Crowbarred's Mellow Mix Volume 1: MM Vol 1 - 037

Number 037

System of a Down

"Chop Suey"

(2001)

Genre: Hard Rock

System of A Down screamed at us in 2001, in fact it was pretty hard even for me even not to notice them, they were, well, different. The look, the sound, everything really. "Chop Suey" was the first song that took my interest, it was so catchy.... "Wake up, Why did you take the keys from the table" and then with lyrics "Angels deserve to dieeeeeeeeeeee". And if that wasn't enough, the video was.

These guys deserved the attention with a need to be taken seriously & i tell you what, not many bands do that, but they did, big time.

System of a Down's 1998 debut was initially overlooked by the mainstream hard rock audience, as well as the specialized press. But heavy metal cognoscenti in both camps quickly realized that in their hands was a potentially crucial stepping stone for the future development of heavy metal. Sure enough, so challenging and groundbreaking were its contents that the album soared over most everyone's unsuspecting heads, its eventual gold sales status only achieved via Columbia Records' massive promotional muscle and nearly three years of intensive touring on the band's part. Consequently, early believers were pleasantly surprised when 2001's long awaited follow-up, Toxicity met with instant popular acceptance, skyrocketing up the charts toward multi-platinum success. Yet, for the most part, it also managed to retained SOAD's unorthodox signature sound: so-called "nu-metal" uniquely infused with remarkable originality, including angular riffs, jagged rhythms, and oblique lyrics splattered all over the place. Like its predecessor, Toxicity seems utterly chaotic upon first listen, but things quickly begin falling into place, thanks to a number of small refinements, not least of which is a more generous melody, obviously pre-meditated, but rarely overdone.

In turn, this immediacy greatly improved the album's chances at radio -- case in point, first single "Chop Suey!," a track so potent not even September 11, nor mainstream radio's ensuing self-imposed, politically correct attempt at self-censorship, could tear from the airwaves (despite its none-too-discreet lyrics about suicide), the song's surprising success was reminiscent of another left-field hit from a decade earlier, Faith No More's "Epic" (hear its piano-led outro for proof). And sure enough, from the unexpected false starts of "Prison Song" to the relatively mellow conclusion of "Aerials," the band's heightened commercial sensibility continues to joust with their inherently quirky songwriting. The excellent title track, "Forest," and "Science" are among the most accessible standouts from an incredibly diverse set, the likes of which SOAD's inferior nu-metal peers could only hope to emulate.

Lyrically, it's simply no contest. Whether tackling typical rock subject matter like drug abuse ("Needles") and groupies ("Psycho"), or embarking on inscrutable Dadaist gems like "Jet Pilot" and "Shimmy," co-songwriters Daron Malakian and Serj Tankain sound like are the bastard children of Frank Zappa and Slayer. And while sub-Rage Against the Machine political invective (unfairly attributed to their Armenian heritage) remains an integral part of the band's creative makeup (e.g. "Deer Dance," "Atwa"), Toxicity's approach is much more cautious in this regard than that of their incendiary debut. In conclusion, when a band takes this many left turns, you'd expect them to start going in circles sooner rather than later, but this is not the case with System of a Down. Hands down one of 2001's top metal releases, Toxicity may well prove to be a lasting heavy metal classic to boot. ~ [Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide]

Odd Fact ?

Serj Tankian Becomes A New Zealand Citizen Posted by ZAk on Friday, August 03, 2007 - 09:08 PM. System of a Down rocker Serj Tankian has become a New Zealand citizen, after falling in love with the country. The Lebanon-born heavy-metaler has been based in the U.S., but fell in love with New Zealand after traveling there to relax after recording his new solo album - and he has stayed put.He explains, "After recording the album I withdrew and took off there for three months, which I had to do to gain citizenship."I'm such a crazy workaholic that it was hard stepping away from my work in LA, but it was great because it allowed me to reflect. It made me think, 'Wow man, I have this amazing life.'" Serj Tankian has set October 23rd as a date to release his solo album "Elect The Dead". The first single "Unthinking Majority" will be digitally released on August 7th followed by another single , 'Empty Walls', to be released on October 15.

For Faith No More visit The Def 1000 #780

For Rage Against The Machine visit The Def 1000#588

This song has a crowbarred rating of 93 out of 108