▁Bro adr ick ▁regularly ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁direct , ▁brut al , ▁dis son ant ▁and ▁minimal . ▁Several ▁noted ▁the ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁album ▁as ▁especially ▁heavy ▁and ▁unf org iving . ▁Many ▁critics ▁fav ou rab ly ▁compared ▁A ▁World ▁Lit ▁Only ▁by ▁Fire ▁to ▁God f lesh ' s ▁first ▁few ▁releases ▁( nam ely , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ' s ▁self - t itled ▁EP , ▁ 1 9 8 9 ' s ▁Street clean er ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 2 ' s ▁P ure ). ▁Den ise ▁Fal zon ▁of ▁Ex c laim ! ▁wrote , ▁" it ' s ▁as ▁if ▁no ▁time ▁has ▁passed ; ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁mistaken ▁for ▁a ▁lost ▁recording ▁from ▁the ▁band ' s ▁early ▁days ▁if ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁im pe cc able ▁production ", ▁and ▁P itch f ork ' s ▁Br andon ▁St os uy ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁band ▁" managed ▁to ▁expand ▁upon ▁what ▁they ▁did ▁best ▁without ▁losing ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁burn ". ▁José ▁Carlos ▁Santos ▁of ▁T error izer ▁called ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁past ▁and ▁present ▁perfect , ▁and ▁Pop Mat ters ''' ▁Dean ▁Brown ▁pra ised ▁the ▁album ▁for ▁both ▁respect ing ▁God f lesh ' s ▁early ▁material ▁and ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁future . ▁Bro adr ick ▁and ▁Green ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁album ' s ▁re gress ive ▁attitude ; ▁about ▁it , ▁the ▁former ▁said , ▁" It ▁will ▁definitely ▁sound ▁ag gress ive ▁and ▁it ▁probably ▁won