The album received a positive reception. Staff reviewer Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic gave the album four out of five stars, praising the lyrics as well as the track arrangement, concluding that "in refining the band’s sound and style so effectively, ‘The Fire’ is ultimately a resounding success which meets its objectives." Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk.net was positive, commenting "Yes, there are imperfections (a recycled riff here, some flat vocals there), but overall The Fire is the essential Senses Fail record to own" and that it is "Full of aggression and just enough catchiness to please both types of fans".[12] Allmusic also gave a positive review, stating that the album "starts with a small spark that quickly builds itself into an emotional blaze that burns steadily across all 11 tracks, taking the listener on an exceptional musical ride" and that it "shifts gears from good cop to bad cop effortlessly".
AlterthePress was more negative, saying "Whilst Senses Fail have proved to be consistent, 'The Fire' just about falls into being labelled as being 'safe,'" with a rating of three out of five. Daily Dischord.com also called that album 'safe' and that "Senses Fail have yet again shown no ambition to break out of their comfort zone".
在完成了Life Is Not a Waiting Room这张专辑后,Senses Fail其实已经开始了第四张录音室专辑的制作,与此同时乐队(在之前也提到过)正式宣布了Zack Roach会代替吉他手Heath Saraceno加入乐队中,并预定在2010年6月份的发行新专辑,命名为The Fire。