System of a Down "Toxicity"

Didn't see the poll. But I love this record! Glad to see ILM giving it what it deserves. Too bad they were never able to come close to it again.

man, i was re-listening to some of these singles and they're so much better than fuckin "b.y.o.b."

"byob" and "question!" were the only singles from mezmerize and that's weird to me because over half of that album is like TREMENDOUS HOOKS COMING YOUR WAY WATCH OUT

well, there were only 6 months between it and the next album, so they only had time for two singles cycles. but yeah that album totally should've had more singles (and maybe something besides "question!" for the 2nd).

were there any notable singles between "sugar" (when i first heard of the band probably, on 107.3 waaf iirc) and "chop suey!"?

the only other single off the first album was "Spiders," which is good if not great

i remember the high school friend i worked summer jobs with from 98 to 2000 was really pumped about "Sugar" and turned me onto that first SOAD album. he was also the first person who played Aquemini for me. he wasn't one of my cool music nerd friends but in retrospect he was pretty on point.

i just listened to "spiders" and don't know if i've ever heard it before, but it's not bad -- really can't remember having heard anything but "sugar" pre-toxicity though

i do, however, recall my freshman year geometry teacher saying "eating seeds as a past time activity" in class

the first SOAD album was a real sleeper hit, took two years to go gold and neither of the singles got into the top 20 of the rock charts, but then "Chop Suey!" blew up and their fanbase gave them a #1 album. it's kinda badass when a band goes from cult act to big deal kind of instantaneously like that.

Oldie but goodie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJm1-oIheg

I can't believe I was the only shimmy vote. :(

― ladies love draculas like children love stray dogs (ENBB), Sunday, August 14, 2011 4:18 PM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

could've sworn i voted! i wouldn't even consider another song, tho there are some great ones.

well, there were only 6 months between it and the next album, so they only had time for two singles cycles.

totally makes sense yeah but i'm extra-bitter because i don't care for either of the hypnotize singles

"Lonely Day" is terrible but "Hypnotize" is of their best songs ever imo. i basically think that SOAD have 4 classic singles and they're the lead single from each album, the follow-ups always pale in comparison.

^i would disagree with that assertion (though Toxicity is like my second least favorite song on here)

anywyaz, wow these results are awful!

I should get this album, huh

yes!

I mean, I know I would love it, I love pretty much every SOAD song I've ever heard; I just have been lazy about getting around to it (ditto Deftones, actually)

xp "Spiders" usually makes the cut for my Halloween mixes.

i'm listening to this all the way through right now, and in my not really paying attention state i can definitively say that, as of :37 seconds into "bounce," the non-singles aren't as good as the singles

also, jason derulo just released his new single right here at spotify

markers i think you'll like ATWA

smh markers

listened to the whole thing. i've heard at least some of the non-singles before, but none of them stood out to me enough that i'm remembering them over an hour later. to their credit, though, the big three singles are very much tied to a time in my life and it would be harder for me to feel attached to the other songs even if they were better than they are

another reason i like the big three singles is because they don't seem as overtly heavy-handed lyrically as something like "prison song" or "b.y.o.b."

they could still be heavy-handed -- i have no idea what "eating seeds as a past time activity" means or what a lot of the other stuff they're saying means, and i haven't sat down to try and parse the lyrics -- but they don't jump out to me in a bad way

"Lonely Day" is terrible but "Hypnotize" is of their best songs ever imo.

agreed on how "lonely day" is ugh jesus why, but i think "hypnotize" would be great if i didn't feel like it were in search of a chorus.

also markers offtm right now, listen to the record again dude

"Hypnotize" is of their best songs ever imo.

I agree with this, so dynamic. Especially the instrumental folky middle eight bit.

Also, Radio/Video should've been the second single off Mesmerize.

lol okay I just listened to this entire album for the first time

what the fuck was I waiting for

so awesome

I am listening to this whole album again for the second time

it's basically a gigantic reminder that yes, I am capable of liking loud guitar music

heard "Sugar" on the radio today and it was a gigantic reminder that i love SOAD

it bums me out that they did some shows together last year but this year Serj is back to another stupid solo record. imo SOAD are one of the most extreme cases of the solo/side projects being not that different from the main band but somehow not 1% as good, those guys really need each other.

software version 7.0

Wtf these results are so boring

― billstevejim, Saturday, August 13, 2011 8:28 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark

I feel like I miss these guys a little extra of late. (Also, they were way ahead of the left zeitgeist on the whole prison-abolition tip.)

Toxicity
Or aerials. Hard to decide

SOAD politics seemed pretty regular post RATM? I'm not sure they were saying anything I wasn't hearing from the anarcho-punks I was hanging out with back then.

I'd probably throw a boring vote to Toxicity as well. Did anyone figure out what happened to this band, btw? Major breakthrough, big dominant double album, but with a newly dominant voice asserting himself, then nothing... Seems like a good story for a tell all book.

Deer Dance. 17 years later it still sounds strange.

SOAD politics seemed pretty regular post RATM?

With the benefit of a little more specificity, plus of course all the wacky stuff.

As far as the extended hiatus goes, no idea what that's about. If the Parts Unknown ep is anything to go by, Tankian at least seems like a sweet guy

One of the few times in rock history where a long recording hiatus is literally mostly down to what you might call "creative differences."

https://www.stereogum.com/2005685/system-of-a-down-new-music-explanation/news/

Whenever it happens it's gonna rule.

Title track is my least favorite. Top 4 for me are Forest, Atwa, Chop Suey, and Aerials

Caught these guys last night... automatically slotted into my top 5 all-time concerts.

setlist
http://i63.tinypic.com/2qlr5lx.jpg

Would've voted for Needles btw.

holy shit that's a setlist

It woulda been difficult for me to choose between 'Needles', 'Forest', 'ATWA' or 'Psycho' ...

holy shit that's a setlist

― Ross, Wednesday, October 17, 2018 11:08 AM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah they just kept rolling out smash after smash. Lonely Day was the only real breather but even it kinda rocked cos everyone was screaming along, never liked that song but it made sense in that setting, the harmonies were so on point.

they're back playing shows? I thought they were feuding again