A book titled "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die", published in 2005, "Closer" is defined as a "quantum leap" in terms of progression when compared to the band's debut album. According to Colin Larkin, "Closer" has since been "deservedly regarded by many critics as the most brilliant rock album of the 80s"; Larkin himself found the record flawless, writing in his "Encyclopedia of Popular Music" (2011) that it showed Joy Division at their creative peak and "maturity in every area" of their music. In his review of the 2007 reissue of the album, "Pitchfork" critic Joshua Klein described the album as "even more austere, more claustrophobic, more inventive, more beautiful and more haunting than its predecessor", calling it "Joy Division's start-to-finish masterpiece; a flawless encapsulation of everything the group sought to achieve."