"The Rolling Stone Album Guide" described the album as "sluggish" and "retrograde" and called it a "step back for the band". "Orlando Weekly"s John Engels felt that the void left by former guitarist Marty Friedman was successfully filled by Al Pitrelli. However, he noted that the album occasionally sounds repetitive, and criticized a number of songs for their "childish" lyrics. Friedman stated he was "a little disappoint" by the album. Friedman specifically singled out the album's cover for criticism, though he also commented that he thought that the music was "very well done".