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Rating:
After "Mezmerize", S.O.A.D. decided to astonish us with another masterpiece, "Hypnotize", which, combined with the previous one, would be a double CD, "Confuse" (Mezmerize) and "Hypnotize". This new album which, as the title says, was supposed to hypnotize us, I believe partially succeeded.
The album opens with "Attack", a song that more or less resumes the style of "Prison Song" from Toxicity, with slightly tedious repetitions and unoriginal choruses. However, this song manages to immerse us in the atmosphere of the 11 songs that will follow. "Dreaming", the second track, is a very hard song, very similar to "Cigaro" from Mezmerize, with numerous and electrifying chants alternating to create a smooth atmosphere, especially towards the middle of the song when the hard electric guitar riffs give way to Daron's melodious voice, which elevates the notes to a sublime atmosphere, almost like Serj did in "Chop Suey!" when he sang "i, cry, when angels deserve to die".
"Kill Rock 'N' Roll", a song that honestly did not excite me much, despite being very catchy and melodic, yet not very original. "Hypnotize", which gives the album its name, proves to be worthy of being one of the chosen ones, it's not very hard in sound, sung beautifully and perfectly fits within its context, exceeding all expectations, and it had to be released as the first single of the CD. "Stealing Society" is one of the worst songs on this Album, similar to "Attack", the same observations made for the latter apply here as well. "Tentative", which at first might seem quite boring, becomes more and more beautiful as the seconds of the player advance, reaching perfection in the last minute where the atmosphere calms down, echoing the style of "Dreaming".
"U-Fig" opens in perfection and closes in absolute perfection, sung entirely by Serj with Daron accompanying in the chorus, this strong melody is absolutely spot on in every way. "Holy Mountains" is perhaps the most beautiful of the Album, fully recapturing the style of the dear old Systems of "Toxicity" with strong drumbeats and bursts of guitar that transform everything into sound, even the blow of a hammer heard outside your room; this should have, in my opinion, been released as a single, absolutely. Number 9, "Vicinity Of Obscenity", tasty and too, absolutely too commercial; there isn't much to describe since the song is always the same, as is the one that follows, "She's Like Heroin", entirely banal and purposeless.
And here we come to the two masterpieces of this album, Number 11, "Lonely Day", if this isn't one of the best songs by System tomorrow I'll change my name to ASDRUBALEVERCINGETORIGE, "Lonely Day" is a calm song, as calm as S.O.A.D. can make a song, sung entirely by Daron, with Serj playing the acoustic guitar here; celestial, ferocious, magnificent melody, P-E-R-F-E-C-T! Nothing more to say.
"Soldier Side", which we have already had the opportunity to be introduced to in the intro of Mezmerize, is one of the favorites to become a legend, if I had to make a mix with the best System songs, this would definitely be included, without a second thought, "welcome to the soldier side where there's no one here but me, people all grow up to die, there is no one here but me".
Buy this album, it's worth it.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Attack (03:06)
Breathing each other's lives
Holding this in mind
That if we fall, we all fall
And we fall alone
The cold insincerity of steel machines
Have consumed our euphoria
Transforming us into muted dreams
Dreaming of the day that
We attack
Attack, attack your fetal servitude
We attack
Attack, attack, attack with pesticide
We attack
All the years of propaganda
We shall attack!
Bombs illustrate what we already know
Candles cry towards the sky
Racing your flags along polluted coast
Dreaming of the day that
We attack
Attack, attack your fetal servitude
We attack
Attack, attack, attack with pesticide
We attack
All the years of propaganda
We shall attack!
Attack! (Attack!)
Breathing each other's lives
Holding this in mind
That if we fall, we all fall
And we fall alone
Breathing each other's lives
Holding this in mind
That if we fall, we all fall
And we fall alone
Was the philosophy of displaced minds
The bombing of all homes and villages?
Truth is the only sword bleeding minds
Bleeding till the day that
We attack
Attack, attack your fetal servitude
We attack
Attack, attack, attack with pesticide
We attack
All the years of propaganda
We shall attack!
Attack all the homes and villages
Attack all the schools and hospitals
You attack all the rapes and pillages
We shall attack!
We shall attack!
