As the title of the album suggests, this release is full of sarcastic, unpretentious misanthropy. When you review the track listing, you’ll see that first on the list is “Mudfucker.” It certainly sets the mood for the duration. The lyrics for their song “Rattlesnake Steps,” which begins with a sardonic snicker from one of the musicians, remind me of the kinds of things a mentally ill homeless person would mutter to themselves and howl in to the night. It works as an analogy for the pharmaceutical industry and as a picture of futility in the face of complex and undefeatable horror, as well. Not bad for less than a minute’s worth of music. 

And then we come to “Punching Nancy Grace.” I’m not going to give my opinion on the television journalist, but I would bet there are plenty of people that could relate to this song. This brief beating employs a naturally crude style and is basic in its double entendre, but it is an effective conveying of disgust at the state of tabloid journalism. 

In “Our Creation,” the vocalist mentions PBR as a “sedative fix.” Besides this taunt, little else here is memorable. But then again, it’s a death-grind record: consider the whole of its parts with a grain of salt and a sense of humor, and you might enjoy it. 

What I’m most impressed with is the lyricist’s ability to not only portray bleak and violent scenario from the perspective of a beleagured, bloody protagonist but to also do it in a way that isn’t self-serving or an invitation to parody the sentiment. The injunction “go fuck your picket fence” is hilarious to me. The music throughout this album is nearly as subtle.

My issue with Please Explode is that, musically speaking, nothing stands out. The musicians are swift and creative in their changes and everything has an authentic sound due to the recording but there is little in the sense of the remarkable. If you want acerbic, irreverent commentary, this album offers it in abundance. If you don’t care about that very much, you still might enjoy songs like “Bear Molester” and “Laid Off For X-Mas.”