On _Set Sail to Mistery_, The Vision Bleak may seem to have adpoted a somewhat scattershot approach to selecting elements from their previous albums, along with a novelty or two. Whether or not that was the case, the album still avoids feeling disjointed despite its considerable variety. While no less metallic at its core than ever before in the band's discography, there is still a lot of gothic elements (including gothic rock), mixed just as easily with symphonic blackened touches on several occasions as with Lovecraft inspired doom on its longest track.

With operatic male (and occasionally female) vocals prominent among the multitude of vocal approaches used throughout the album, reaching all the way to occasional blackened snarls, _Set Sail to Mistery_ is not what one might call common -- nor was that to be expected. It is, however, a dynamic, well built and confidently performed record, with enough gothic drama to keep you entertained, all enthusiastically delivered with plenty of catchy melodies, grandiose arrangements and metallic punch.