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Rating:
Introduction: I haven't read the other reviews (and for this I humbly apologize), so it's possible that I might repeat things already said or written. But if I have done so, it's because this review is, a priori, an act of deep gratitude towards an album that has revolutionized the way I see music. And, of course, it introduced me to my current favorite band: System of a Down.
Generally, I believe that an album is truly incredible (and worthy of 5 stars) when it never fades over time. When you, after 3 years of leaving it gathering dust (which rarely happens with albums like this), put it in the CD player and realize you are facing a genuine timeless masterpiece that, despite the years passing, hasn't lost an iota of its allure. The music enters through your ears and, without intermediate stops, goes straight to your heart, giving you extreme emotions. 'Toxicity' for me was this and still is; the most beautiful CD I have ever listened to, created by one of the best metal bands around.
1) Prison song: such a start they had to invent if it didn't exist. The CD begins with pure power, heaviness, in a track that immediately shows the direction the CD follows. The lyrics reflect the typical SOAD way of expression, with social protest and also political irony.
2) Needles: incredible. If the start shocks you, the continuation grips you. And immediately you imagine them live, driving the screaming fans crazy with their HEY! and the slogan: put the tapeworm out of your ass!
3) Deer dance: round round. The bass lines literally make you dance, and the rhythm changes are extraordinary.
4) Jet pilot: relentless ferocity. Your ears are asking for a break, but you can't stop. It's stronger than you.
5) X: short and concise. The least successful on the CD only because it's short.
6) Chop Suey!: I don't think there are adjectives to describe it. It is absolutely complete: exceptional instruments, Serj's chilling voice, unparalleled lyrics rich with insights…
7) Bounce: the song for the fans… . POGO POGO
8) Forest: the instrumental part is truly exceptional, and the rest is no less.
9) ATWA: apparent calm, a roaring song. Masterpiece!
10) Science: philosophical lyrics for a song that invites you more and more to not leave even a single note for a moment.
11) Shimmy: I would dare to say amusing. Not extraordinary, but strong and with an extraordinary ending.
12) Toxicity: if it's the song that gives the title to the CD, there must be a reason. Also indescribable.
13) Psycho: only a beautiful ending, with a compelling rhythm.
14) Aerials: when you reach the end, it seems that everything has been prepared for it. It's a calm song compared to the rest of the CD, but not a ballad. Yet it manages to give you the same emotions as it. The ending is the icing on the cake.
What can I say! It's the only CD from which I wouldn't throw away even a song. It strongly stands out, in my opinion, from their self-titled debut CD, which contains extraordinary songs (Spiders above all), but doesn't reach the levels of 'Toxicity'. With this album, they reached the peak to which they will not return. It is natural that all subsequent CDs will always be a step below expectations, because when you touch the maximum degree, you don't want to move away, but rather almost return there by inertia.
'Toxicity' marked history for me. And not just my personal one or that of SOAD, but the entire NU-Metal landscape that needed a CD so complete and appreciated. Now one could argue until the end of time what their style is. In reality, they don't have a specific one, but I have classified them in NU-metal mainly for their extraordinary ability to evoke indescribable emotions without the use of solos. Short, fierce, and full songs are enough to fascinate the listener. And for me, it's enough to say that it's one of the best CDs and deserves more than 5 stars.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Prison Song (03:21)
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
Following the rights movements
You clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids,
Following the rights movements
You clamped on with your iron fists,
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids,
I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.
Nearly 2 million Americans are incarcerated
In the prison system, prison system of the U.S.
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me)
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don't even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich,
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don't even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich,
I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.
The percentage of Americans in the prison system
Prison system, has doubled since 1985,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me)
For you and I, for you and I , for you and I.
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
For you and me,
Oh baby, you and me.
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased,
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences,
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased,
And law enforcement decreased,
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.
Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world,
Drugs are now your global policy,
Now you police the globe,
I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch
right here in Hollywood.
Drug money is used to rig elections,
And train brutal corporate sponsored
Dictators around the world.
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison, (for you and me to live in)
Another prison system,
Another prison system,
Another prison system. (for you and me)
For you and I, for you and I , for you and I.
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
They're trying to build a prison,
For you and me,
Oh baby, you and me.
02 Needles (03:13)
I cannot disguise
All the stomach pains and the walking of the canes
When you do come out
And you whisper up to me in your life of tragedy
But I cannot grow
'till you eat the last of me. Oh, when will I be free?
And you, a parasite
Just find another host, just another fool to roast
Cause you, my tapeworm, tells me what to do
You, my tapeworm, tells me where to go
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
I cannot deny
All the evil traits and the filling of the crates
When you do come out
And you slither up to me in your pimping majesty
But I cannot grow
'till you eat the last of me, oh, when will I be free?
