•
Rating:
I must say right away that I do not at all agree with most of the reviews on this site that have dismissed this album, even though (serious) comments are obviously welcome, as are critiques.
That said, it is also fair to say that I am neither a detractor of musical evolutions (without which there would never have even been talk of a "new wave of British heavy metal," just to stay in the heavy field...) nor an old-school fan; but simply a big fan of rock and metal music in general and above all a great fan of System of a Down.
Therefore, given their already obvious evolutions from the first to the second album, it was not reasonable to expect an album with a fast and almost thrash style like Toxicity nor the schizophrenic atmospheres of the debut. Even though all the qualities that characterize the band have not been abandoned and by now we all know the beauty of productions made in System, the first chapter of an announced double CD, Mezmerize, is a bomb, which I would rather call a "time bomb," since it will take much longer to please you, but still devastating in its whirlpool of genres, progressive hints, even almost ska and punk, as NEVER heard before on one of our CDs.
Because even though the previous works were properly Metal or Nu Metal (always with the due influences), the new work is by now the band's most daring release, where millions and millions of hints are practically mixed in different musical fields.
Speaking of songs, I prominently mention Bring Your Own Bombs (B.Y.O.B. for the less attentive fans), with its sublime breaks almost in r'n'b style and a power in the rhythms and lyrics perhaps never seen before. Because beyond the incredible voice of the leader Serj, this time the one who gives the most contribution is the brilliant guitarist, namely Daron, who with his powerful and ringing voice hitherto unexpressed (or not fully expressed in previous CDs) adds more weight to the compositions which become even more full of nuances.
The sublime "Cigaro" is indeed noted, where the System pour all their almost punk anger into a super violent and very well conceived song, "Revenga" and "Violent Pornography," which with their almost Primus Style bouncy structures and hypnotic riffs represent true masterpieces; while the most successful track is certainly the anthem "Folk Radio/Video," where the band's schizophrenia combines with successful Middle Eastern rhythms like never heard before.
Each song represents a standalone creative peak, with its own personality and unique style, and also thanks to these qualities the CD will remain in your player for a long time (I listened to it eight times in a row as soon as I bought it) without ever tiring you.
And after two masterpieces like the self-titled and Toxicity, one really couldn't expect anything better.
If you don't like it, you'll be missing out on yet another gem from a band that has already indelibly revolutionized the world of metal.
Seminal.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 B.Y.O.B. (04:15)
Why do they always send the poor?
Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels
Victorious victorious kneel
For brand new spankin' deals
Marching forward hypocritic and
Hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine
Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox sealing
Our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine
Blast off!
It's party time!
And we all live in a fascist nation!
Blast off!
It's party time!
And where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox sealing
Our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party, have a real good time
Dancing in the desert, blowing up the sun
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor!
They always send the poor!
03 Revenga (03:48)
Poisoning a drink
Bleeding in a sink
Choking with a link
Killing with a stink
Just your mother's
HO
Bleeding in a sink
Poisoning a drink
Burning up
My sweet Clementine
Trampling a shrink
Bleeding in a sink
Halleluiah wink
Getting on the brink
Just your mother's
HO
Halleluiah wink
Murdering a shrink
Burning up
On my sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making baby
My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making baby
Killing with a stink
Bleeding in a sink
Poisoning a drink
Getting on the brink
Just your mother's
HO
Bleeding in a sink
Trampling a shrink
Burning up
My sweet Clementine
Poisoning a drink
Bleeding in a sink
Choking with a link
Killing with a stink
Just your mother's
HO
Poisoning a drink
Bleeding in a sink
Burning up
My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making baby
My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making baby
I saw her laugh
Then she said, "Go away"
I saw her laugh
Then she said, then she said,
"Go away, away"
My sweet revenge
Will be yours for the taking
It's in the making baby
My sweet revenge
Will be yours it's in the making
It's in the taking, making, baking, taking, faking
HO, My sweet Clementine
HO
Shoulda been coulda been
Woulda been woulda been you
Shoulda been coulda been
Woulda been woulda been you
04 Cigaro (02:11)
My cock is much bigger than yours
My cock can walk right through the door
With a feeling so pure
It's got you screaming back for
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
My shit stinks much better than yours
My shit stinks right down to the floor
With a feeling a feeling so pure
It's got you coming back for
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Can't you see that I love my cock
Cant you see that you love my cock
Cant you see that we love my cock
We're the regulators that deregulate
We're the animators that de-animate
We're the propagators of all genocide
Burning through the world's resources
Then we turn and hide
We're cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
We're the regulators that deregulate
We're the animators that de-animate
We're Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
My cock is much bigger than yours
My cock can walk right through the door
With a feeling so pure
It's got you screaming back for more
05 Radio/Video (04:09)
La la la la la la
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
With Danny and Lisa
They take me away from (Take away from)
The strangest places (Strangest places)
Sweet Danny and Lisa (Sweet Danny and Lisa)
They take me away from
They take me away from
The strangest places
Sweet Danny and Lisa
They take me away from
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
With Danny and Lisa
They take me away from (Take away from)
The strangest places (Strangest places)
Sweet Danny and Lisa (Sweet Danny and Lisa)
They take me away from
They take me away from
The strangest places
Sweet Danny and Lisa
They take me away from
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
With Danny and Lisa
They take me away from
The strangest places
Sweet Danny and Lisa
La la la...
