#3 - Phil

System of a Down

Toxicity

2001

“They’re trying to build a prison / For you and me to live in!” Just one week before Jay-Z’s The Blueprint was released, Toxicity – the second album from the California heavy metal group System of a Down – hit the shelves. The record received mass acclaim for its progressive sounds and political themes, being named Album of the Year by Spin Magazine. Only 15 at the time, I had never been exposed to intense hard rock before listening to this album. But after hearing lead singer Serj Tankian’s operatic voice sing those opening words at the start of this paragraph, I was instantly drawn to the band’s fearless “Fuck You” message towards the U.S. government.

Although System of a Down was certainly not the first band to challenge authority, they were one of only a few to do so this heavily while obtaining massive pop radio exposure. Toxicity’s lead single, “Chop Suey!” is one of the decade’s most surprising radio hits, a screaming song explicitly about suicide that you can hear today on your child’s Rock Band video game: “Well I don’t think you trust in my / Self-righteous suicide / I cry / When angels deserve to die!” Suicidal and drug-infested themes can be found all over this record, such as my favorite track, “Needles”: “I’m sitting in my room with a needle in my hand / Just waiting for the tomb of some old dying man,” followed by John Dolmayan’s stabbing drum line and Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian’s repetitious chant “Pull the tapeworm out of your ass – HEY!”

Every time I play this record I feel a little bittersweet, as one of the decade’s greatest and most influential rock bands agreed to go on an indefinite hiatus three years ago. While I truly believe they will eventually reunite, there are hardly any guarantees in this industry. The one guarantee I do have is that Toxicity will always be regarded as the pinnacle of nu-metal and one of the most important rock albums of the 2000s. -P.W.

Interesting choice for Phil’s list. Toxicity is probably an album that the rest of the nu metal bands of the time wished they could make. In fact, as I’m thinking about it, System of a Down could possibly be the best thing to come out of nu metal (not that that’s a particularly impressive accomplishment). Their fast-paced political/social commentary is especially biting and the stuff revolutions are made of. While an excellent hard rock record, I have a hard time viewing this as one of the best albums of the decade. - Ryan

I gotta say I love this album too. It's something of a nü-metal Zappa with an extra dollop of metal's patented self-seriousness. Tankian politics might be a little simplistic, all of his maddening shouts are at least soundtracked by varied and progressive riffing and of course an ample amount of angst. It's a fun album from a band that can somehow get away with chanting "Pogo/pogo/pogo-pogo-pogopogopogo" "BOUNCE!" - Steve