The Toronto Sun
September 2, 2005 Friday
FINAL EDITION
THEY’RE IN OUR SYSTEM;
QUARTET BRINGS DOWN THE HOUSE
BY LIISA LADOUCEUR, SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO SUN
NEVER underestimate the power of a good musical pummelling.
For who would have believed that System of a Down, four
Armenian-American underdogs playing complex, kooky, uncatchy hard
rock with a communist (or at least very socialist) manifesto could be
stadium superstars.
The California group emerged from the late-90s Ozzfest scene to
become a leading voice for pierced activists and aged headbangers
alike; their influence in the underground has been growing as
steadily as their goatees.
But as they proved last night at the Air Canada Centre in front of
15,000 stoked fans, System of a Down are not actually the kings of nu
metal — they are the new kings of metal.
Emerging onto a stark stage dressed all in black with fancy
aristocratic jackets, they took control of the crowd immediately with
their recent hit BYOB and for almost two hours, never let go.
It’s almost impossible to sing along to their tunes, but leader Serj
Tankian’s mix of rapid-fire speak and operatic singing was like a
tribal war cry and the crowd responded on cue.
Guitarist Daron Malakian was the team spazz, racing about. The
rumbling bass and rapid-fire kick drums had the power and fury of
death metal, but without the relentless pacing and ridiculous lyrics.
Well, “pull the tapeworm out of your a–” is pretty ridiculous and
most of the songs that aren’t political are equally goofy but how
else to turn everyone in the room into a fist-pumping 14-year-old
boy?
Besides, the band’s musicianship is so stunning, so dynamic and
dramatic any juvenile geeking out was forgiven.
This was not Fred Durst-style goofing off. It was utterly intense and
refreshingly playful.
When Serj sat down with an acoustic guitar to play Questions, it was
the heaviest unplugged interlude ever.
The band didn’t say a word to the crowd, and didn’t have to.
Tunes that sound chaotic on radio flowed seamlessly from one to the
next, from Violent Pornography to Mr. Jack to War To Prison Song,
with ferocity and precision.
They even worked in some Neil Young and Dire Straight references.
By the time they got to bombastic hits like Ariel and Toxicity,
System of a Down were playing as good as Metallica in their heyday,
and perhaps better than any other metal bands on the road today.
Two devil saluting thumbs up.
—
SYSTEM OF A DOWN
Air Canada Centre
‘New kings of metal’
— LIISA LADOUCEUR
Sun Rating: 5 out of 5
GRAPHIC: photo by Ernest Doroszuk SINGER SERJ TANKIAN dances to the
beat of his own drum last night at the ACC.