Piece of Time has been described as sounding like "a
death/thrash record made by players who had heard a
Return to Forever record in their time." 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." Additionally, it has been described as "a
death [metal] album as conceived from a
jazz-rock aesthetic." 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. This was tight and rich in the
string instruments but perhaps most wild and loose-limbed in Steve Flynn’s drumming. He punched, stretched and pulled the
beat; but not much, not yet. That would come
later." According to Eduardo Rivadavia of
AllMusic, the album "[meshes] frantic, severely
discordant chords and sparse melodies with the agonized
growls of frontman Kelly Shaefer." The album makes use of start-stop rhythms and
turnarounds. == Reception and legacy ==