System Of A Down
	Rating: 98/100 Reviewed by: Thomas Nielsen, June '05 Label: American Style: Yes, lot's of them
Mezmerize

System Of A Down are an impossibility. They’re not real. Period.

I nevertheless saw them support Slayer in 1998. I had seen a video with them before that. And loved it. After the Slayer gig I loved them even more. They were so…different! So in your face weird and fresh.

I remember saying to one of my friends: “They will be huge some day” and I didn’t quite believe it myself. A few months later SOAD exploded into the mainstream. “Toxicity” was officially a mega hit, unlikely as it seemed when you listened to the blend of Eastern European sounds, Slayer riffs and just plain weirdness this album was made up from.

“My cock is bigger than yours” as the bands states in the hyper tune “Cigaro” on “Mezmerize”, and so it is. There is simply no stopping this band. Tankian and his fellow weirdos say whatever the hell they want – they can afford not to give a hoot, and I’ll bet ya that this album sells decent amounts too.

“Mezmerize” is just the step further from “Toxicity”, both thematically and in terms of the controlled aggression. Other news is that Daron Malakian has emanated as the main man behind SOAD, this time letting his voice ring to a greater degree than before on account of Serj’s, only adding to the versatility of the band’s sound.

And isn’t that versatility beautiful? Except the melancholic closing song “Lost in Hollywood ”, each song on this album is an explosion in its own right. The aggression and energy is unbelievable granted the fact that this is a mega-selling band who are actually played on MTV.

And where does that energy come from? Perhaps from the fact that the people behind SOAD have a heart full of vindication and anger against all the silly things we do to each other in this world. Can you believe it? Someone who actually sound as if they mean it? They convinced this poor hag.

SOAD mean business and they don’t give a shit. Hooray for SOAD, one of the best things to happen to the music business since Bill Haley!

Recommended: The entire lot