[2] The reviewer further described the album style as "taking the sounds of bands as disparate as Opeth, Norma Jean and the general vibe of cold symphonic black metal, and combining a bit of a simplified, melodic groove to it, creating something new entirely.

"[5] Len Nash of Indie Vision Music and The Phantom Tollbooth described the sound by stating that "[w]here Synergy was thrash, The Blueprint Dives is more heavy metal, with it being hard rock here or there on a few accounts.

[7] The reviewer went on to call the album "varied, wide in scope and impressively versatile", and stating that "[i]n any genre of music those are rare qualities, but in death metal and its ugly relations, it's almost unheard of.

There's a glimpse of Swedish prog-deathsters Opeth (who, incidentally, toured with Extol the previous year) in the taught, stop-start riffs of "Soul Deprived" or "Void"; the shadow of a Tool or Deftones in the singer's plaintive delivery over stuttering rhythms on "In Reversal" and "Another Adam's Escape"; and even an ethereal, Pink Floyd or Radiohead-like quality to dreamy numbers "Pearl" and "Lost in Dismay".

But when a writer has to reach down to something as obscure as ancient technical thrashers Anacrusis in the search for viable parallels, you're obviously dealing with a truly original sonic experience.Jeff Wagner in his book Mean Deviation stated that "[w]ith more melody and flow - and curious leanings toward emo and indie rock - The Blueprint Dives was both eccentric and accessible.