03 Kill Rock 'n Roll (02:27)
So I felt like the biggest asshole
Felt like the biggest asshole
when I killed your rock and roll
Mow down the sexy people
Every time I look in your eyes, every day I'm watching you die
All the thoughts I see in you about how I
So I felt like the biggest asshole
(felt like the biggest asshole)
When I killed your rock n roll
(mow down the sexy people)
Every time I look In your eyes, every day I'm watching you die
All the thoughts I see in you about how I
Eat all the grass
Eat all the grass that you want
Accidents happen In the dark
Eat all the grass that you want
Accidents happen In the dark
Eat all the grass that you want
Accidents happen In the dark
Eat all the grass that you want
Accidents happen
Every time I look In your eyes, every day I'm watching you die
All the thoughts I see in you about how I
Why Why
Why Why
So I felt like the biggest asshole
When I killed rock n roll
When I felt like the biggest asshole
When I kill rock n roll
04 Hypnotize (03:09)
Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen square?
Was Fashion the reason why they were there?
They disguise it, Hypnotize it
Television made you buy it
I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my...
She's scared that I will take her away from there
Her dreams that her country left with no one there
Mezmerize the simple minded
Propaganda leaves us blinded
I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my
Girl
05 Stealing Society (02:58)
Yeah, oh right
Yeah, oh right
Two skies
Watching it all, fading
Two skies
Living it all, fading
Two skies
Watching it all, fading
Two skies fading
One's abating
Two suns
Living it all, dying
Two suns fighting
One's abiding
Two suns
Watching them both fighting
Two suns
Seeing them both dying
Two suns
Watching them both fighting
Two suns fighting
One's abiding
Two skies
Seeing them both dying
Two skies fading
One's abating
Crack pipes, needles, PCP and fast cars
Kind of mix really well in a dead movie star If I feel like talking, I
never be wrong If I feel like walking, you best come along
I close my windows
Crank the heat up high
Till my palms are wet
And my tongue is dry
I'm looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
I'm a midnight fistfight
Looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
I'm a midnight fistfight
Looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
Alright
I'm looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
(Two suns fighting, one's abiding)
Alright
Looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
(Two skies fading, one's abating)
Cause I'm looking for a mother
That will get me high
Just a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
(Two suns fighting, one's abiding)
I'm looking for a mother
That will get me high
I'm a stupid motherfucker
If I die, I die
(Two skies, two suns, watching them all go)
Yeah, alright, yeah, alright
06 Tentative (03:36)
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight
While you are talking all detached, so tell us
Where you're going to the bottom
Do you hear us? We are rotting
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now!
Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide
The masked comforts to delusionals, they're all in fright
The true believer's head was bathed in sunlight
While you are walking all detached, so tell us
Where you're going to the bottom
Do you hear us we are rotting?
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now, not even God!
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect them to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling over our head with no sight
While you are talking all detached, detached, detached, detached, detached,
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now! (not even god!)
No one saved us, no one saved us
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us now
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
07 U-Fig (02:55)
Melt in the sun, melt in the sun!
Who wants to come with me and melt in the sun?
Hide in the sky, hide in the sky!
Who wants to come with me and hide in the sky?
You and me should go outside and...
Beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' beat 'em beat 'em
All pathetic flag waving ignorant geeks and we'll
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
Come join the cause, come join the cause!
Who wants to come with me and come join the cause!
Hide in the sky, hide in the sky!
Who wants to come with me and hide in the sky!
You and me should go outside and...
Beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' beat 'em beat 'em
All pathetic flag waving ignorant geeks and we'll
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
You and me should go outside and...
Beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' beat 'em beat 'em
All pathetic flag waving ignorant geeks and we'll
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
Realize you're blind
And we're out of time it'll show your mind
Melt in the sun, melt in the sun!
Who wants to come with me and melt in the sun?
Hide in the sky, hide in the sky!
Who wants to come with me and hide in the sky?
You and me should go outside and...
Beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' beat 'em beat 'em
All pathetic flag waving ignorant hicks and we'll
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
You and me should go outside and
Beat em' beat em' beat em' beat em' beat 'em beat 'em
All pathetic flag waving ignorant hicks and we'll
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
Eat em' eat em' eat em' eat em' eat 'em eat 'em
It'll show your mind that you have a mind
08 Holy Mountains (05:28)
Can you feel their haunting presence?
