[1] The AllMusic review awarded the album 4½ stars stating "With its episodes of artful skronk lurking about, Open, Coma remains an uncompromising recording best suited for adventurous ears.

But with its kaleidoscopic palette of colors and electric charge and groove conjuring up thoughts of Gil and Miles, this may be one of the best places for the uninitiated to begin investigating the world of Tim Berne".

[2] Pitchfork's Chris Dahlen said "it's no surprise that for all the colors and nuances of Berne's and conductor Ture Larsen's arrangements, this band is primarily an instrument of force.

The great Basie and Ellington orchestras could get just as raucous, but they also had elements of swing and "cool" that Berne has mostly dispensed with.

At turns rowdy, gorgeous, and frantically overstimulating, it's an exciting performance of Berne's catchy and intricate writing.