Recorded after an unreceptive tour opening for the band Tool, Mit Gas has been described by critics as a more focused and unified album than its predecessor, Tomahawk.

Tomahawk is a musical supergroup consisting of Mike Patton, vocalist for Faith No More and Mr. Bungle; Duane Denison, guitarist for The Jesus Lizard; Kevin Rutmanis, bass player for Cows and Melvins; and John Stanier, drummer for Helmet.

Writing for AllRovi, Daphne Carr awarded the album a rating of four stars out of five, adding that it "expand[s] the borders of guitar rock with intelligence and humor".

[5] Carr felt that "You Can't Win" and "Rape This Day" were among the album's best songs, and compared the overall sound to the work of avant-garde musician Frank Zappa.

Hreha singled out "You Can't Win", "Mayday" and "Rape This Day" as highlights of the record, and praised the album's ability to "straddle the distance between ambience and onslaught".

[9] Rhodes compared it to the works of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, and felt that Denison's guitar parts served to specifically complement Patton's vocals, rather than attempting to stand out for themselves.