The album was licensed to be released in Germany and neighboring countries through GUN Records in January 2003 as a special extended edition with four bonus tracks.

On 5 August 2008, Mother Earth along with The Silent Force was released in the United States on Roadrunner Records.

[4] The album features mainly fantasy and nature themes and was a sleeper hit in the band's heartland, entering the Dutch charts at number eighty-two, by the end of 2000, and only managing to reach its peak third position two years later with the second release of the single Ice Queen.

[9] Louder Sound also pointed the bombastic and cinematic characteristics present on the album, highlighting the use of synthesizers and strings.

[10] Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad pointed the visual aspect of the concerts at that time as another contributing factor to the growing popularity of the band, as the stage decoration, the band members outfits and the use of pyrotechnics suited well the epic aspect of their sound and lyrics.

AllMusic rated the album 4+1⁄2 stars, the reviewer calling it "easily one of the best releases of 2001", and praising it for its "mature and confident sound" and Sharon den Adel's "elusive and intangible presence", adding "The rise of goth/prog metal seemed to reach a peak at the turn of the century, with an endless supply of bands offering their own spin on the subgenre.

However, he considered that while the band had gotten "more epic", they also got "more mellow", citing the "easy listening" aspect as a weakness for those who seek intensity on the metal genre.

[19][20] With the album receiving distribution in new European countries by the beginning of 2003,[7] it also managed to enter the German, Swiss and Austrian charts.

[23] In 2021, two decades after its release, the album reached a second platinum status in the Netherlands, totaling 160,000 copies sold in the band's home country.