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Rating:
Yes, I know, there are many reviews of this album, but I wanted to review something by SOAD, to show how overrated these guys are and what better album than "Hypnotize"?
When System of A Down released their very raw (but for this reason decent) debut, let's be honest, nobody cared about them, then they made that pseudo-colossus (I don't know what's different from the debut) of "Toxicity" and then the SOAD-cyclone started: they are the best, the most technical, the most innovative, the most most most.. the most a bunch of nonsense, people went so far as to call them the best of nu metal, when they didn't even realize that nu metal and System of A Down are two profoundly different things, the first is a movement born with Korn and Deftones and continued in various directions with Incubus, Limp Bizkit, Soulfly, Slipknot, and Coal Chamber to name the most famous, System of A Down wanted to attach themselves to the nu-metal band label at the beginning and then when the genre was no longer trendy, they immediately got rid of this blessed "nu metal".
And today’s System of A Down comes out with these kinds of albums, this "Hypnotize" and its worthy counterpart "Mezmerize" are useful to themselves because honestly, it is just a mixture of pseudo-metal, pop rock, Armenian folk, and ska (never forget, the bass of SOAD is on ska lines (!!!!!!!!!!!!), a genre that has nothing to do with metal). But how did they earn these 2 thetrooper? you might ask yourselves (dear and always tough) readers, well, a bit because it's close to Christmas and also because not everything should be thrown away, because there are good tracks that although absurd and crazy in structure, riff, and voice (but aren't they going to disconnect the mic from the guitarist? What the hell is he singing for, if they have Tankian who is, after all, not the last one around in this kind of Zecchino D'Oro?) they are listenable, I'm talking about "Dreaming", "Kill Your Rock n' Roll", the title-track, "Soldier Side" (but is it a mandolin or the guitar?), the super pop "Lonely Day" and naturally the very sensible one with a text that more beautiful it can't be "Vicinity Of Obscenity".
So dear System Of A Down here a simple EP would have sufficed, you could have put these 6 pieces plus "BYOB" from "Mezmerize" (the only decent track... that album indeed deserves a 1) and you would have taken less money from your fans and maybe thetrooper would have given you 3 stars. Another thing regarding the lyrics: stop pretending to be revolutionaries in suits because no one falls for that anymore, to me politics is a serious thing and should enter music only skillfully, or else you end up like Rage Against The Machine (musically I don't touch them at all because they're great), also false-revolutionaries who were simultaneously publishing records on an American multinational. The only one who has always moved me a little bit in System of A Down is the drummer, he rocks and knows how to be super fast, the others are 3 clowns from the Takimiri circus (a circus that always comes by my area in the summer and more or less has 3 spectators at each show and one of them is me).
P.S.: I know the review is a bit crappy, but I can't write anything better when talking about SOAD... judge for yourselves.. I know there are lots of parentheses, but I like them!
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.
