Some critics said Caress of Steel was unfocused and an audacious move for the band because of the placement of two back-to-back protracted songs, as well as a heavier reliance on atmospherics and story-telling, a large deviation from Fly by Night.
Beberapa kritikus mengatakan Caress of Steel adalah fokus dan terobosan berani dari band karena penempatan dua back-to-back lagu beturut-turut, serta ketergantungan berat pada atmospherics dan tema cerita, berbanding terbalik dari Fly by Night.