It was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago in late 2001, and was the band's first album released after their slight name change (moving the exclamation mark from the "emperor" to the "you").

Lacking both their characteristic interwoven field recordings and specifically named movements, the album was instead described by the band as "just raw, angry, dissonant, epic instrumental rock".

[4] The packaging of the album contains an arrow diagram purporting to represent the links between four major record labels (AOL Time-Warner, BMG, Sony, Vivendi Universal) and various arms manufacturers.

The track also appears on bandmember Aidan Girt's related project 1-Speed Bike's debut album Droopy Butt Begone!

[8] Finally, the second part of the two-part track "motherfucker=redeemer" is about five minutes longer on the LP due to an extended ambient opening.

[10] While some, such as Thom Jurek of AllMusic, praised the release as being among the group's finest albums,[11] others, like Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork, derided it for its "sluggishness and a lack of invention".