Mutilator Defeated at Last

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.6/10[2]
Metacritic	82/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The A.V. Club	B[5]
Consequence of Sound	B[6]
Mojo	[7]
NME	8/10[8]
The Observer	[9]
Pitchfork	7.8/10[10]
The Skinny	[11]
Tiny Mix Tapes	4/5[12]
Uncut	8/10[13]

Mutilator Defeated at Last received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 82 based on 13 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3]

In a positive review, AllMusic's Tim Sendra praised core member John Dwyer's songwriting and the album's overall aesthetic, writing: "Dwyer continues to crank out consistently great to amazing songs and albums that overflow with hot-wired guitars, over-revved vocals, and giant, jagged hooks. [...] After Drop some might have expected Thee Oh Sees to continue to explore their softer side, Mutilator Defeated At Last confounds those expectations. Blows them up, really, in a giant fireball of guitars, noise, and psychedelic power."[4] In another positive review Pitchfork's Aaron Leitko wrote: "As with Drop, this extra polish and attention benefits Mutilator. There are tasteful psychedelic embellishments—synth wooshes, delay trails—and new instrumentation, like electric organ and acoustic guitar. The fuzz and grime have been peeled back a little, leaving room for more density and detail."[10]

NME's Cian Traynor praised the contributions of new members Tim Hellman and Nick Murray, writing: "The new rhythm section of Tim Hellman and Nick Murray slot seamlessly into place, helping bandleader John Dwyer capture a sound that epitomises Thee Oh Sees: tight but unhinged, urgent but infectious."[8] Writing for The Quietus, Nick Hutchings also praised the album, writing: "Thee Oh Sees have a daunting discography, but much like The Fall they offer an entire and immersive universe in which you may not need any other band, or any other sensory sustenance."[14]

All tracks are written by Thee Oh Sees.

Thee Oh Sees

• John Dwyer – guitars, lead vocals, synths, mellotron
• Tim Hellman – bass guitar
• Nick Murray – drums
• Chris Woodhouse – synth, mellotron, percussion
• Brigid Dawson – backing vocals

Recording personnel

• Chris Woodhouse – recording and mixing

Artwork

• Tetsunori Tawaraya – cover artwork
• John Dwyer – photographs
• Doctor Matthew Jones – layout