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Rating:
On October 23, the solo album by Serj Tankian is released worldwide [For those who don't know him, he is the singer of the System Of A Down].
This album seems to be Tankian's response to the fans of the masterpiece "Toxicity" who didn't much appreciate the recent works [including myself] of "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize": his voice seems to have regained its old role with all its eclecticism; very fast and very melodic pieces; politically charged lyrics. The strength that differentiates it from the old Serj is the addition of a recurring female voice and a very prominent piano.
On a first listen, I would have just written that and given the album a solid eight. But, of course, I didn't listen to it just once, unfortunately. At a certain point, you'll realize that something is missing: the shrill croaks of Malakian, the somewhat angry riffs, the lack of tribal elements [that so characterize the group's first eponymous work]; and it's not just a matter of nostalgia but also a lack of depth. We have a good album here, that flows nicely and can be very pleasing but is somewhat disappointing concerning the expectations of thousands of very excited fans [who will immediately scream masterpiece].
Moving on to analyzing the concept, this album is steeped in tragedy and sacredness, which become evident upon listening to Money and Feed Us, in pure Innervision style ["Steal This Album"]; some tracks seem to be too similar to each other and repetitive, but some truly deserve attention, starting with Sky is Over, accompanied by a great piano surge halfway through and the very tribal lalalalala à la Tankian, always appreciated; immediately followed by Baby, which initially presents itself as a slow piano ballad fused with an aggressive riff and a driving drumbeat [that very much hints at headbanging]. Two words must be spent on the very peculiar Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition, dense with experimentalism and disjointed choruses that give a strong sense of ethnicity to the piece.
Moving on to the two singles released before the Album, Empty Walls seems designed to get into your head and never leave, accompanied by a touching and evocative video; The Unthinking Majority, on the other hand, seems to be one of the best on the album and deserves attention: full of rage and very fast with a calm chorus that almost invites reflection on the [now ravaged] issues that this piece raises.
In essence, we have a good product here, but with flaws here and there that are worth listening to with attention. It will certainly be much talked about, and there will be many divergent opinions.
6.5/10
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