all hail System of a Down

[maxsolomon]

through the use of a catchy, stealthy pop chorus ("everybody's goin' to the party, have a real good time. dancin' in the desert, blowing up the sunshine"), they got the following 2 lines onto pop radio:

"why don't presidents fight the wars,
why do the always send the poor?"
&
"where
the fuck
are you?"

in 2005, anti-war content AND metal in a pop song?

sa-goddamn-lute! kudos to you, armenian/american rockers.

[LiberalVoice]

1. That song is a work of genius.

The chorus in that songs serves one purpose. To sound "pop-ish". To get it on the radio. The fact that the chorus is interupted by heavy guitar and the words "Where the fuck are you?" is an example of the genius that is System of a Down.

[maxsolomon]

3. i love that it obliquely refers to iraq

desert
sunshine
blowing up

[Ariana Celeste]

2. When I saw them play that on tv,

I want to say it was Conan O'Brien but it could have been Leno... I was SO shocked. I couldn't help but think the producers probably didn't know the lyrics/song in advance. But I was *thrilled*. Can't wait to hear the rest of the album!

[maxsolomon]

4. they did in on SNL

and the audio crew just cut the mikes for the second when they screamed 'fuck'.

of course the cameras were tight on the singers & there was no doubt as to what they were saying.

[Ariana Celeste]

6. That was it!!

That's when I saw it. It was the first time I had heard the song, though I'd already heard *of* it. I was so shocked and thrilled, and had a couple beers in me- it was beautiful! I am so glad we tuned in for SNL that night, we generally don't bother watching it anymore. My SO wasn't so thrilled, he loves SOAD but since the radio is on nonstop at work he'd already heard it a hundred times (which is great news as far as I'm concerned!)
Recently I was looking for a list of the tracks on that album for my friend, and happened upon a blog that was criticising the album and each of the songs- it had tons of comments and only a handful of them actually knew what the song was about. I hope that isn't true for the majority of people who listen to it.

[vi5]

5. That band is one of those that....

I respect their positions and what they are trying to do. But musically I just think they are utter crap. And I like loud, extreme, all over the map music. They just do absolutely zero for me. I've tried to listen to them again and again. The thing is, I probably really dig most if not all of their influences.

[MrSlayer]

8. Seconded.

I hate SOAD and think they suck ass but I like their politics.

[maxsolomon]

9. i hear you, but they work for me & it surprises me a LOT

i cannot stand:
most heavy metal, especially with hoarse, yelling voices.
primus
i do like zappa.

who else do you hear in there?

i absolutely loathed rage against the machine - but i appreciate SOAD's humor & passion.

[vi5]

10. They listen to a lot of grindcore and death metal and .....

..a lot of bands that do like heavy jazz mixed with metal and hardcore (Discordance Axis, Man Is The Bastard, etc.). I listen to a lot of that stuff so it's not an aversion to heavy music that makes me disinterested in them. I just find them overly goofy and boring.

[maxsolomon]

11. ok, i can see that

the goofiness is a little primus/zappa cloying. i'm tempted to see them at Key Arena on oct. 5, but i worry i wouldn't like them after.

[vi5]

12. The thing is, I like Primus and Zappa o.k.

I'm not fanatical about either one, but they don't turn me off with their goofiness. Weird. Even one person's internal taste can be subjective I guess. There's not logic.

[Initech]

7. I saw System live last Friday

They kicked fucking ass! :headbang:

Mars Volta were pretty good too!

[gizmo1979]

14. No way

how long did they play?How many people were there?They so rock!:headbang:

[Initech]

15. Well...

They played a good 2 1/2 hours, it was sold out (at Long Beach Arena). And by the way, the audience was awesome. At points, they sang louder than Serj did.

This was the set list:

1. Soldier Side
2. B.Y.O.B.
3. Revenga
4. Know
5. Suggestions
6. Jet Pilot
7. Needles
8. Chop Suey!
9. Forest
10. Violent Pornography
11. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
12. Cigaro
13. New song from Hypnotize
14. Question!
15. Chic N Stu
16. Aerials
17. Lost In Hollywood
18. Sad Statue
19. New song from Hypnotize
20. Prison Song
21. Needles
22. Toxicity
23. Suite-Pee
24. Sugar

[maxsolomon]

16. you took NOTES?

way to math rock! awesome.

now i think i have to go to the Key Arena show. that set list will do it for me.

[Initech]

18. I didnt take notes!

But I did manage to sneak my camera phone in to take pictures!

[gizmo1979]

13. Most relevant rock band around.

Do you have the new CD? there are acouple of other jabs at the repugs on there."My cock is much bigger".They were on SNL last SAT.Repeat but still rocked.

[redqueen]

17. I love them.

:loveya:

Don't forget Aerials.

Life is a waterfall. We're one in the river, one again after the fall.

[Beware the Beast Man]

19. I'm not a fan of SOAD, but I sure as hell respect them.

They are an intelligent breath of fresh air in the gasping death rattle of radio-friendly nu-metal (though they themselves are not necessarily nu-metal).

[JanMichael]

20. Between them and reenday we've got some ROCK on our side!

I LOVE the BYOB video, it's just a pure adrenaline rush.

Then we have Greenday with a whole CD full of FUGWB!

And who can neglect OTEP with a nutty metal anti-war song...

[jandrok]

21. I dig SOAD, but they're pretty derivitave, IMO.

They sound like the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag having a bar brawl with Metallica while Fred Schneider sings in the background. The first time that my wife heard BYOB on the radio, she actually exclaimed "When did that guy from the B-52's start singing metal?"

Still, I dig 'em, even if they wear their influences on their sleeves. They're about as good as mainstream metal gets.