Discussing the lyrics, Boy felt they were simple and to the point, but ultimately effective, while Ryan found the conflict-laden imagery redundant. Ryan noted: "McIlrath's thematic heavy-handedness is nothing new, but it'd be nice to see less obvious terms." Several critics highlighted the production of Stevenson and Livermore. In particular, Paul wrote: "It's flawlessly recorded, but never sterile, and in many ways, Stevenson demonstrates how he is really the fifth member of any band he produces...Listening to Sufferer, it becomes clear how wrong any other producer would be for this band".