[1] Speaking to Loudwire, vocalist Oliver Sykes stated that he found it difficult to write the vocals for the track due to its slow pace and "stoner rock vibe", which he claimed made it "the most different song" the band had ever written up to that point.
This juxtaposition is also reflected in the differing styles of the song's sections, with the verses being "real claustrophobic and kinda stressful and hectic" and the choruses being "big, spacious, loose, open and relaxed", according to keyboardist Jordan Fish.
[2] Elaborating on this in a track-by-track commentary for Spotify, Sykes revealed that the song is "about how most of the time my life feels like this unmanageable monster that I can't keep at bay", with the first half representing the "self-destructive, nihilistic side" of him and the second outlining him "getting a second chance".
[1] TeamRock's Eleanor Goodman claimed that the song "sets the tone for the rest of the album, with sweeping dynamics framing lyrics about death and darkness", as well as proposing that the line "So come rain on my parade" related to the umbrella artwork used in promotional campaigns for the record.
[13] Tom Bryant of Alternative Press also praised the song's vocals, writing that "The ambient, dubby squelches of "Doomed" create nervous tension ... Then, quite from nowhere, [Sykes] finds a gorgeous melody, hitting a sweet-spot falsetto that tingles the spine".
[14] Rock Sound writer Andy Biddulph identified the album's "delicate opener" as evidence that the band were "bursting with fresh ideas and executing them to perfection".