System of a Down
Greetings All!
WOOOOO HOOOOO! They're BACK! And with part one of a brilliant new album called "Mezmerize", System Of A Down is filling our earspaces with their particular brand of asskicking music! The new album is part one of two, the latter which will be released sometime in the fall. If the current is anything to go by, I think it's safe to speak for everyone when I say it's well worth a buy. The radio edit of their new single B.Y.O.B. blasted its way to the top 10 just last month and continues to soar. The producers anticipate hitting the 800,000 mark very soon, which will put them at platinum status in a short time. The mass majority of people assumed B.Y.O.B. was an anti - war song, but according to Serge Tankian and Daron Malakian, this simply isn't true!
Serge admits the band was concerned about releasing it "because we've been pegged as such a political band, and it's something we've been trying to shy away from so people will understand the different aspects of the band." Daron, on the other hand, says not to make assumptions.
"I don't see it as a political song," he said. "The lyrics sing, 'Why don't presidents fight the war?/ Why do they always send the poor?' But that's not a thought to politics or anything else. That's just a viewpoint. That's just a question. And I think, more than politics, we try to spark questions that the powers that be don't want you to ask. It's more about a social commentary. I think it's about a few different things as opposed to being pointed at one thing".
Ok, fair enough! Still, I can both see and understand how they came to be pegged as a political band. All the members are very passionate about getting Dubya to formally recognize the Armenian genocide in which the Turks came in and took over. I will say no more about that, especially as my great grandmother was there when it happened, and was affected in a bad way. Not only this, but they are also rather passionate about this selfsame issue ever being repeated within any race/culture again. Back to the music! As everyone knows, this song drove itself home. The lyrics are just as powerful as the music itself, and even Saturday Night Live couldn't bleep out all the instances of the magick F word :o)
Says John Dolmayan - "It's ridiculous that people make a big deal out of it. Incredibly ridiculous that it's newsworthy," he said. "It's just a word. We didn't kill anybody. People should relax. If you're old enough to be up at 11:30, I'm sure that you've heard that word before and it's not going to affect your delicate sensibilities if you hear it again. We act like these words are never spoken. The whole country tripped out because of Janet Jackson's breast. Who gives a fuck? How many times have you seen a breast before in your life? It doesn't offend me". John? It doesn't offend me either, guy. But apparently, there are people out there who, for the sake of doing so, take offense over EVERYTHING, no matter how small and miniscule it is :o)
Ready for some lyrics? Me too! I love sitting here listening to this song at full blast, which no doubt irks my neighbors, but they'll get over it! There have been many times where what they were listening to, or doing affected me, now it's MY TURN! (WEG)
"Why do they always send the poor
Barbarisms by Barbara’s
With pointed heels
Victorious victories kneel
For brand new spankin' deals
Marching forward hypocritic and
Hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine
Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine
Blast off
It's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation
Blast off
It's party time
And where the f*ck are you?
Where the f*ck are you?
Where the f*ck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Kneeling roses disappearing into
Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox stealing
Our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying freedom
Handed to obsoletion,
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party have a real good time
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sun
Where the f*ck are you?
Where the f*ck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor
They always send the poor"!
Now, these were gleaned directly from their official website, so I have to assume they are correct in content! Funny, with all the lyrics to this song in front of me, it seems like a much longer song than it actually is! Ok, pressing onwards. Another good one on this album was most definitely "Cigaro". Now, in my humble opinion, although the lyrics to this are both questionable for content as well as hilarious, I think we've got to look a bit beyond them and see what they're saying. I'm fairly sure this tune is speaking in parody fashion in a grand attempt at casting this in the faces of those who think they matter! Use your own imagination on this, and draw your own conclusions! And to those who think they matter - well. You only matter while we allow you to :o)
"We're the regulators that deregulate
We're the animators that de-animate
We're the propagators of all genocide
Burning through the world's resources
Then we turn and hide
We're Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
We're the regulators that deregulate
We're the animators that de-animate
We're Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar
Cool, in denial
We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigar"...
