Reviews for the album were generally mixed to positive, earning a rating of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic, a decline from their previous two studio albums. "Uncut" and Allmusic's reviews were particularly glowing, with the latter noting how "Era Vulgaris" is "as different from "Lullabies" as that was to their dramatic widescreen breakthrough, "Songs for the Deaf"". Originally awarding the album with a four-and-a-half star rating, Allmusic changed this to a four-star rating in 2013 upon the release of the band's follow-up "...Like Clockwork".