System of a Down: Mezmerize [AMERICAN / COLUMBIA]

Why you'll love it

Mezmerize debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 450,000 copies in its first week, and "B.Y.O.B." won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. It's System at their wildest and catchiest.

This edition

• American / Columbia pressing
• Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian

About the album

System of a Down planned Mezmerize and Hypnotize as two halves of one double album, put out six months apart in 2005. On Mezmerize, guitarist Daron Malakian steps up to share lead vocals with Serj Tankian, and the result is a whiplash ride through thrash metal, Armenian folk melodies, absurdist humour and furious politics.

"B.Y.O.B." is a scorching anti-war anthem with a deceptively bouncy chorus, "Question!" is surprisingly delicate, "Radio/Video" breaks into a polka, "Cigaro" is gleefully silly, and "Lost in Hollywood" closes things on a haunting note. It went straight to No. 1, and they followed it with another No. 1 when Hypnotize arrived.

Also at Kops: more System of a Down on vinyl · browse Metal

Tracklist

Listen

On American / Columbia, a reissue of the 2005 album.