SYSTEM OF A DOWN — Hypnotize (review)

SYSTEM OF A DOWN — Hypnotize album cover Album · 2005 · Alternative Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Pekka
After the mind shattering explosion that was Mezmerize it was clear that nothing that followed could quite live up to it. Hypnotize had a considerably slower start than its predecessor as was expected, but with repeated listens it revealed itself to be if not as good, then pretty damn close.

Hypnotize is really a second half of a double album that Mezmerize started, so much so that their cases could be joined together to form one big digipak. The songs were mostly recorded during the same sessions, so the style is very much the same with less emphasis on chugging metal riffs and more on melody and harmony. Not forgetting the thunderous metal, as the opener Attack shows. Highlights of the album include the blastbeat-turn-heatbreaking harmonies of Dreaming, my favourite air drumming track of all time Holy Mountains, the senseless weirdo She's Like Heroin with its charming "ASS!!" screams and the emotional war song Soldier Side bookending the album with Mezmerize's Soldier Side Intro. The rest of the tracks are great too, but in the middle of the album during Tentative and U-Fig it almost stands still for a moment. If one of them was erased it would have been good, they're just a bit too similar.

Today I've listened to the entire System of a Down discography and come to realize that no matter how brilliant I think this album is, it really might be the least good of their four proper studio albums. Really a fantastic album, but not just enough to earn of that last half of a star.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
The Angry Scotsman wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review man, and pretty much in agreement! The weakest "real" SoaD album that does lag a tad in the middleish there. Still awesome \m/

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Из Чего Я Состою Crust Punk
MARIE GUELLA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Surowica / Slavenkust Hardcore Punk
SLAVENKUST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Surowica / Slavenkust Crust Punk
SUROWICA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nie Wydarzy Się Crust Punk
SUROWICA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Repulsive Forms Sludge Metal
UMA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 21 hours ago
In Sulfur - Parasite (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 21 hours ago
In Sulfur - Abysmal Grave (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 21 hours ago
In Sulfur - Windchaser(OFFICIAL VIDEO)
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 21 hours ago
In Sulfur - From Green/To Grey (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 21 hours ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed