Rolling Stone writer John Grissim wrote on the album's release that "Shock Treatment isn't really. But it does offer ten tightly arranged compositions notable for brassy melodic lines superimposed on a rhythmically complex percussion base. The album's desirability as an addition to a record collection is largely dependent upon whether you have a taste for a big band sound". The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars stating "Don Ellis was such a talented trumpeter, composer, and organizer that everything he recorded as a leader has at least some unusual moments worth exploring. His big bands were characterized by big brassy arrangements, odd meters that somehow always swung, lots of trumpet solos by Ellis, and an often visceral excitement. Although not equal to his best records such as Electric Bath, this late recording of Ellis' band is filled with all these traits, and thus exudes lots of excitement and electricity". The Penguin Guide to Jazz said "There are signs that Ellis was moving in a more commercial direction at this point, perhaps aware that jazz was still losing ground to pop and rock, though he must have known that as long as popular music was dance-driven it was unlikely that his work would have a major market presence".