's.

[14] On "Don't Wanna Hang Out", Bladee expresses that he wants to spend time alone, sharing his irritations with "fake friends and clout chasers" over a beat produced by F1lthy.

[10] Another track that features Yung Lean, the lyrics in "I Don't Like People" hint toward Bladee's departure from his longtime record label Year0001.

[1][25] The track begins with eerie synthesizers and deep bass, presenting Bladee's dark delivery using Auto-Tuned vocals.

[20] "Don't Do Drugz" carries a message against substance abuse, with Bladee urging people close to him to avoid drugs.

Sickboyrari appears late in the song, with a "codeine-coated delivery", which Helfand said "allows us to imagine what Chief Keef might sound like if he was born in the south".

[4] The track "PM2" sees Bladee rapping the line "Fucking giving these lames percentage", which some fans interpreted as a critique of Year0001.

[18] On 23 April 2024, Bladee released a music video for Cold Visions's opening track "Paranoia Intro", which led to fans wondering if an album was coming.

[30] He performed songs from the album live for the first time at the Osheaga Festival during August 2024, after shows in Chicago and Houston were postponed due to issues with his visa.

Press-Reynolds wrote that it is "his most realized project to date" and said "Bladee's version of rap is blemished but beautiful, imperfect and half-coherent in a way that makes banal thoughts feel endearingly askew".

[4] For AllMusic, Thomas said that although "Cold Visions creates an atmosphere that's intense and sometimes challenging to engage with […] Bladee's way with his horrific words and worldview is nothing short of fascinating".

[11] Paste placed it at 97 in their list of the best albums of the year; Dawson called it a "love letter" to Drain Gang, and wrote that "Bladee cements himself as a genuine artist".