The album's tracks have been called "brain-twisting," and its style is characterized by "unpredictably shifting tempos, non-linear riffing progressions, and sheer technicality."

According to Langdon Hickman of Invisible Oranges, "the guitars, bass and drums [did not seem to] bob along in straight time like the cliche of metal bands, nor did they indulge in bluesy syncopation like some groups; instead, they had a microrhythmic thrust, a slight swing that seemed to recall samba, bossa nova, or perhaps jazz.

According to Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic, the album "[meshes] frantic, severely discordant chords and sparse melodies with the agonized growls of frontman Kelly Shaefer."

[6] It was described by James Hinchliffe in Terrorizer as the band's "least technically accomplished release and their most lyrically immature, [yet] it remains an exceptional work of late 80s deaththrash, crackling with an uncommon energy and creativity".

[1] Langdon Hickman of Invisible Oranges assessed, "Piece of Time is a good record, but it is also clearly a compilation of the best songs of their demo period, tunes that worked well live, and a few to fill out the remaining space, which is to say that it does not have the greatest structural integrity in the world.

"[7] Retrospectively, Mike DaRonco of Allmusic wrote that Piece of Time's sophisticated songwriting and dissonant riffs "stumped most casual listeners but wowed critics with the sheer audacity of the band's death-jazz.