Can you feel their haunting presence?
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back To The River Aras!
Someone's blank stare deemed it warfare
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back to the River Aras !
Freedom
Freedom
We're free
We're free
Can you hear the Holy Mountains?
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back to the River Aras!
Someone's mouth said paint them all red
LIAR! KILLER! DEMON!
Back to the River Aras!
Freedom
Freedom
We're free
We're free
They have all returned, resting on the mountain side
We have learned that you have no
They have returned resting on the mountain side
We have learned that you have no
HONOR! MURDERER! SODOMIZER!
Back To The River Aras!
They have returned, resting on the mountain side
We have learned that you have no
HONOR! MURDERER! SODOMIZER!
Back to the River Aras!
Freedom
Freedom
We're free
Freedom
09 Vicinity of Obscenity (02:51)
Liar!
Liar!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie
Is there a perfect way of holding you baby?! (Liar)
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes!
Terracotta terracotta terracotta PIE!
Is there a perfect way of holding you baby?! (Liar)
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes!
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!
Do we all learn defeat from the whores with bad feet
Beat the meat, treat the feet
To the sweet milky seat
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana terracotta banana terrecotta terracotta pie!
Is there a perfect way of holding you baby?! (Liar)
Vicinity of obscenity in your eyes!
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie (Hey!)
Terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Do we all learn defeat from the whores with bad feet
Beat the meat, treat the feet
To the sweet milky seat
Liar [moan]
Liar [moan]
Liar [demon moan]
Liar [moan]
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
Banana banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie!
10 She's Like Heroin (02:44)
She's like heroin
Sipping through a little glass
I'm looking for some help
I need someone to save her ass
Chinese tricks in rooms
With ghosts of hooker girlie dudes
Me and heroin, maybe we can make some cash selling
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
She wants nothing more
But to be a little whore
He wants nothing less
But to wear a little dress
She's like heroin
Sipping through a little glass
I'm looking for some help
I need someone to make some cash selling
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
ASS
Selling ass for heroin
She's like heroin
Sipping through a little glass
I'm looking for some help
I need someone to save her ass
She wants nothing more
But to be a little whore
He wants nothing less
But to wear a little dress
She's like heroin
Sipping through a little glass
I'm looking for some help
I need someone to save her ass
Chinese tricks in rooms
With ghosts of hooker girlie dudes
Me and heroin, maybe we can make some cash
She's like heroin
Sipping through a little glass
I'm looking for some help
I need someone to save my ass
11 Lonely Day (02:47)
Such a lonely day
And it's mine
The most loneliest day of my life
Such a lonely day
Should be banned
It's a day that I can't stand
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
Such a lonely day
Shouldn't exist
It's a day that I'll never miss
Such a lonely day
And it's mine
The most loneliest day of my life
And if you go
I want to go with you
And if you die
I want to die with you
Take your hand and walk away
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
Such a lonely day
And it's mine
It's a day that I'm glad I survived
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Other reviews
By Spike Joe1
The album opens really well with the adrenaline-pumped 'Attack' in pure System Of A Down style.
'Holy Mountains' offers five and a half minutes of pure musical enjoyment.
By AndJusticeForAll
The voices of Tankian and Malakian blend fairly well and result as very (too much) catchy (commercial?).
A nice little album and that’s it, pleasant to listen to when you want uncommitted music.
By Divodark
This yet another overrated nu-metal band had the brilliant idea of releasing two practically identical albums six months apart for business reasons.
Buy this album and you’ll be left with nothing in hand.
By rockanto
With this epic work, Serj Tankian & co. have definitively become a commercial band (which is not necessarily a bad thing).
"Vicinity of Obscenity" is simply brilliant: starting with a rhythm marked by drumsticks, then psycho rock with filtered voice, a dance hint and a funky soul ’70s chorus, followed by metal again.
By alCOOL
Of this last double 'masterpiece' I didn’t include even one [song]!
Mezmerize + Hypnotize = money in the wallet + desire to hunt for old albums.
