Nachtmystium was founded by Blake Judd and Pat McCormick as a side project. The band was heavily influenced by second-wave black metal bands, such as Darkthrone and Burzum, evidenced in their low-fi first release "Reign of the Malicious" in 2002. The band’s next release, "Demise" (2004), was described by Judd as Nachtmystium's "last straight forward 'raw black metal' record." The band's following two releases, "Eulogy IV" (2004) and ' (2006), incorporated psychedelic and experimental musical elements that were pioneered by bands like Black Sabbath, The Doors and Pink Floyd. "Instinct: Decay" received general positive feedback from critics. "DEAF SPARROW Zine" praised the album for its innovation, while "Decibel Magazine" went even further to name "Instinct: Decay" as the fourth best album of 2006. The band released ' on June 10, 2008 in America. The album received a generally positive critical reception, especially from "Pitchfork Media" and MTV's "Headbangers Ball", who both stated that it was one of the year's best releases.