We actually recorded a lot more material but decided to sacrifice many of the tracks to make the overall album feel more complete in its nihilism.

Dorrian, describing the art as "climactic", notes that "it's not like a usual epic Dave Patchett piece where he does the full spread; it's just one section of the artwork now.

[10] Most reviews focus on the return to a doom-oriented sound and a reduction in the "quirky touches" in evidence on Cathedral albums including The Ethereal Mirror and, most recently, The Guessing Game.

Chris Dick, writing for Decibel Magazine, stated that "Cathedral have reined in the purple puffy dragons and their Canterbury scene origins for a honed and toned (almost) mid-tempo thrust".

"[4] Dean Brown, describing The Last Spire as a "true doom record", also credited the band with a "masterful understanding of dynamics" that integrated Cathedral's "signature curveballs".

[5] Grayson Currin wrote for Pitchfork that The Last Spire "does not feel like a microwaved visitation with the past or some self-obsessed tribute.

[16] Natalie Zed, while criticising the middle of the album as "unwieldy", praised the band for incorporating "their musical demise into their very aesthetic".