May 2022 Featured Album - The Gateway Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This months featured release is one of the first heavy metal album that I ever owned; the first half of System of A Down's 2005's double album Mezmerize.

https://metal.academy/releases/169

One critique of System of a Down that even longtime fans of this group can relate to, is the bands identity. I don't mean as artists, but rather the art that is being created. What on earth are they trying to say? It's music with a lot of serious thought and commentary, but delivered in such a non-chalant, borderline humorous way. Mezmerize is no exception. "B.Y.O.B." and "Violent Pornography" have their goofy moments, but underneath the veil is a dense socio-political commentary that, at the time, was foreign to this brand of quasi-nu metal of the early/mid 2000s. Or you have the straight up gag fests like "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song" or "Cigaro", with the opening line "My cock is much bigger than yours" that gave me quite a few disapproving stares back in the day! But I think that was apart of the overall appeal; being sucked in or "Hypnotized" by the nonsense songs that you didn't realize what you were actually singing about, with "Violent Pornography" being the most direct on the entire album.

System of a Down have never been genius songwriters, but they do know how to write a good hook. And I don't think any other SoaD album had riffs as plentiful as Mezmerize. The drive of "Revenga", "Old School Hollywood", "B.Y.O.B." and "Violent Pornography" are splendid! I even really enjoy the subtle growth of "Lost In Hollywood" that tries so hard to explode like all of the tracks on this album have done, but never reaches a true climax. But that leaves "Question!", the closest thing to a progressive song the band has ever written, with odd time signatures and whiplash tonal transitions, but the group keeps everything intact through careful use of its motifs and modulating them (mostly the chorus) to fit a new style. The dual vocals of Serj and Daron are superb for this style and are only matched by the more passionate song stylings of the second half of the double album, Hypnotize.

8/10

I get the feeling that S.O.A.D.'s stock has fallen over recent years and I'm not sure if it's cool to like them anymore, but fuck that because personally I loved both Toxicity and this album and I still do to this day. I'm not so keen on the debut or Steal This Album and Hypnotize is a bit patchy, but Mezmerize and Toxicity are brilliant examples of punky, hook-laden metal that have rarely been equalled, let alone bettered. Their ability to write such catchy metal numbers and to cover serious subject matter lyrically, yet do so with humour and biting wit, is an ability not to be underestimated. They are like a metal version of Dead Kennedys in a way.

I don't think Mesmerize reaches Toxicity's heights, Cigaro and This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song fall a bit flat, but the rest is inordinately enjoyable. I mean a song like Violent Pornography is just begging for you to sing along at the top of your voice whilst walking down the high street while everyone stares after you like you're some kind of maniac! SOAD's great skill is to sound subversive and yet accessible all at the same time. Lyrically a bit too serious and risque to be termed as pop metal, but in truth it's not a million miles away (and I mean that in the most positive way). If that's an issue for you, then that's your loss.

4/5

It's funny how a record with such energy & vitality can divide opinions on it's individual components yet elicit a similar overall response, isn't it? I'm hardly a die-hard System Of A Down fan as I'd only ever heard their classic 2001 sophomore album "Toxicity" prior to digging my teeth into this month's feature release. I really enjoyed "Toxicity" though. It was a very strong album & this one is too. Perhaps not quite as strong as it's older sibling but I've rated it the same nonetheless. Let's just say that "Toxicity" was a strong 4/5 while "Mezmerize" has just snuck over the line for that rating by the barest of margins.

"Mezmerize" starts off a little slowly for me as the first three tracks were mildly enjoyable without ever really threatening to hit my sweet spot. It's only when SOAD embrace their hardcore side a bit that I start to see my pulse rate increasing rapidly. I actually really dig the two short gimmick songs in "Cigaro" & "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song", both of which worked to super-charge my experience. I couldn't give a toss about the lyrical direction. It's more about the electricity & urgency they bring to the table. "Violent Pornography" is the only let-down across the tracklisting for me as it's simply too quirky & accessible for my taste but I love the Tool-ish progressive approach of "Question!", the strong alternative metal stylings of "Sad Statue" & especially the lengthier alternative rock builder "Lost in Hollywood" whose hooks really dug in & made it my album highlight. The production job is very much situated in the hardcore space with plenty of mid-range in the guitars & I think this works to the band's benefit as It adds to the chaotic nature of the arrangements & gives the avant-garde vocal approach a better grounding. The occasional Faith No More style clean sections usually aren't my cup of tea when taken in isolation but within the context of the rapid-fire song-structures they work to nicely break up the record.

In many ways I really shouldn't enjoy this album as much as I do because I usually recoil from humour in my metal but System Of A Down have a funny way of nudging you in the ribs enough times with a silly "Eh?" look on their face that you eventually turn around & laugh along with them despite trying hard not to. That's a rare talent because it's so easy to end up on the wrong side of that equation. The fanaticism of the SOAD fanbase is often overwhelming (particularly in the USA) but it's nice to occasionally be reminded that there's a fair bit of merit behind it.

For fans of Faith No More, Dir en Grey & Twelve Foot Ninja.

4/5