The band's first release for the label, it was produced by Alan Douches and guitarist Kurt Ballou, with the artwork created by vocalist Jacob Bannon.

[7] Converge began writing for You Fail Me after they recorded Jane Doe; they wrote on the road during sound checks of shows.

When asked about the concept of the album, Bannon said:"After Jane Doe was recorded and released, I thought I was going to feel the emotional burden I was carrying lift from my shoulders.

The band was "never quite content" with the original mix, and had guitarist Kurt Ballou remix the album and Alan Douches remaster it.

The reissue also features updated cover artwork with an inverted color scheme, a black-outlined hand on a white background.

In an interview with Noisey, Ballou explained why he felt the album needed to be remixed:"You Fail Me was the last time Converge did a record where I wasn't involved in the entire engineering process.

Upon completing No Heroes and managing to make my bandmates happy with the work I did on that record, I thought that I'd really like to go back and remix You Fail Me.

I can't remember the exact details, but I think we booked six days of mixing with him, but he ended up having to do it in about three because he'd come in, work for half an hour, and the power would go out.

AllMusic said that the album "manages to hit all the right emotional highs and lows" and called it "a visceral and bracing blend of metal and old-school, CBGB-worthy gutter hardcore".

[17] Joe Pazner of Stylus Magazine said that "Converge has emerged an impeccably pared-down case study in calculated cruelty, resourcefulness and cunning tempered by desperation.

More than any record in their expansive catalog, You Fail Me stands as testament to the brutal necessities Converge has created to ensure its survival.

"[citation needed] Adam Turner-Heffer of Sputnikmusic called the band "as important as Botch and Palehorse in their own genres, and with [You Fail Me], they are here to prove it".