Edmonton Journal (Alberta)
May 14, 2005 Saturday
Final Edition
Tankian gets frustrations out of his system
Sandra Sperounes, The Edmonton Journal
CD: MEZMERIZE
Artist: System Of A Down
Label: Columbia/Sony BMG
Best tracks: B.Y.O.B., Radio/Video, Old School Hollywood, Lost In
Hollywood
Rating: 4 1/2(out of five)
– – –
You’ve got to hand it to System Of A Down — Serj Tankian and his
bandmates aren’t willing to play the usual industry games.
In March, the metal group’s publicist happily tipped off journalists
about the “leak” of one of System’s manic new songs, Cigaro, even
going so far as to provide the website’s address.
(Honestly, most leaks are planted by artists, managers, producers or
publicists — but then they always feign a bit of outrage to make
sure they don’t aggravate the wallets funding their albums. Think
about it: As much as artists pretend to cry about Internet leaks,
they’d be more upset if no one wanted to steal their songs.)
More recently, Tankian and his mates didn’t care about placating NBC
when they performed B.Y.O.B. on Saturday Night Live. Instead, he
insisted on singing the song’s five expletives, which were bleeped
during the broadcast. Network censors were caught sleeping, though,
when guitarist/singer Daron Malakian decided to — oh my god! — drop
“a sixth, unscripted” F-bomb at the end of the track, according to
reports moved by CNN, AP and hundreds of websites which reproduce
their items.
Stop the presses! Soldiers and civilians are dying in Iraq, but
swearing on TV is a much more serious crime. More so than “choking
chicks and sodomy/ The kinda (expletive) you get on your TV,” as
Tankian points out on Violent Pornography, one of 11 blistering
tracks on SOAD’s new album, Mezmerize.
Interestingly, none of those news outlets have actually referred to
B.Y.O.B.’s overt political sentiments, perhaps trying to distract
potential SOAD listeners from the truth. “Why don’t presidents fight
the war? Why do they always send the poor?” rails Tankian towards the
end of the song, which twists and turns from machine-gun guitars to a
mellow, stoner chorus to a seething mosh pit of guitars and drums.
System isn’t your typical aggro metal band. “Acro” is more like it —
as in acrobatic musicians and vocalists of the highest order.
Malakian’s guitars, John Dolmayan’s drums and Shavo Odadjian’s bass
kick, spin and cartwheel over each other like ninjas, then gear down
into a slo-motion ballet of pirouettes and jetes, before revving back
up to Matrix speeds. Add Tankian’s equally elastic vocals — which
range from bratty to ballistic — and it sounds like you’re listening
to the equivalent of 1,000 jugglers, lion tamers and contortionists.
While Tankian sounds aggressive, it’s not because his girlfriend
dumped him or some idiot in an Escalade cut him off at an
intersection. His frustration, which tends to be delivered in mocking
tones, is fuelled by America’s continuing need for war, egotistical
leaders and the shallowness of society and pop culture.
“Hey, look at me, rockin’ out! I’m on the radio!” taunt Tankian and
Malakian on Radio/Video, which fuses an elbow-raising Armenian folk
melody with SOAD’s metal riffs and warm, escapist vocals.
Hollywood, in particular, is a favourite target for the songwriting
duo. They tackled it on Prison Song from 2001’s Toxicity and twice on
Mezmerize. “Tony Danza cuts in line!” Tankian whines on Old School
Hollywood, followed by a frenetic disco beat and robot vocals.
System brings it down a few notches for the next and final track on
the album, Lost In Hollywood, a sweeping spiritual which ebbs and
flows like David Usher doing Radiohead’s Street Spirit (Fade Out).
“They find you/Two-time you/Say you’re the best you’ve ever seen,”
Tankian laments.
Absolutely mesmerizing.
Look for part two, Hypnotize, in the fall.
HEAR A CLIP
Listen to System Of A Down’s new single, B.Y.O.B.
and click on Online Extras