Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called the album Reznor's "strongest, weirdest and most complex record since The Downward Spiral", and concluded that "he's got his bravado back." Rolling Stone ranked it at number 21 on its "Top 50 Albums of 2007" list.
Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield commended Reznor's album as his most innovative, complex, and daring effort since The Downward Spiral, and observed that he had regained his confidence. Rolling Stone ranked it at number 21 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2007.