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"Chop Suey!" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. "Aerials" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance. While System of a down are often cast with the nu-metal crowd, ... Full Descriptiontheir sound is closer to '80s thrash (and even hardcore punk) than to any of the rap-metal hordes. Grinding guitars and death-knell drums may be the order of the day, but they work in service of a highly developed socio-political consciousness. In fact, when he's not lacerating his vocal cords, singer Tankian delivers his rebellious lyrics in a tone reminiscent of infamous Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra. Make no mistake, the thrash quotient on TOXICITY is high enough to satiate even the hungriest headbanger, but System of a Down understands the power of dynamics, often moving from a whisper to a scream over the course of the album (though they obviously spend far more time on the scream end of the spectrum). Additionally, they deliver their eye-gouging riffs with an unerring precision that never devolves into an indistinct blur. This hard-hitting quartet knows how to deliver the hard-rock goods with grace.
Parental Advisory 5272356
Recorded at Cello Studios, Hollywood, California.
Producers: David Schiffman, Greg Collins, Darren Morr.
Engineers: Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian.
System Of A Down: Serj Tankian (vocals, keyboards): Daron Malakian (guitar, background vocals); Shavo Odadjian (bass); John Dolmayan (drums).
Additional personnel: Rick Rubin (piano); Arto Tuncboyaciyan (background vocals).
Rolling Stone (9/27/01, p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Both manic and schizoid, Tankian veers easily from sing-rap rhythm to Korn-ish hysterics to demonic baritone growl to doomily ruminative....the music insists on forward motion without trapping itself in a thrashy lock-step rut..." Spin (1/02, p.76) - Ranked #1 in Spin's "Albums of the Year 2001". Spin (p.89) - "System have an undeniable nerd-prog charm..." Entertainment Weekly (9/7/01, pp.161-2) - "...Strange and engaging....It all adds up to bizarro type of meta; that has a warped majesty and strength..." - Rating: B- Q (9/01, p.121) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s..." Alternative Press (2/02, p.64) - Ranked #9 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001". Alternative Press (10/01, p.102) - 9 out of 10 - "...This is not pop music - this is psychic wreckage." Mojo (Publisher) (p.54) - Ranked #93 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[T]he world's most darkly hilarious noise band had come of age." Hide DescriptionPurchase Toxicity CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart
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