The record is their first album to feature vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen.

The album was recorded and mixed at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany between 1 and 16 June 1995, under the guidance of Siggi Bemm and Waldemar Sorychta.

Two of the songs have quotes from popular culture inserted into them: "Strange Machines" contains a passage from George Pal's film version of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, and "Sand & Mercury" ends with a recording of J. R. R. Tolkien reading a quote from Simone de Beauvoir.

All lyrics are written by Anneke van Giersbergen; all music is composed by The GatheringDisc 2, 1–3 demo recorded in June 1994 at Beaufort Studio.

Disc 2, 4–7 demo recorded in early 1995 at Double Noise Studio in Tilburg.