Great song! Very punchy and electric! That's another thing I like about S.O.A.D. - The way they change tempo within the songs - starts off at a nice beat, then it kicks in! Sort of a ping-pong effect. This is something S.O.A.D. is very good at, and well known for, and it's this what makes them nicer to listen to - they're not copying the styles of anyone else currently on the scene. And that's always a bonus! Next song is rather interesting, it's called "Radio/Video". This one strikes me as a sort of a punch in the face to those out there who write any old thing just to get airplay, and usually, it turns out to be garbage. Not to offend anyone, but take Marylin Manson's last album. There were some very good tunes on there, but for the most part, you could tell that many of them were written as "filler" songs - something to take up the bulk of the album, just to get production done and dealt with, and keep to the deadline.
"A lot of the songs that seem really obvious aren't that obvious if you really get into them, like 'Radio/Video' for instance," drummer John Dolmayan said, referring to a Mezmerize track seemingly about musicians who are in the business for the wrong reasons. (Lyric sample: "Hey, man! Look at me rockin' out/ I'm on the radio.") "There are a lot of things that are deeper and they take a lot of searching." Well John, hopefully we figured out the meaning behind this one! But then, as Shavo says, no matter what the fans say it means to them, he agrees and says "you're right". Songs will always be interpreted differently on an individual basis, making it wide open, which is, I guess, a great thing :o) No one's wrong!
John also spoke about the second half of their "Mezmerize/Hypnotize" double-album concept, which is due this fall. Refusing to give away any hints about the upcoming CD, he said that they want people to enjoy the just-released "Mezmerize" to the fullest and still have some anticipation left for when the "Hypnotize" half comes out.
"No hints. I'm leaving it open, so you can have that mystery and hopefully it won't get leaked two weeks before the album comes out. You'll be able to enjoy, like in the old days, when you would wait until an album came out, and then listen to it, as opposed to getting it three weeks in advance".
Ok, last but definitely not the least, I chose "Lost In Hollywood" mainly because I can totally relate to this song. Once upon a time, I used to live in Hollywood in my younger days, and I was homeless for a time, and was in a gang of sorts - the non - violent type. We were known as the Hollywood Trolls, and we were more of a family - type group. In other words, we looked out for each other. You tend to see a lot of the ugly side of things when you live in a place like that. People go to Hollywood thinking it's a beautiful, wonderful place, and it's really just a great big hole in the wall, full of all manner of people, no description of said people needs to be added here. Those who have ever been there, or lived there will know whereof I speak. Just about every kid who has ever run away from home in America, has ended up in Tinseltown for whatever reason. You get those with stars in their eyes, and the rejects of life roaming the streets there. It's not the nicest of places to call home. The lyrics to this song are pretty much indicative of these facts. I have gone ahead and put most of the lyrics here, so you can have a better idea of what Hollywood is, in all truth, like to live there, and what can be found there.
"I'll wait here
You're crazy
Those vicious streets are filled with strays
You should've never gone to Hollywood
They find you
Two-time you
Say you're the best they've ever seen
You should've never trusted Hollywood
I wrote you
And told you
You were the biggest fish out here
You should've never gone to Hollywood
They take you
And make you
They look at you in disgusting ways
You should've never trusted Hollywood
I was standing on the wall
Feeling ten feet tall
All you maggots
Smoking fags on Santa Monica Blvd.
This is my front page
This is my new age
All you bitches put your hands in the air
And wave them like you just don't care".
Well. And that's that! Now onto the good stuff. For those of you who have yet to check out this album, may I suggest the usual at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007Y4TVU/ref=pm_dp_ln_m_2/102-8744976-8132143?v=glance&s=music&vi=samples. They have almost all the songs queued up and ready for you to enjoy. Also check out the official website at http://www.systemofadown.com. I love the site for several reasons - it doesn't simply concentrate totally on just the music - they are also global advocates for peace, so feel free to check out some of the many links they have on the site. You can also listen to songs and watch videos here as well. It's a nice, well-rounded site, with a little something for everyone, and it's also very kewl that they have B.Y.O.B. queued right up on the pages for your listening pleasure :o) One other site that bears mentioning is http://www.systemofadownonline.com. which has current news on the band, and other things also, so feel free to check it out! Ok, once again, I hope you have enjoyed the review! I have some good ones coming up in the near future, so.....Watch this space!
In service,
Silver
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