It was a hot summer; back in 1998, when something wicked was about to happen in the music industry. Something was about to invade the heat-strangled flat of mine, coming all the way from Los Angeles, USA. System Of A Down was born and what a beginning for a band that was guided by renowned producer Rick Rubin and had its debut, eponymous release through Sony. I mean, what more could a band possibly ask for? Anyway, System Of A Down really made an impression on me when I first heard their music. 7 years later, the good impression still stands. Here's Mesmerize...
Serj Tankian (singer) and his partners in crime spread their good-felt musical toxicity all around the globe in relatively no time, selling big time numbers for every single album they've released. Believe it or not (or should I say knowing it or not) they've only released 4 albums (including the brand new Mesmerize release). Let me just say that I bet most of you reading this album review have - at least - heard of the Toxicity (2001) album, which was the band's second release. Well, Toxicity only (only?) sold 220'000 copies on its first week of release... just to pinpoint the magnitude of this band's success with an example. Needless to say that all their albums (from System Of A Down in 1998 to Steal This Album in 2002) still keep on selling like hell and that all of them have managed to get into most of the Top 10 (and in many cases Top 5...) charts around the world, with distinguishing ease.
A lot of people consider System Of A Down to be a so called Nu-Metal band. My opinion always was (and still is) that they're really unique, as unique as a band like Rammstein can be and in no way can they be set into the same pot with bands that more or less share a common fan-base because they're indeed what we call...Nu-Metal. Maybe when the band started off there were a few things resembling a few bands' playing styles (from Hardcore and Thrash Metal mostly) but the final outcome, the final product of the band's effort was really astounding. This would all probably not be the case here if it hadn't been for Serj Tankian's - always - distinguishing vocals and Daron Malakian's ass-kicking guitar riffs that though simple in most parts, they never seize  my head from swinging around rhythmically.
Mesmerize is the System's new assault, being the first release of a 2-Disc set which will be entirely out when the second CD, Hypnotize, hits the stores in late fall of 2005. A smart commercial move by Sony and the band, you might say and I won't disagree with you on that but what is of primary interest right now is the album in review...
As in all their previous works, again System Of A Down display ingenious musical skills and are the living proof that commercialism can indeed come along with qualitative music in the year 2005. Music that's not only there to fill your ears with sound but that's also there to make a statement. Thus... B.Y.O.B. (and its Soldier Side intro) simply kicked my ass and grabbed me by the balls from the very first second! Politically pointed (why don't presidents fight the war, why do they always send the poor?), guitar shredding, touching grooves and blasting off exactly when needed... there couldn't have been a better start for Mesmerize.
The album moves onward crossing lines of anger, melancholy, sadness, hatred (as I said before, politically pointed), social sarcasm (trend-wise)... done only in the way these guys know how and that's what's always kept them so high in my respect. And they really manage to get to me, they really manage to pass onto me - via their lyrics - whatever message it is they have every time and I'll tell you this... It's really an accomplishment nowadays to be able to share something serious - an opinion - through your lyrics with the rest of the world and be at the same time commercial. Usually commercial means 1 or 2 hits on a new album that will be aired and sung along for a couple of months, a year maybe but then it's buhbye from my memory (not actually my memory). Of course I know that people who don't like SOAD will probably say that the band's lyrics don't make much sense. Well, that's because you're most likely not used to looking a bit deeper into a song's words. Yeah, songs that repeat two phrases are cool too and SOAD also have songs like that but even within these songs there is a purpose. And the music? It's SOAD-o-hellish as never before...Well, let's say that Mesmerize is the band's second best release after Toxicity and that it didn't make it to #1 only by an inch.
To end this review, I only want to say that you really don't know what to expect from these guys, in terms of music (for example Old School Hollywood is indeed something slightly different from everything else). The only thing certain is that whatever they may come up with everytime is great even if it takes some years from release to release. But... better this than an empty shell every summer.
- Album Highlights: B.Y.O.B. (some awesome Power/Thrash Metal in there!), Cigaro (the typical SOAD style you've loved), This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song (really wicked track!), Question! (lots of sadness and a question we all have...), Sad Statue (my favorite track...), Old School Hollywood (different - you'll love this one) and Lost in Hollywood (say hi to melancholy...)
You and me we'll all go down in history, with a sad statue of Liberty and a generation that didn't agree...