To Walk a Middle Course incorporates elements of
sludge metal,
alternative metal and
stoner rock. The album features a variety of metal and non-metal influences, including
doom metal, stoner rock,
punk rock, and
gothic rock.
AllMusic critic Alex Henderson wrote, "Elements of
Neurosis,
Eyehategod,
Orange Goblin, and
Black Sabbath assert themselves, as do elements of the
Melvins,
Lydia Lunch, and
X. Kylesa often employ the punky male vocals/punky female vocals contrast that worked so well for X in the '80s, although they're a much heavier band."
Blabbermouth.net's Keith Bergman stated that the band "are all about throwing murky riffs, bottom-of-a-well screams, and lugubrious rhythms into a dour punk stew that name-checks everyone from old Neurosis to
Amebix to Eyehategod to
Unsane.
Exclaim! critic Jill Mikkelson thought that the record has "prolonged, tension-building moments that sound similar to
Keelhaul, mid-tempo riffing reminiscent of
Mastodon and more emotionally driven, rock-chord progressions that add dynamic to the mud." ==Critical reception==