system of a down / albums

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6,487 SHARES
44,952 FAVS
3,127 fans

Mezmerize (Parental Advisory),System of a Down

- Mezmerize (Parental Advisory)
- - 7,271,813 plays
  - 7,223 favs
  - 1,434 shares
System of a Down
Released 2005

Violent Pornography
03:31
845,265 plays

Radio/Video
04:09
672,669 plays

Question!
03:21
662,522 plays

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songs

- 1
- Soldier Side- Intro
- 01:04
- 383,284 plays

- 2
- B.Y.O.B.
- 04:17
- 1,504,939 plays

- 3
- Revenga
- 03:48
- 589,069 plays

- 4
- Cigaro
- 02:13
- 629,213 plays

- 5
- Radio/Video
- 04:09
- 672,669 plays

- 6
- This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
- 02:08
- 489,153 plays

- 7
- Violent Pornography
- 03:31
- 845,265 plays

- 8
- Question!
- 03:21
- 662,522 plays

- 9
- Sad Statue
- 03:26
- 499,983 plays

- 10
- Old School Hollywood
- 02:57
- 495,206 plays

- 11
- Lost In Hollywood
- 05:21
- 500,553 plays

album review

Adjectives like "ambitious," "jagged," and "startling" have always defined System of a Down, and their third official full-length is no different. Prerelease, the band described Mezmerize as being the first part -- the first side -- of what's essentially a double album. The records' packaging would even slot together, making the eventual Mezmerize/Hypnotize whole. Appropriately then, there's an intro to System's first new material since 2001's brilliant Toxicity. On "Soldier Side" Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian harmonize as they do throughout the record, and Malakian's guitar has a mournful, Eastern air. But it's just a lull before "B.Y.O.B.," a thrash assault pierced with rabid and incredulous screams. "Why do they always send the poor?" Suddenly the gears switch, and the song stomps in crunchy half-time as its lyrics riff with a sick grin on cultural ignorance. The government's lying, System's saying, but "Blast off!/It's party time." The vocal exploration between Tankian and Malakian on Mezmerize is a thrill -- they spur each other on like a two-headed hardcore hero. Their intermingling voices make "Cigaro" more aggressive, frantic, operatic, and totally bananas; they'd be triumphant over the break in "Violent Pornography" if they weren't spitting out lines like "Choking chicks and sodomy." The fantastic "Pornography" is a rusty shiv of absurdity, another example of System's ability to effectively skewer society with little more than hyper guitar, blistering percussion, and weird turns of phrase. Their volatile mix of righteousness, wordiness, odd meters, and thrash has balanced System's activism since their self-titled debut, making them "unique heavy music" over the much more problematic "unique, heavily political music." And Mezmerize doesn't fail to be unique. "Old School Hollywood" essays the bizarre experience of a celebrity baseball game ("Tony Danza cuts in line!") over keyboard effects from "Beat It" and a brutally simplistic rhythm, "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song" is more twisted-tongue histrionics and explosive playing, and Tankian and Malakian's harmonies are the catalyst (again!) for making "Revenga" a truly feral epic. System of a Down -- what's another adjective for "awesome"? ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

more albums by this artist

See all

- - Toxicity
  - Released 2001

- - Steal This Album! (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 2002

- - System Of A Down (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 1998

- - Hypnotize (Parental Advisory)
  - Released 2005

listener reviews

- - The best
  - - By Ryan1295
    - 7/17/2009 02:48:22
  - Definately their best album. My all time favorite album ever made.
  - 4 out of 4 people
  - think this is useful

- - Simply Amazing
  - - By Godofmedia
    - 3/7/2009 21:31:23
  - I have had this album for less than 5 days and have already listened to all of the songs a total of over 200 times...The first SOAD song I ever heard was Chop Suey and this entire album reflects that style and that is the style that they need to keep with for the rest of their career. Honestly I couldn't pick a favorite of all of their albums. All of their music is meaningful and kicks ass.
  - 3 out of 3 people
  - think this is useful

- - AWESOME
  - - By DaVe4343
    - 12/15/2008 05:23:40
  - i can't say i agree with allofushere, becuz i think ALL of system's stuff is good. It wud b very difficult for me to pick fav's. But this is an EXTREMELY good album, with high intensity songs that will have you singing them at work, or school, or whatever ALL DAY LONG. I was in class, and i started singing Violent Pornography to myself (yes, ik, not the most appropriate for school), and somebody heard me, and began singing along. Soon, everybody cud here us. Obviously it's extremely hard NOT to love SOAD, and there is no exception with this awesome album. I suggest buying this if you dont already own it, cuz trust me, you'll love it.
  - 3 out of 3 people
  - think this is useful

- - THE BEST
  - - By allofushere
    - 10/23/2008 03:17:36
  - this is crearly their GREATEST album why can others not realize that -_-
  - 3 out of 3 people
  - think this is useful