And you, a parasite
Just find another host just another stool to post
Cause you, my tapeworm, tells me what to do
You, my tapeworm, tells me where to go
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of me?
I'm sitting in my room with a needle in my hand
Just waiting for the tomb of some old dying man
Sitting in my room with a needle in my hand
Just waiting for the tomb of some old dying man
You, my tapeworm, tells me what to do
You, my tapeworm, tells me where to go
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Pull the tapeworm out of your ass, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
03 Deer Dance (02:55)
Round, Round,
Circumventing circuses,
Lamenting in protest,
To visible police,
Presence sponsored fear,
Battalions of riot police,
With rubber bullet kisses,
Baton courtesy,
Service with a smile
Beyond the Staples Center you can see America,
With its tired, poor, avenging disgrace,
Peaceful, loving youth against the brutality,
Of plastic existence.
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around,
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around.
Round, Round,
A rush of words,
Pleading to disperse,
Upon your naked walls, alive,
A political call,
The fall guy accord,
We can't afford to be neutral on a moving train,
Beyond the Staples Center you can see America,
With its tired, poor, avenging disgrace,
Peaceful, loving youth against the brutality,
Of plastic existence.
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around,
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around.
Push them around,
A deer dance, invitation to peace,
War staring you in the face, dressed in black.
With a helmet, fierce,
Trained and appropriate for the malcontents,
For the disproportioned malcontents,
The little boy smiled, it'll all be well,
The little boy smiled it'll all be well,
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around,
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around.
Pushing little children,
With their fully automatics,
They like to push the weak around,
Push the weak around,
Push the weak around,
Push the weak around,
They like to push the weak around.
04 Jet Pilot (02:06)
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay.
My horse, is a shackled old man,
His, his remorse, was that he couldn't survey,
The skies, right before,
Right before they went gray,
My horse and my remorse,
Flying over a great bay
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay.
My, source, is the source of all creation,
Her, discourse, is that we all don't survey
The skies, right before,
Right before they go gray,
My source, and my remorse,
Flying over a great bay,
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay
Where were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Where were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay.
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay
Where were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay,
Where were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot,
One that smiled when he flew over the bay.
06 Chop Suey! (03:30)
Wake up (wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little makeup
Hide the scars to fade away the shake up (hide the scars to fade away the shake)
Why'd you leave the keys up on the table?
Here you go create another fable (you wanted to)
Grab a brush and put on a little makeup (you wanted to)
Hide the scars to fade away the shake up (you wanted to)
Why'd you leave the keys up on the table? (you wanted to)
I don't think you trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die…
Wake up (wake up)
Grab a brush and put a little makeup
Hide the scars to fade away the shake (Hide the scars to fade away the shake)
Why'd you leave the keys up on the table?
Here you come… need another fable (you wanted to)
Grab a brush and put on a little makeup (you wanted to)
Hide the scars to fade away the shake (you wanted to)
Why'd you leave the keys up on the table? (you wanted to)
I don't think you trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
Father (mother), father (brother)
Father (fucker), father (aaahh)
Father into your hands I commend my spirit
Father into your hands
Why have you forsaken me
In your eyes, forsaken me
In your thoughts, forsaken me
In your heart, forsaken me… oh
Trust in my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
In my self-righteous suicide
I cry when angels deserve to die
07 Bounce (01:54)
Jump, Bounce, Down, Up
I went out on a date,
With a girl, a bit late,
She had so many friends,
(Gliding through many hands.)
I brought my pogo stick,
Just to show her a trick,
She had so many friends,
(Gliding through many hands.)
Jump Pogo?..
Bounce Pogo,
Down Pogo, Up Pogo
Unannounced twister games,
All players with no names,
They lined up double quick,
But just one pogo stick,
Everyone gets to play,
Runaway, expose',
It was so exotic,
But just one pogo stick.
Jump Pogo?..
Bounce Pogo,
Down Pogo, Up Pogo
Oh, I like to spread you out,
Touching whoever's behind
Jump Pogo?..
Bounce Pogo,
Down Pogo, Up Pogo
08 Forest (04:00)
Walk with me my little child,
To the forest of denial,
Speak with me my only mind,
Walk with me until the time,
And make the forest turn to wine,
You take the legend for a fall,
You saw the product,
Why can't you see that you are my child,
Why don't you know that you are my mind,
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you,
Take this promise to the end of you.
Walk with me my little friend,
Take this promise to the end,
Speak with me my only mind,
Walk with me until the end,
And make the forest turn to sand,
You take the legend for a fall,
You saw the product,
Why can't you see that you are my child,
Why don't you know that you are my mind,
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you,
Take this promise to the end of you.
