A Different Shade of Blue

The album generally received positive reviews.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Dead Press[2]	8/10
Exclaim![3]	9/10
Kerrang![4]
NME[5]
Decibel Magazine[6]	positive

The album merges the styles of hardcore punk and heavy metal.[4][11] It been categorised as genres such as metalcore,[2][12] heavy hardcore[1][13] and sludgecore.[12] It often borders the sounds of Swedish death metal[14][12] and groove metal.[2] The album incorporates elements of melodic death metal, slam death metal, thrash metal and black metal.[15]

Kris Pugh of Distorted Sound magazine described it as putting the band "at the apex of modern hardcore".[16] In an article for Kerrang!, Dan Slessor says that in comparison to the band's previous album: "It’s more hardcore, more metal, there are more fast parts, more breakdowns, more malice, more unease and, perhaps most importantly, more energy".[4] In an article for New Noise magazine, Caleb R Newton said that "There is not a single moment on A Different Shade of Blue that’s not packed to the brim with musical (and thematic!) brutality".[17] However, Connor Atkinson for Exclaim! described "Mistakes Like Fractures" as "overtly catchy".[3]