Tuesday September 4, 2001

Toxicity

(American)

Grade: A

The four crazy guys from across the ocean are back with their usual energy and politics with their new album Toxicity.

The cover of the album needs a warning label because the contents are extremely unstable. Following up its debut album with another slab off the metal wall, System of a Down has created another wild ride into the musical world of singer Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian.

The music has its roots in straight-out metal, but always manages to stray far from convention. Using every type of rhythm in music from swing to traditional Russian folk songs, the group still manages to pull off a few radio-friendly songs.

The track "Chop Suey" is the big ballad on the disc, but is still full of yelling and thrashing guitars - a complete 180-degree turn from the beautiful chorus. That is precisely what makes this group so entertaining - it has made a unique sound all its own, which is hard to do in our Limp Bizkit, Korn-fed world of music.

Such a crazy musical sound does not take away from the political side of this group. On its first recording, the group focused on social issues in its homeland of Lebanon. On Toxicity, the group brings a magnifying glass to America to probe the problems in our society - such as our overpopulated prison system and the many failures of scientific research.

Whether or not you want the politics, System of a Down will suck you in with its music and blast your senses with its energy.