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the radio
Hey man look at me rockin' out
I'm on the video
With Danny and Lisa
07 Violent Pornography (03:31)
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody fucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody sucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody cries
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody dies
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody fucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody sucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody dies
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody cries
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
It's a violent pornography
Choking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit you get on your TV
It's a violent pornography
Choking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit you get on your TV
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody sucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody fucks
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody dies
Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
Everybody, everybody, everybody dies
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Bet you it's Nabisco
Betcha didn't know, woohoo!
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
It's a non-stop disco
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
Betcha didn't know
It's a violent pornography
Choking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit you get on your TV
It's a violent pornography
Choking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit that's on your TV
It's a violent pornography
Choking chicks and sodomy
The kinda shit that's on you TV
It's on the TV
Fuck!
Turn off you TV
Can you say "brainwashing?" (b-b-b-b-brainwashing)
It's a non-stop disco
08 Question! (03:20)
Sweet berries ready for two
Ghosts are no different than you
Ghosts are now waiting for you
Are you
Sweet berries ready for two
Ghosts are no different than you
Ghosts are now waiting for you
Are you dreaming
Dreaming denied
Dreaming all right
Do we, do we know
When we fly
When we, when we go
Do we die
Sweet berries ready for two
Ghosts are no different than you
Ghosts are now waiting for you
Are you
Sweet berries ready for two
Ghosts are no different than you
Ghosts are now waiting for you
Are you dreaming
Dreaming denied
Dreaming all right
Do we, do we know
When we fly
When we, when we go
Do we die
Do we, do we know
When we fly
When we, when we go
Do we die
09 Sad Statue (03:25)
Conquest to the lover
And your love to the fire
Permanence unfolding in the absolute
Forgiveness is the ultimate sacrifice
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror
The pictures of time and space are rearranged
In this little piece of typical tragedy
Justified candy
Brandy for the nerves
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
I forgot to
I forgot to let you know that
Justified candy
Brandy for the nerves
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror
Conquest to the lover
And your love to the fire
Permanence unfolding in the absolute
Forgiveness is the ultimate sacrifice
Eloquence belongs to the conqueror
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
Generation
What is in us that turns a deaf ear to the cries of human suffering
Suffering, suffering now
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
You and me
We'll all go down in history
With a sad Statue of Liberty
And a generation that didn't agree
Generation
Belonging
Belonging to
11 Lost in Hollywood (05:20)
I'll wait here
You're crazy
Those vicious streets are filled with strays
You should've never gone to Hollywood
They find you
Two-time you
Say you're the best they've ever seen
You should've never trusted Hollywood
I wrote you
And told you
You were the biggest fish out here
You should've never gone to Hollywood
They take you
And make you
They look at you in disgusting ways
You should've never trusted Hollywood
I was standing on the wall
Feeling ten feet tall
All you maggots
Smoking fags on Santa Monica Blvd.
This is my front page
This is my new age
All you bitches put your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care
All you maggots
Smoking fags out there on Sunset Blvd.
All you bitches put your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care
Phony people come to pray
Look at all of them beg to stay
Phony people come to pray
(The lines in the letter said
"We have gone to Hackensack")
OR possibly,
(The lies and the medicine,
we have come to reconcide)
Look at all of them beg to stay
Phony people come to pray
All you maggots
Smoking fags on Santa Monica Blvd.
All you maggots
Smoking fags out there on Sunset Blvd.
All you maggots
Smoking fags out there on Hollywood Blvd.
You should've never trusted Hollywood
You should've never gone to Hollywood
All you bitches put your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care
You should've never trusted Hollywood
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Other reviews
By antuana
BYOB is a classic SOAD track, with a syncopated verse and a chorus that opens up into an easy and melodic tune that sticks with you.
Two totally different voices, always on opposite tonalities blending together! The result is that the quality of the album indeed benefits from it!
By Bleem
If the whole album is like this, I’ll go skinny dipping in the Trevi Fountain...
Those expecting a Toxicity 2 will have to settle for 6-7 nice little tunes that will drive them crazy for the first 2 days...
By Revenga
"Byob has a very strong political sense, I really like the guitar solo at the beginning."
"A good album, but not at the levels of 'Toxicity' where the band brought out the best of themselves with simply stunning songs."
By e-bow
Let’s clarify one thing right away: the lack of innovation in this album compared to the previous four is something that’s hard to forgive the System Of A Down for.
Mezmerize may not be System Of A Down’s best work, but it’s definitely a musically complete and enjoyable album with a clear message.
By Casacci91
"B.Y.O.B is the masterpiece of the record for its immense anger."
"It’s precisely the soft/hard intertwining that makes this album unique in its genre."
