In a retrospective review, Geoff Ginsberg of AllMusic felt the album had "a bit of the Hotter Than Hell, early-Kiss sound", but was "still pure Slade". He described the songs as having "monster riffs and a different production style", concluding "this is a great record". Joe Geesin of Get Ready to Rock! said the album largely removed the "glam and the kitsch" with "rough Slade style rock'n'roll", adding "there's some great rough guitar". In 2010, Classic Rock considered the album "superior: reputation cementing" and wrote: "Whatever Happened to Slade tempers their established qualities with righteous indignation." Colin Harper of Record Collector felt the album "showed muscle", had US stadium boogie as a "prime influence" and featured Holder's "least charming lyrics".