Take this promise for a ride,
You saw the forest, now come inside,
You took the legend for its fall,
You saw the product of it all,
No televisions in the air,
No circumcisions on the chair,
You made the weapons for us all,
Just look at us now,
Why can't you see that you are my child,
Why don't you know that you are my mind,
Tell everyone in the world, that I'm you,
Take this promise to the end of you.
09 ATWA (02:56)
Hey you, see me, pictures crazy,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore.
Hey you, are me, not so pretty,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
Silent my voice, I've got no choice
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore
I don't see, anymore,
I don't hear, anymore,
I don't speak anymore,
I don't feel.
Hey you, see me, pictures crazy,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
I've got, nothing, to gain, to lose,
All the world I've seen before me passing by,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore,
You don't care about how I feel,
I don't feel it anymore
I don't sleep, anymore,
I don't eat, anymore,
I don't live anymore,
I don't feel.
10 Science (02:43)
Making two possibilities a reality,
Predicting the future of things we all know,
Fighting off the diseased programming
Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries.
Science fails to recognize the single most
Potent element of human existence
letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
Science fails to recognize the single most
Potent element of human existence
letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things,
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things.
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith
letting the reigns go to the unfolding
Is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things,
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things,
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Spirit-moves-through-all-things
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
11 Shimmy (01:51)
Education, fornication, in you are, Go,
Education, subjugation, now you're out, Go,
Education, fornication, in you are, Go,
Don't be late for school again boy
I think me, I want life,
I think me, I want a house and a wife,
I want to shimmy- shimmy- shimmy through the break of dawn, yeah.
Education, fornication, in you are, Go,
Education, subjugation, now you're out, Go,
Education, fornication, in you are, Go,
Don't be late for school again girl
I think me, I want life,
I think me, I want a house and a wife,
I want to shimmy- shimmy- shimmy through the break of dawn, yeah.
I think me, I want life,
I think me, I want a house and a wife,
I want to shimmy- shimmy- shimmy through the break of dawn, yeah.
Indoctrination, of a nation,
Indoctrination of a nation,
Subjugation of damnation,
Subjugation of damna?
Don't be late for school again boy,
Don't be late for school again girl,
Don't be late for school again boy,
Don't be late for school again girl.
12 Toxicity (03:38)
Conversion, software version 7.0
Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub
Eating seeds is a pastime activity
The toxicity of our city, of our city
Now, what, do you own the world?!
How do you own disorder, disorder?!
Now, somewhere between the sacred silence
Sacred silence and sleep.
Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep.
Disorder, disorder, disorder.
More wood for their fires, loud neighbors
Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck.
Eating seeds as a passtime activity.
The toxicity of our city, of our city,
Now, what, do you own the world?!
How do you own disorder, disorder?!
Now, somewhere between the sacred silence,
Sacred silence and sleep.
Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep.
Disorder, disorder, disorder.
Now, what do you own the world?!
How do you own disorder?
Now, somewhere between the sacred silence,
Sacred silence and sleep.
Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep.
Disorder, disorder, disorder.
When I became the sun,
I shone light into the man's hearts,
When I became the sun,
I shone light into the man's hearts.
13 Psycho (03:45)
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy,
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Makes you really want to go- stop.
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Do you really want to think and stop,
Stop your eyes from flowing,
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy,
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Makes you really want to go - stop.
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Do you really want to think and stop,
Stop your eyes from flowing out
So you want the world to stop,
Stop in and watch your body fully drop,
From the time you were a
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
So you want to see the show,
You really don't have to be a ho
From the time you were a
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy.
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy,
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Makes you really want to go - stop.
Psycho groupie cocaine crazy
Psycho groupie coke,
Makes you high, makes you hide,
Do you really want to think and stop,
Stop your eyes from flowing out
So you want the world to stop,
Rushing to watch your spirit fully drop,
From the time you were a
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy,
So you want to see the show,
You really don't have to be a ho
From the time you were a
Psycho, groupie, cocaine, crazy.
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Other reviews
By bibiane
Chop Suey! has a break down and an ending chorus that'll make you scream at the top of your lungs like you never have, EVER!
Every time you listen to it again, it’s like it’s the first time. And I guarantee the emotion is masterful!
By 2Torri
If I were asked to describe the album Toxicity with one adjective, I would undoubtedly say "MASTERPIECE".
These guys are geniuses, because combining typical nu-metal sounds with sounds from their homeland (Armenia) is not a simple task.
By Devin Davis
The skill of Serj Tankian and company in composing songs is so immense that you would never stop listening to their tracks.
You must have "Toxicity", original or copied. And I guarantee that it will stay in your stereo or cd player for a long time.
By StefanoHab
Toxicity is an album that changed my life.
There’s nothing, I mean nothing, in this album that isn’t there for a specific reason.
By sexyajax
Not only a complete and well-made album but also very original.
Finally, even in the realm of hard rock, we find calm and catchy riffs that shouldn’t be underestimated.
