Рецензия Armenian News Network/Groong на альбом «Hypnotize»

Raging Guitars And Just Plain Raging

System of a Down cares.

The Armenian-American quartet from Los Angeles knows that listening to its albums is like being pummeled by heavy metal guitars while drowning in a sea of encyclopedia pages. Knowing that the attempt to digest two albums of political rants punctuated by punishing guitar solos and stop-start melodies may cause their fans’ heads to explode, the band divided its recent album in two.

The impressive «Mezmerize» (Columbia) arrived in May, led by the stunning single «B.Y.O.B.,» and now there’s the second half,

«Hypnotize» (Columbia), which is equally masterful.

On the title track, guitarist-singer Daron Malakian and singer Serj Tankian ask, «Why don’t you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square was fashion the reason why they were there?» They then shift into pop mode for a chorus of «I’m just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl,» before speeding off into an Eastern European guitar hoedown.

With that kind of density, there’s a lot to unpack from «Hypnotize.»

The first level is the sound — a powerful flurry of right hooks carefully sculpted from guitars and drums by the band and producer Rick Rubin. Next come the lyrics, which rage against the status quo in American life.

Then finally, there is the humor, like the amusing way they sing the «beedee-beedee-beedee-beedum» guitar solo on «U-Fig» as they play it. Or the way they make «She’s Like Heroin» sound like a new wave ballad welded to a Primus bass solo and struck by heavy metal guitar.

Put it all together and «Hypnotize,» like «Mezmerize,» becomes one of the year’s best albums.

by Glenn Gamboa

Newsday, NY
Nov 22, 2005