The EP featured the original version of the song "The Year Summer Ended in June" and was re-recorded for Of Malice and the Magnum Heart; the EP and song are dedicated to the memory of Jordan Wodehouse and Daniel Langlois, who were killed by a drunk driver on Interstate 20 near Heflin, Alabama while on tour with their band Compromise in support of 7 Angels 7 Plagues.

Elliot of Punknews gave the album a 4.5/5, praising Jesse Zaraska's vocals and lyrics for being emotional and poetic, especially on "The Year Summer Ended in June."

The review also praised the band's use of complex time signatures, the guitar work of Ryan Morgan and Stu Ross, and the album's experimentation, highlighting the instrumental "Worlds & Dreams.

"[5] Graham Landers of Lambgoat also praised the album, highlighting Townsend's production as well as the band's "amalgamation of melodic metal and hardcore."

"[1] In 2018, New Fury Media called the album a "modern-day classic," citing Devin Townsend's production for having a "clear, yet raw and slightly unpolished feeling," Zaraska's passionate vocals, and the song "The Year Summer Ended in June" for being "emotionally devastating.