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Less of a Jolt From the System |
Posted by ZAk on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 09:41 PM
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 'Hypnotize':
All the Surprises You Expect!
Before
Armenian American art-metal heroes System of a Down hit big with "Mezmerize"
last May, political hard-rock albums were usually pretty insufferable, filled
with dated rhetoric about the New World Order (we're looking at you, Rage
Against the Machine) or formless railings against the Man (everyone else).
"Mezmerize" was a revelation, settling the question of what Noam Chomsky would
sound like if he fronted a faster, lumpier version of Primus.
System might not have had much new to say about the war in Iraq (the band's
against it, in case you were wondering), but it has an absurdist streak to rival
Captain Beefheart's and an unerring instinct for the jugular, and never before
have such competing instincts been put to such good use.
The group's latest, the excellent "Hypnotize," is intended as a companion
piece to "Mezmerize," which was recorded during the same sessions. The staggered
release dates were intended to allow fans time to absorb the first disc, and
although this may seem grandiose, the band's got a point. But most of the things
System does well -- the melodic shape-shifting, the juxtaposition of the zippy
and the grotesque -- rely on the element of surprise. Six months later,
"Hypnotize," for all its stylistic feints and jabs, can't help but feel almost
routine.
It doesn't help that it's the more conventional of the two discs, though with
System of a Down, "conventional" is a relative term. There's nothing here as
incendiary as "B.Y.O.B.," the hit single off "Mezmerize" that felt like a
neutron bomb dropped into the middle of the record. But there's not a lot of
filler, either.
"Hypnotize" kicks off with "Attack," a bruising hardcore number that's the most
disappointingly normal thing here, even though its machine-gun guitar assault
gives way to a lugubrious ballad partway through. Happily, things get
progressively weirder: "U-Fig" is a nifty piece of agitprop that indicts "all
pathetic flag-waving ignorant geeks" (hey, no one said they were subtle);
"Vicinity of Obscenity" begins as full-frontal hardcore and skitters into a
chant about bananas and terracotta pie before evolving into a fat-bottomed disco
number that asks, "Do we all learn defeat/From the whores with bad feet?" and
that's just the part we can print.
Its whirligig time changes and flights of pop opera fancy are both System
signatures, though they increasingly seem like things the band does to make sure
you're paying attention, a deal sweetener for any teenage kid who sits through
the denser political material.
The increasing interplay between the group's singer/human fireplug Serj Tankian
and songwriter-guitarist Daron Malakian is a marvel to behold, though even their
harmony vocals can't save "Lonely Day," the sort of lengthy, depressing ballad
whose well-intended dullness is meant to signal artistic maturity. System is the
rare band capable of doing anything it wants (though its members might not have
a great future as diplomats): Ballads should be the last thing on its mind.
"Hypnotize" falters only when System turns its attentions to domestic affairs.
There's a nasty strain of sexism running through both records (women are
inevitably cast as hookers or drug addicts) that puts the lie to any real claim
of progressivism. Even for System of a Down, it seems, enlightenment goes only
so far.
By Allison Stewart
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, November 23, 2005; Page C05
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Comments
bozodaclown
25.11.05, 04:46
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well...system of a down is the quintessential example of tolerance and enlightened understanding..saying they are sexist is bulshit..there is not one man on the planet to has never called a girl a bithc, whore, slut..and the heroin reference of prostitution shows how they view the sexual, basic natural side of women...these musicians are extemely inteligent and anyone who doesnt like daron can kiss my ass!!!!!!!!!!!!
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laura_stef
25.11.05, 14:16
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like, hellooo! the very person who wrote this article is sexist. he/she only noticed the "she wants nothing more but to be a little whore" and not noticed the " he wants nothing less but to wear a little dress". that song disagries with selling your body for drugs if you're a guy or a girl. it's not all about women being sluts it's about stupid guys too
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xXxMrSoaDxXx
25.11.05, 21:27
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SHUT UP MOTHER F****R!!!! You don't understand a shit, it's all bullshit wath you said... I didn't hear the album, but i readed the lyrics, and you just take your point of view, but you avoided a lot of things that make the songs specials... Ok, system rocks and I suck!!!! AGUANTE ARGENTINA LA PUTA MADRE!!! (latinoamérica presente) _____________xXxMrSoaDxXx____________
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Necroscope
26.11.05, 02:20
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The only problem I have with Lonely Day is the bad grammar. 'Most Lonliest Day'. I was kinda disappointed. about the article. it sounds to me like the writer just researched from Mezmerize onwards and doesn't even know they existed before then. Hence this sexist stuff is just stupid. They talk about hookers. So what? That's like saying if they talked about how much they hate the military then they hate men. It's stupid and the article was not well thought out. System of a Down are very metophorical and only someone writing on something they know nothing about could write an article like that. It's a certain point of view like MrSoad said and they're welcome to it. I just wish Allison Stewart has shown she/he had a mind instead of trying to add controversy to the article.
