The one and only Hollywood sign, in the first trip
Written: Oct 08 '09
Product Rating:
Pros: That wow factor in 1998
Cons: They have not visited such heights since
The Bottom Line: Definitely not good for driving, just ask my friends' Focus. Lmao...Great album, with all the trimmings of a must have Desert Island pick for your metal craving.
hstisgod's Full Review: System of a Down [PA] by System of a Down
Ah, one of those golden records, regardless of how many it sells. Often referred to as SOAD, System Of A Down was a quick adaption to the sunset strip. Sure, some may have first scoffed at their wickedly operatic singer.
The first time I was introduced to this album had to be 1998, a friend of mine Aaron gave me that whole ‘bro you have to listen to this’ spiel. I was sucked in from moment one… Sure, they have sort of parted ways after tasting the cheese of Hollywood and Vine, but that does not discount the hard work of this album. Blitzing tracks like the 1:49 seconds of “CUBErt” that seems to be an in-your-face PostHardcore/Punk mincing.
I’m not sure where to go from here, the singles? Yeah, there were a few singles spun on dark night FM radio when this released. The self-titled major label debut features chart successes like “Sugar”, “Spiders”, and “War”, which all had some of the most energetic metal I had heard in years. In ‘98, I hadn’t seen these understandings of rhythm and anger for their government since R. A. T. M. (Rage Against The Machine). "P.L.U.C.K." is clearly the best choice of all the attempted singles, so extreme with it’s melodies and cool down periods. Daron Malakian (guitar) steps in so nicely with an aggressive vocals that pairs so well with the rest of the song.
“Mind” is brutally moody, staring into your soul. Set there by an eery bass-line, followed up by creepy guitar subtleties and a drum job that’ll singe your hairs. Serj Tankian hops in with casual lyricism, then shows off a bit of his range. “Look at each other”, he repeats often for the intro and quietly for the outro. After an explosion of instrumentation, check out his verse and the simple chorded build up into the chorus that always changes tempo. For the creepiest of tones and tabbing, “Spiders” takes the spotlight. It’s here that Tankian’s musty and dark lyricism is highlighted the most.
"Approaching guiding light, Our shallow years in fright, Dreams are made winding, through my head. Through my head, Before you know, Awake."
With “Prison Song” grab the lyrics book as well, SOAD has an opinion rarely communicated on record. Malakian hurries it out. “I buy my crack, I smack my b*tch, right here in Hollywood," No lack of inspiration here, still, the only part of the record that has an annoying repetitive energy, “They’re trying to build a prison”. Tediously, a nerdy mind sticks in their 2 cents “Free thinkers are dangerous”. I just have no words for how this very different project means to me and my ultimate desert island collection.
Forget Serj and all his solo fun and fame. Malakian has a mind of hooks that will never be cloned. With the exception of "P.L.U.C.K." and a song or two, you’ll notice one thing missing from this SOAD release; the lack of Daron’s backing vocals. This was truly the one aspect missing that I would have liked to have heard paired with their most pure edge. Then again, would more of a backing vocals presence have watered down their sound like the SOAD of latter albums? Yes indeed, without a doubt without delay, I hand this recording to the mayor of my unfound desert island.
********Without a doubt worth letting your 15 year-old little brother listening to Parental Advisory.**********
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out
Product DetailsOriginal Title:System of a Down (Explicit Lyrics)Condition: NEWFormat: CDArtist: System of a DownLanguage: EnglishGenre: MetalMore at iNetVideo.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![System of a Down [PA] by System of a Down](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/bd/e8/0c/2002228426-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.