In a 1995 Guitar World interview, Chuck Schuldiner praised "Awake" and the band Dream Theater in general, claiming that "their music is very complex, but they definitely have hooks, which is crucial to making music listenable", citing them as an influence on the more progressive nature of his band Death's later material as opposed to the stagnant death metal scene at the time. In 2005, "Awake" was ranked number 390 in "Rock Hard" magazine's book of "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". In July 2014, the album was ranked number 1 in "Guitar World" magazine's list of "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".