Link: System of a Down
The Inside Pulse:
After their breakthrough album Toxicity, System of a Down has been tearing up the metal scene. From their aptly titled b-sides album Steal This Album, to their most recent outing Mesmerize, System of a Down is firmly entrenched as one of, if not, the biggest metal band in the world today. With their release of Hypnotize, they complete the promised double album as a companion to the aforementioned Mesmerize.
Positives:
Just a total rockin’ album. It’s delivery is manic, a lot of the lyrics don’t make sense, but in the end, it all seems to flow together. A politically charged band in the past, they still have those elements, but it’s not the main focus of this album.
Again, both Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian shine on this album in the vocal department, complimenting each other so well it’s almost scary. From Serj’s operatic singing to his screeching, to Darion’s awkward vocals, it all blends together seamlessly.
Another beautiful thing is the fact this album is heavier than Mesmerize, yet still retains its beautiful sound.
Negatives:
The only negative is that this album wasn’t combined with the last one to create a double album. With those together, this could be one of the greatest album’s not only of the year, but of all time.
Cross-breed:
If you don’t know what System of a Down sounds like, you need to crawl out from under your rock. To the uninitiated, it’s Armanian metal.
Reason to buy:
If you have Mesmerize, then you need this album. (Not to mention that they made the packaging so both can actually be linked together to create a true double album) This is unquestionably the best metal album of the year, a contender for album of the year, and doubled with Mesmerize, creates one of the best double albums of all time, ranking right up there with Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness as one of the only double albums that doesn’t suck.
