Advantages: Release your energy with this album!
Disadvantages: Could send you to insane street

...Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep, i found an album called toxicity. Hmmm, so my use of song lyrics in op's isnt up to scratch, but my selection of albums to review certainly is!! I had heard of SOAD (System of a Down) for about half a year and had always put them into the "avoid them" pile. However, after listening to them a few more times, i decided they were possibly worth my £9.99 and i trundled off to Virgin Megastore to purchase this album. What a shock!! It is now my most played album. I feel i am going mental, but it is worth it! The album begins with a very heavy number of tracks, the first of which being prison. Prison is a great song, but as i say, HEAVY. After tracks 4 to 5, it progress to chop suey. If you have heard a SOAD track, this is probably it. It is a bit lighter, but dont expect heavenly chimes... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: brilliant songs, very origonal, very load
Disadvantages: none come to mind

...It’s no secret that rock music isn’t as popular as it used to be, but for those who are into rock have never had it better. Over the past few years’ rock in general has had a bit of a revival with the likes of Marilyn Manson and Limp Bizkit giving the style some much needed media coverage (even if they are not the best examples of the music form, in my opinion). This new rock, labelled “nu-metal”, why I have no idea, maybe the journalist who came up with it made a typo and it just stuck or something as it is stupid, any way no side tracking… This opinion is not about Marilyn Manson or Limp Bizkit… it is about System of a Down. Okay, if you are not really into rock music then you won’t know them; they are not very likely to get into the charts as their music wont appeal to the masses. However their music is nothing short... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Absolutely Awsome, Groundbreaking and a definate must have
Disadvantages: The only complaint I have is that my girlfriend wont let me play it loud enough!!!

...I only heard of this group 2 weeks ago, after seeing them on Kerrang channel, and every now and again you hear something that changes your perspective on your musical tastes, and broadens your horizons - prepare yourself for Toxicity. Sit down, remove all sharp objects from your pockets, turn up the volume, press play . . . . . The first song, 'Prison Song' sets the scene, a Rage Against The Machine-esque blast of energy that will have you clenching your teeth and fists and twitching your head in ways it has never twitched before!! I have been blasting this out in the car for the last two weeks, constantly, without getting tired of it at all, and I would say that my favourites are Chop Suey, which is their new single and the song that brought them to my attention, and also Ariels, the last song on the CD, a slower, less... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: The origins of what is now one of the biggest bands in the world
Disadvantages: Song writing not as developed and realised as on later efforts

..., it is all in there and done very competently. Vocally, it is clear these guys are Mike Patton fanboys. The whole scale is covered, spoken word, crooning, growls, screams, scat singing, rap, it is all done in an o.t.t. fashion but it works. Lyrically, the band as the name suggests is quite politically orientated. While around half of the lyrics cover typical, anti-globalisation, neo-marxist rhetoric (could be a good or bad thing depending on your view). On the other side, a lot of the lyrics are very ambigous and very witty, most of the lyrics are written in an indirect enough sort of way to not be too preachy and left open to interpretation. All in all, this is an excellent album. If for whatever reason, you have only recently come to system of a down or just passed up on purchasing this for whatever reason then you should purchase it. If you... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great riffs, creative lyrics and Daron gets to sing!!!!!!!
Disadvantages: none! a great album

...Album title: mesmerize Release date: May 17th 2005 Label: American recordings/Columbia Other information about the album: parental guidance, explicit lyrics, part of a two part album project, the two parts to the album being released on separate dates. History: ok so here is a little bit of history for those of you who don't know who System of a down are: Vocals: Serj Tankian Guitar: Daron Malakian Bass: Shavo Odadjian Drums: John Dolmayan System Of A Down have been providing there fans with a unique and individual blend of death-metal, funk, and Armenian folk for close to ten years. There first album they named self titled which was released on June the 30th 1998. There different style of music changed the way that the world looks at politics and gross misuse of power. The once freedom of speech was flipped on its side... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Raw Talent from the constantly amazing System
Disadvantages: None whatsoever!!!

...Maybe I say this too much for it to be believed, but this is truly one of the greatest disc's in my ever-growing collection... This is System of a Down, raw and wriggling, fresh and brilliant... Serj Tankian - lead vocals, keyboards, cool beard Daron Malakian - guitars, backing vocals, cool beard John Dolmayan - drums, cool beard Shavo Odadjian - bass, awesome beard FIRST IMPRESSIONS (cover and content) OK, so from the start we know this isn't your average 'lets rock out 'cuz its fun' group... a seemingly random hand (all is explained!) on the front with an aged-picture look that can 'grab' your attention straight away... this is an album you won't have to search all too closely for... On the reverse is a track list and a large piece of writing that IS NOT credits and technical information and IS NOT to be ignored... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Mad, Manic, Loud, Chop Suey and Arto
Disadvantages: Mad, Manic, Loud, very much a mood album

...System of a Down = mad. Bizarrely political lyrics over, well, frankly nutter headbanging mayhem. Chief lunatic warbler in the band is a chap of Armenian background called Serj Tankian who is the really odd one in a rather odd band. His vocal style mainly consists of a strangled roary crooning. Really, it does - he also has a mate in the band who sings like a more whiney version of Serj. Let us not forget that this is the band who on their first album had a song that went something along the lines of "Life threatening lifestyles, a hit man, a nun, lovers". Mmmmmm. Toxicity is System of a Down's second album, produced by hair magnet supreme Rick Rubin (He of Blood Sugar Sex Magik fame) and I have to admit that I wasn't overly looking forward to this album. While I found the first album quite entertaining (Yelling the bit about... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Excellent Riffs, vocals and sound overall,very ctchy
Disadvantages: Not many, Cnt really get into the song 'Question' that well.

...SYSTEM OF A DOWN: MEZMERIZE Although I have not yet written any reviews on SYSTEM OF A DOWN on Ciao, they are actually by far my most favourite band ever, by a hell of a long way, and the reason I never wrote a review is because I would have too much to say and would end up waffling on, so when the first half of Systems new double album came out, I thought it was about time I wrote a review! (At this point I would just like to let you know my 'A' key is dodgy, so I cannot be held responsible for ny missing a's) :-) I will keep it fairly brief but first off though a little background on the band! BACKGROUND: System of a down first formed in 1995 under the name 'Victims of a down' and they consisted of Serj Tankian, (Vocals), Daron Malakian(Guitars and vocals), Shavo(Bass) and Andy Khatchadurian(drums). Andy was later... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful