Describing the record as "one of the 90's definitive metallic works", Kevin Stewart-Panko argues that ''Destroy Erase Improve's
unique fusion of genres amounted to a new "watermark" for heavy metal upon its release. Metal critic Martin Popoff regards Destroy Erase Improve
as the first clear demonstration of what would become the quintessential Meshuggah sound, wherein "stutter gun" riffs and "upset apple cart time signatures" are featured alongside "bone-breaking" percussion, an approach which resulted in considerable influence in the development of genres like mathcore and djent. Popoff suggests that Destroy Erase Improve'' is the clear linchpin of Meshuggah's particular style, a "specific, nearly absurd proposal that only this band has dared to own." The album was ranked number 42 on
Rolling Stones
50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time list. In 2017,
Rolling Stone ranked
Destroy Erase Improve as 77th on their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time.' Two tracks from the album appear in the shockumentary film series
Traces of Death with "Vanished" in the third installment and "Future Breed Machine" in the fourth. ==Track listing==