Critical
Speaking for Jesus Freak Hideout, Evan Dickens labelled There Was a Light Here as "[Demon Hunter's] best work in nearly a decade," as well being "an immediate contender for best album of the year." He went on to praise the album's "expansive sonic playground." Dickens also stated that the album's ending had significant "emotional resonance," as opposed to most of Demon Hunter's albums. He completed the review in saying that the album was "a thoughtful masterpiece," awarding the album with a four-out-of-five star rating. [11]
In agreement with the rating, Scott Fryberger spoke on the album in a second review for Jesus Freak Hideout. He observed that the album contained a combination of "furious metalcore," "rock ballads," and "really strong rock tracks," succeeding in "balanc[ing] the harder and softer sides really well." He noted that it was "emotionally heavy" and overall, stated that the album was "easily one of the strongest, most mature, and most well-rounded albums the band has ever released." [11] Jesus Freak Hideout labelled the album as the second best album of 2025, following Plead the Widow's Cause' Silver Glass Stare. [12]
