The Album seems to follow a theme of tyranny, oppression, and freedom, with songs covering guerilla warfare and overthrowing evil. Band leader and frontman Matt Heafy was 17 years old when the album was written and recorded. "The Deceived" was re-recorded and released on their next record Ascendancy and "Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies" was re-recorded and was a bonus track on the Ascendancy re-release. It is interesting to note that "Inception, the Bleeding Skies" is a section of "A View of Burning Empires" played in reverse, and is also exactly the same when reversed.