[1] AllMusic's Mark Deming praised the album, calling it "a significant step forward for a group that already was doing mighty work, and it suggests any number of places they could take their talents next.

[2] Joshua Khan of Clash found the album "most confident record so far and a deafening reminder that art wasn't designed to adhere to paint-by-numbers standards – it's meant to bend until it breaks into something new".

[3] Alex Doyle of DIY wrote: "perhaps best of all is how direct the whole thing is, typified by "Glass Eye", on which the outfit's uncompromising sound brings sonic clarity while sporadic backing vocals offer classic '90s boyband echoes.

[5] Brian Stout of PopMatters concluded: "this has been a particularly strong year for heavy, guitar-forward music, and Up on Gravity Hill is sure to turn up again on some end-of-the-year lists".

[7] Wyndham Wallace of Uncut wrote: "Metz's latest combines the Jesus Lizard's Goat-era aggression with PiL's Album-era rigour".