Not the System of a Down some of the younginâs today know. Not the guys that put out Mesmerize and Hypnotize, or even Steal This Album. Weâre talking about Toxicity, maybe the only album that comes close to being a modern rock/metal masterpiece. Weâre gonna go through, track by track, and break this bad boy down.
1. âPrison Songâ- The song begins with a single solitary blast followed by silence. Before the stomping riff picks back up and Serj Tankian starts the insanity with the phrase âTrying to build a prisonâŠâ. Finally, at 0:26 in, the song just blasts to life. Serj lets the politically charged lyrics roll and the viciousness spews from lyrics and music alike. Each chorus is preceded by a fact on the prison system or other such topic. The song then gives away to a âslowerâ part that is still rife with heaviness and even more hatred for the U.S. prison system. Amazing song with a message to boot.
2. âNeedlesâ- The best word I can think of to describe this song is frantic. The opening riff is all over the place and then it goes to a nice upbeat verse, before it drills into the chorus, with the memorable line âPull the tapeworm out of your ass!â The fast paced action takes a break at the 1:51 mark. A slow, plodding bass line kicks in, followed by a simple guitar part, while guitarist/singer Daron Malakian sings the lines âSitting in my room, with a needle in my hand, waiting for the tome, of some old dying man.â The song, obviously about the dangers of drug use, is another solid song on the album.
3. âDeer Danceâ- Another good song. Maybe not as strong as the first two songs, but definitely up there. The main riff of the song is an interesting little run that gives way to a driving, heavy chorus. The chorus is the most memorable part of this song, stating âpushing little children, with their fully automatics, they like to push the weak around.â The interlude is good with a nice little run of a riff with some great vocal work by Serj and what sounds like a banjo maybe in the background? Overall, solid song.
4. âJet Pilotâ- This song kicks in you in the mouth as it starts and doesnât let up much until the verse starts. The riff in the verses has a fairly exotic feel until the chugging picks back up and then BAM, right back in the mouth with the collective foot of System of a Down. Overall, the song isnât complex, it isnât overwhelmingly outstanding, but it is a good stock song. Itâs one of those no one will likely claim as their favorite off of the album, but you donât wanna hit the skip button either.
5. âXâ- This song, after a jittery opening, gets heavy as hell at about 0:12 in. Then the lightning speed lyrical delivery and guitar riffs kick back in for the verse, with Serj exclaiming âWe donât need to multiplyâ and âWe donât need to nullify.â Itâs another song that has a very âfranticâ feel throughout the piece. The interlude gives a break from the jittery, frantic, heavyness of the song, although there is still some chug here that has some bounce in it. It breaks up the monotony before it kicks back off and comes to a close.
6. âChop Suey!â- âWeâre rolling suicideâ is the phrase spoken at the beginning of the song as the first single off the album kicks off. This is the song that threw System of a Down to the forefront of hard rock/metal back when the album was released. The slower opening picks up and goes into a nice heavy riff. The vocal delivery in the verses is almost Schizophrenic sounding, with Serj delivering lines in quick bursts with lyrics being repeated and whispered throughout. The chorus is memorable as well, proclaiming âI donât think you trust, inâŠmyâŠ.self righteous suicideâŠ.IâŠcryâŠ..when angels deserve to die.â Pretty heavy stuff for a âmereâ metal band. After the second chorus, the song gets mosh worthy, with some more great lyrical delivery between Serj and Daron. The interlude lyrics are equally heavy: âFather into your hands I command my spirit, Father into your hands; why have you forsaken me in your eyes, forsaken me in your thoughts, forsaken me in you heart, forsaken me, ohh.â The song closes out with the singer and guitarist again singing the chorus, beautifully, over an added piano part that is just great.
7. âBounceâ- This song isâŠinterestingâŠto say the least. Unless Iâm totally incorrect, this song sounds very blatantly about sex and sexuality. The music itself continues the heaviness of the album. My personal favorite part of the song kicks in with about forty two seconds left in the song. Itâs a good head-nodder that would probably be great in concert. The chorus line simply states âJump, Bounce, Up, Downâ with Serj chanting âpogoâ in between every word. Another unspectacular but great song off of the album.
8. âForestâ- Another catchy (at least as catchy as metal can be) song that has a good head banging part in the verses after every line that Serj delivers. The chorus is where this song shines though. âWhy canât you see that you are my child. Why donât you know that you are my mind. Tell everyone in the world that Iâm you. Take this promise to the end of you.â The instrumentation of the verses work well with the song because they slowly, deliberately, and almost subliminally build anticipation to the chorus, which simply delivers excellently. The whole focus of everything that isnât a chorus seems to just build anticipation for the chorus. The song works well that way.
9. âATWAâ- One of my favorite songs on the album. The song starts off slow with Serj singing, often coupled with Daron Malakian adding his vocal talents as well. The chorus then kicks in with âYou donât care about how I feel, I donât feel it anymoreâ then slows back down. This is a song that clearly shows off the vocal talents of both singers in the band. After the second chorus, the song goes through a little vocal and instrumental interlude that features that some little flairs by Malakian on the guitar. Nothing I would call a solo, but it fitâs the song and feel of the album well.
