[1] John Semley of Now praised the album, calling it "a master class in School of Iommi doom metal".

Club also praised the album, writing "it's quite simply moving, the sounds of dislocated souls finding a voice at last".

[8] Michael Madden of Paste claimed: "even though the album is crushing, the band's penchant for melody is what elevates Foundations of Burden above otherwise comparable records from this year".

[7] AllMusic's Thom Jurek found "the album and its production make catharsis part of an evolutionary process, not an end in itself".

Fortunately, the demand for subsequent listens is hardly a laborious task, given Brett Campbell's stellar, sustained vocal delivery".