Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Music review
System of a Down

Rage Against the Machine has lost its charismatic frontman Zack De La Rocha, and now they are just not raging like they used to. But there is another rock band that has been in their shadow, waiting to dive into the void they have created.

System of a Down is now your quintessential politically-charged rock band, having already paid its dues with a debut album produced by Def Jam legend Rick Rubin. On their self-titled debut, they had the opportunity to work with artists ranging from LL Cool J to Tom Petty, but now they are making themselves heard with their new project “Toxicity.”

One thing that strikes the listener is frontman Serj Tankian’s voice. It is able to stir your emotions, and can even make you uneasy enough to think about the dark, cynical subject matter. His voice cracks and one moment he is screaming at the top of his lungs and the next he drops to a subtle and nearly seductive whisper.

On the lead single “Chop Suey,” the band transforms the raw, primal drums into a heavy and electronic sound and then combines the dirty, teasing guitar strains creating a moment of sonic genius. When Serj starts singing, the mosh-pit effect contracted by the listener is a direct result of his seamless drift from the staccato delivery of the chorus into the ballad-like melody of the bridge “I don’t think you trust in my self-righteous suicide/ I cry when angels deserve to die.” One thing is certain, the band has mastered this sound. The pounding, yet melodic arrangements that run throughout the album provoke the listener’s emotions, which ultimately works both to its advantage and detriment as it can become repetitive.

“Prison Song” is the first track which gives you a good idea of what to expect for the remainder of the album. The driving arrangement compliments Serj’s preachy monologue on prison systems and the drug war, “Following the rights movements/ You clamped down with your iron fists/ Drugs became conveniently available for all the kids.”

The work is truly solid, with several criticisms of our society inherent in the lyrics. The only problem is that by the time you get to the seventh track, the almost violent arrangements become tiring and reveal that the band has not varied in its style as much as they did on its debut. Some tracks are good, but too short, others seem to drag on after the third minute, but overall the entire album is cohesive and provides a good listen. This should be a satisfying release for System followers, butlistening becomes a chore at times for the casual fan and the band’s political nature tends to be hard to swallow.

— Richard Georges