10. âScienceâ- This song may be the most âstockâ on the album, but that doesnât necessarily mean bland or bad. Being the most âstockâ song on an album this good isnât a bad thing. The song just doesnât get to itâs highlight, for me, until about 1:10 in. Shortly after it kicks to this nice little exotic sounding interlude that features work from Arto Tuncboyaciyan, an Armenian instrumentalist and popular musician. Overall, not a bad song by any means, but maybe the one with the least flair on the song.
11. âShimmyâ- This is a âfunâ metal song. Serj spits out the lyrics at a somewhat speedy rate with a nice descending guitar riff in between each lyric in the verse. The chorus has a little âbouncyâ feel to it. The best way I can describe that would be that if you heard it live, it would be one of those parts where the crowd would be jumping up and down instead of actually moshing. It is the shortest song on the album, clocking in at a mere 1:51, but it is 1:51 of a purely fun metal song.
12. âToxicityâ- This is one of the two âepicâ feeling songs on the album. âChop Sueyâ had an epic feel to it as well in parts, but not like this song, nor âAerialsâ which weâll get to in a minute. The song starts with a quiet little riff that kicks off about 12 seconds in. The key to this song, in my opinion is some nice drum work by drummer John Dolmayan. His beats are great, drive the song, and keep it interesting if you are actually listening for them. The verses build and grow, with parts adding in until you get to the chorus. The choruses feature stops by the guitar and bass to the let the drums ring through, before they chaotically jump back in. Serj really takes this opportunity to throw out some great vocal work on this album, as he establishes himself as a true singer instead of just a shouter/growler/screamer that most people think a metal band HAS to have. Speaking of chaotic, at the 2:44 mark, the music gets there. This is the only true âheavyâ part of the song, although the choruses have some heaviness to them. The song isnât overwhelmingly aggressive, but itâs aggressive enough. Itâs not a ballad, but it has singing and passion. Overall a great mix and one of the best songs on the album.
13. âPsychoâ- The song kicks off with bassist Shavo Odadjian letting his bass growl away before a high pitched guitar part comes in and builds until Serj Tankian truly starts the song by screaming âPsycho! Groupie! Cocaine! Crazy!â which he repeats a few times. They really make up the majority of the lyrics of the verses, honestly. The song returns to the somewhat frantic feel of the first part of the album until the slow, solo-lite-esque interlude of the song that brings it beautifully to itâs close.
14. âAerialsâ- The guitar part starts dark and brooding. It is a memorable part that really sticks with you and establishes the song early. The drum beat comes in quietly grows and then they lyrics pour forth. âLife is a waterfall, weâre one in the river and one again after the fall,â is what Serj starts with and continues with some great lyrics throughout the song. âAerialsâ really has an epic feel throughout; I donât know another way to explain what the verses and chorus feel like. Itâs still definitely hard rock and/or metal, but itâs different at the same time. At 2:22 is when the song builds towards its only really consistently heavy part, but itâs still epic in nature. The song then hitâs the slow down at the end as it lulls you down, back with that dark brooding riff from the beginning and some Armenian string work in the background. Overall, this song truly defines the album and is probably the best song on Toxicity, even if it isnât my favorite.
Hidden Track- The Arturo guy comes back and plays with the guys as they do an authentic Armenian Hymn called âDer Voghormya (Lord Have Mercy)â. Itâs interesting and different for sure, but is a good little bonus track.
Now, that is a song by song analysis, but what about the album? Why is it so epically great, at least in my eyes. Itâs because it supersedes the idea of a hard rock/metal album. It never feels like itâs heavy just to be heavy; Toxicity tries to deliver a message and make points, as well as be entertaining and heavy. The album flows excellently and really has two parts with an âinterludeâ; Iâm not sure, however, if this intentional. The first five tracks have a very distinct, aggressive, fidgety, jittery feel and are all fairly heavy. âToxicityâ starts the transition away from that. Then you get the five interlude songs, which donât have the overly aggressive, jittery feel of the opening tracks, but arenât the âepicâ feel of âChop Suey!â, âToxicityâ, and âAerialsâ. Then you hit the finale of the album, which starts with âToxicityâ, takes a break with âPsychoâ, and then culminates with âAerials.â It is a great album with a great flow and one that will always stand out to me.
Itâs sad to me that System couldnât follow this up with another epic album. Steal This Album! was a good filler album that was entertaining and possibly on par with their self titled debut. The two albums after that, Mesmerize and Hypnotize, might have made one half assed album if you took the best tracks from both, but they were overwhelmingly disappointing in my opinion. So will System ever return to this point? Maybe not, but I donât really care. They knocked this one out of the park and as long as they play mostly stuff from their first three albums when I see them live, weâll be fine. But seriously, this album should stand the test of time and always be remembered as one of the best albums of my generation and one of the better rock/metal albums ever, honestly. Itâs not top ten, but I would definitely list it in the top twenty five or so.
Havenât listened to it? GO NOW. Do yourself that favor. Experience the awesomeness that is Toxicity.
