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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
ArmenianPrincess
24.11.05, 00:04
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hmmmmmmmm good article but i did notice the sexist stuff in the albums...i wonder what thats all about i mean not all women are like that
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brandyforthenerves403
24.11.05, 00:12
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man, people need to lay off the shit about system's songs being sexist, because, in my opinion, they're not (and im a girl, too). if these people would do their research, they'd see that daron's just writing off of personal experience cause he grew up in a neighborhood with "hookers on one corner and crack addicts on the next" (from some article i read a while ago). so its not surprising that his songwriting reflects that. OTHERWISE.. good article.
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Theodora
24.11.05, 00:18
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okay I do not believe that Soad are sexist. One has to realize they are only talking about a small percetage of women they see. I have heard all the guys especially Shavo say wonderful respectful things about women.
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Serart_Fan
24.11.05, 01:24
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Exactly, it is basically just talking L.A. and other cities as defiled as it.
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LastStand
24.11.05, 02:12
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I personally thought that Lonely Day is a gorgeous song... with terrible lyrics. And that the whole album was drop-dead worshipful. Ah well, can't please everyone.
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meofcourse
24.11.05, 02:31
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i liked the 1st paragraph
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Kenticus69
24.11.05, 02:35
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Daron clearly stated that his problems with women stem from growing up in L.A. where most women were hookers and drug addicts around where he grew up. Like Brandy already said, I prolly read the exact same article. I think it was pretty recent and yeah the album rocks
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bring_your_own_bombs
24.11.05, 03:32
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i dont understand how people think lonely day's lyrics are terrible......well i can sorta understand, but you say the lyrics there are terrible but nobody seems to have a problem with 'choking chicks and sodomy' or 'all you maggots smoking fags'. lonely day is a great song in every aspect, too bad im the only person who enjoys it that way.:/
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5xserjloverx5
24.11.05, 03:49
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the lyrics r from daron tht is juss used 2 dating "hookers" and "whores" no offense. but in otherwords the song was good.
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I-Gatts-I
24.11.05, 04:26
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Lets eat her......
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shavosofficiallover
24.11.05, 04:35
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lol great article
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SirLemming
24.11.05, 09:06
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Not sure what that "sexist" crap is about. Otherwise a good review. Although I think it's a bit hasy to claim that "U-Fig" is actually against the "pathetic flag-waving ignorant geeks"... I think it could just as easily be taken as an ironic thing against people who are all the way on the other side of the spectrum.
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NaRo8
24.11.05, 09:09
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well....i think ppl say lonley day has horrible lyrics...and it does to some extent....but i do believe daron did this intentionally to somewhat dull the song down and make it seem lonlier....dont you picture daron on that day where he wrote the song and how lonley he is...it really makes u feel that!
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Mark_Malakian_1915
24.11.05, 13:01
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if they dont want system to be sexist they should look at it from the correct point of view, they sing what they see... prostitutes on LA. Heroin addicts selling themselves for money for there addicition. Nothing is aimed at women, but it is aimed at the Prostitutes and Heroin addicts in La
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steve_905
24.11.05, 16:08
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sexist? ok there, but even if it was sexist look where they live (LOS ANGELES!!) which is probably the most sexist, women object place in the world! and it seemed to me that this writer didnt like the album. Maybe he/she isn't a soad fan but as a hardcore soad fan i must say that this is a work of art, some songs that i just love to headbang to, like Attack, Hypnotize, Soilder Side, then theres those songs that are funny and make you laugh, Vincinity of Obsinity, She's Like Heron, then you have those songs like question that are soft then really hard, like Holy Mountains. great f'n job boys i would have paid $50 to buy this album if i had to, i think at $11.99 your giving away lol.
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rraaee123
24.11.05, 23:25
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Well written but confusing..Whats wrong with lonely day?? i liked it! and they don't make sexist music in my oppinion because they are just talking about hookers and groupies and how they aren't good. because they are men, thy dont want to talk about having male groupies
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SystemofaDownisHot
24.11.05, 23:54
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How did you get the cd for 11.99? Damn I paid 18.99, whatever I love it so much. At first I was like 0.o while listening to it but then I got used to it and it's ALL good, ALL of it, even the Lonely Day that was made fun of in this article. Lonely Day is amazing, it sounds very heartfelt. My favorite is She's Like Heroin or Tentative though. And System of a Down sexist? How the fuck? Oh yes that's why they have written love songs before, and that's why Daron is dating someone and crap. Oh definately. But no, see- they write about the problems of society. And some of those problems are hookers and shit, they're not degrading women in general. For Christ's sake. It's a good article, but worst interpretation of some of SOAD meanings of their songs ever. And they wouldnt be calling women drug addicts cuz they do drugs themselves so wtf.
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edumalakian
25.11.05, 02:12
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ALL THER ALBUNS OF SYSTEM OF A DOWN ARE EXCELLENTS BUT TOXICITY AND HYPNOTIZE ARE THE BEST ALBUNS EVER!SYSTEM OF A DOWN CONGRATULATIONS! MALAKIANGUITAR@HOTMAIL.COM !!=)!!
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