The album received positive reviews, but didn't experience mainstream popularity, selling only 87,000 copies in the United States.

[5] Early demos for the album were recorded in September 1999, including several songs which would end up being cut from the final track list.

On March 10, 2000, the band flew to Canada, arriving at a studio located in Vancouver, British Columbia to begin recording Violence, spending six weeks in the city.

In a 2017 interview, drummer Chris Houck stated he learned that he had dangerously high blood pressure levels prior to recording the album, which would eventually lead to him leaving the band.

"[13][14] AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said, "The combo strives for freshness and originality, providing a compelling blend of melody and brute force."