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mrs.serjtankian_05
26.11.05, 03:15
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I think that Lonely Day is a great song and something i expected given the taste we got on Mezmerize with Lost in Hollywood. I find that they both are strangely beautiful and a bit sad. the article is a bit one sided and it sounds like the author never really sat down and listened to it in depth. Listening to them once never does justice, you have to feel it in your heart, your soul and your blood. I think reviews should be done when someone has listened to it more then once. But the sexist comment is a bit to much. I mean, like many others here have said, Daron is talking about where he grew up. In Hollywood women(and men) will sell their bodies to gain drugs and money. Its just the way things are these days. She's like Heroin is just another song that is compeletly misinterpreted. Thats my opinion on it and im sry for the long comment. This is just how i feel.
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raike
27.11.05, 14:08
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...c[=...
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suziful
29.11.05, 07:47
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what is this crap with everyone saying that "lonely day"'s lyrics are bad?? how? what is honestly so terrible about it? its a beautiful song and when i hear it i can just honestly imagine feeling what daron felt when he was writing it. not every song of soad has to be preaching against the war and exposing the corrupted truth about our country and society itself, so chill out if ONE song is about an emotion...being alone and im sure EVERONE can relate to that. i think the lyrics are fine, sad, but fine. nothing "terrible" about it. its a great song the album is absolutely fantastic
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daron_malakian1313
29.11.05, 21:41
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i think lonely day is great i really like it but i dont think it is good for next single... Because daron sing much more than serj in it but he isnt the lead singer... And then what serj gonna do in that????!!!!!
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daron_malakian1313
29.11.05, 21:43
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ANYWAY whatever u do is great I LOVE U DARON!!!!!
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daron_malakian1313
29.11.05, 21:45
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HYPNOTIZE is fantastic at all
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MeshFoot
30.11.05, 04:44
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I wonder if this woman knew what she was getting into by writing this article? XD I say we assassinate her. I'll get the vaseline. O_o "Where you goin', bitch?"
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jetpilotXxX
02.12.05, 09:10
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i found that the article FUCKING SUCKED.the lady totally downplayed everysong,made any teenage listeners out to be dumbasses who know nothing about the political society,and she speaks of sexism.he wrote what hes seen growning up...he grew up in fucking los angelas.just because its in the songs doesnt mean that it is his thought.i did not like this article becuase the lovely female (trying not to be sexist)does not know soad.
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iluvdaron31
04.12.05, 17:45
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good article but...... were the fuck did they take te pic it looks like a showere or somthing like theat! nice hat daron by the way!!!! lol
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rippingandfailing
05.12.05, 11:41
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Lonely day is a crap song because the main lyric: 'The most loneliest day of my life' Is not only extremely bad grammar but is incredibly juvenile. I expected much more from the opening riff, and I think 20 more minutes of TLC on the lyrics would have done it a tonne of good.
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Systematic
09.12.05, 08:12
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Bad Grammar? Compare this with that rap shit!! WTF! Have you heard the grammar of those bullshit rappers? Lonely Day is an awesome song!
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Omnidog
09.12.05, 08:31
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Lonely Day is a song just about that; a lonely fucking day that shouldn't exist. Hasn't anyone ever had a "lonely day" ? STFU!
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rippingandfailing
09.12.05, 14:38
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lol I agree with you on the fact that rap sucks. SOAD are my favorite band, which is exactly why I am so disappointed that 4 very bright guys can hear the song so many times without realising it sounds like a 10 year old wrote it. I like the idea of the song, the guitar riff, and the title, but The lyrics are so childish. What happened to deep and meaningful soad?
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rippingandfailing
13.12.05, 13:54
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"Lonely Day is a song just about that; a lonely fucking day that shouldn't exist. Hasn't anyone ever had a "lonely day" ?" Yeh and Ive also had food poisoning before but i dont right some shitty (note the pun) beatles esk song about it
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