Do we really need another review for Mezmerize? No, unless it's opinion is different from other reviews. Some people think that this first disc of their new double album was a great change for the band while others think this is System of a Down's worst album ever. I'm on both sides here, because even though Mezmerize has been the band's most commercialized album, there are still some amazing tracks that make SOAD stand out from other nu metal bands. Everything System of a Down have made before Mezmerize is better, but this is still an album that you could listen to a lot. Most of the songs are catchy and all eleven tracks got stuck in my head after the first listen. I've made this review to hold people over while we all wait for the second half of the double album, Hypnotize to hit stores. I hope you enjoy this review as much as I have enjoyed making it.
System of a Down are:
Serj Tankian: Vocals/Keyboard
Daron Malakian: Vocals/Guitar
Shavo Odadjian: Bass
John Dolmayan: Drums
Tracklistsing:
01. Soldier Side (Intro)
The first track on Mezmerize is the first minute of what will become the last song on Hypnotize. This short intro song is acoustic and Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian sing about what's going on in the mind of a soldier. The album's intro then goes right into...
02. B.Y.O.B.
The first single on the album. If you haven't heard this song, you've probably been captured by the mole people for a long time. The acronym stands for "Bring Your Own Bombs" and this is the typical System of a Down song. The guitar's good, the drumming is decent, and Serj sings and shouts back and forth in an amazing way. The lyrics are well written and the chorus is pretty catchy. Many people think "B.Y.O.B." just shows that SOAD have gotten old and are just a bunch of sell-outs, but in my opinion this will always be a classic from the band.
03. Revenga
System of a Down go into a more different sound here. In the verses, the guitars, drums, and bass go crazier than "B.Y.O.B" and Serj Tankian sings incredibly fast. Everytime the chorus comes on, all the instruments go medium pace and during the bridge, the music goes soft and Daron Malakian sings "I saw her laugh, then she said 'Go away'.". A decent song on plotting sweet revenge.
04. Cigaro
Daron does most of the vocals here and he talks about something you'd never expect this band to talk about in a song... cocks. Serj sings the chorus, which in my opinion is the best part of the song because of the words ("Cool, in denial. We're the cruel regulators smoking cigaro, cigaro, cigaro."). Serj and Daron then take turns in the bridge and the rest is history. There is heavy instrumentation throughout the track and "Cigaro" is one of the craziest songs from this great band.
05. Radio/Video
The lyrics are the most repetitive on the whole album and don't do much to the song ("Hey man, look at me rockin' out, I'm on the radio. Hey man, look at me rockin' out, I'm on the video, with Danny and Lisa. They take me away from the strangest places. Sweet Danny and Lisa. They take me away from..."), but I really enjoy the music here. The whole track sounds like something you'd hear in a Greek festival (except for the third time the words are sung, which sounds more like something you'd hear in a party down at the Carribean). I have no idea who Danny and Lisa are, but this is a good song even though it sounds like a song anyone in the music industry could write off the top of their head.
06. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
I like where the drums, bass, and guitar go here, but this is one of Mezmerize's low points in my opinion. Serj Tankian goes absolutely crazy with the words. I didn't mind this at all on songs like "CUBErt", "Deer Dance", and "I-E-A-I-A-I-O", but this is getting ridiculous. Serj just isn't a lyrical genius here, because all he mentions in the entire song is pure nonsense ("There's nothing wrong with me. There's something wrong with you. There's something wrong with me. I hope your stepson doesn't eat the fish when we're crying for our next fix."). After he says "Killers never hurt feelings", Daron joins in, saying "Gonorrhea gorgonzola" (whatever that is). I don't know what the title has do with the song, but I think System of a Down were on cocaine when they were writing this.
07. Violent Pornography
Many people say this is the best song on Mezmerize. I think it's okay. The track starts soft, but then goes into rap metal, sounding similar to something Anthrax have done. Serj does all of this insane rapping, talking about the lives of everybody livin' now and he says the craziest lyric on the album ("It's a non-stop disco, bet you it's Nabisco, betcha didn't know."). Afterwards, the chorus comes in and the instruments go as soft as they did at the beginning. The chorus contains words that only SOAD could write ("It's a violent pornography. Choking chicks and sodomy. The kinda sh*t you get on your TV") and the rest of the song repeats itself from here. However, near the end of the track Daron Malakian sings "Can you say 'Brainwashing'?", Serj Tankian does a weird job singing the last word of the previous line, and Daron ends the song by saying softly "It's a non-stop disco" while the music goes right into...
08. Question!
Mezmerize's second and only other single. An acoustic guitar plays at the beginning and all of a sudden a heavy electric riff and hard pounding drums come in. The track goes soft again and Serj Tankian says the most beautiful set of words you'd hear him say ("Sweet berries ready for two, ghosts are no different than you. Ghosts are now waiting for you, are you dreaming?"). Once the chorus comes in, all the questions in the song get stated. The whole thing from the beginning gets repeated again, but afterwards the electric guitar does a solo and the chorus gets sung in the middle of the solo. Another song that will be very well known on Mezmerize and the way it ends will really suprise you.
09. Sad Statue
The music is typical of SOAD to do and the lyrics are kind of confusing, but unlike "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song", they're put to good use. Nothing else sticks here compared to the other tracks, except for the very catchy chorus that you will always find in most songs on this album. And just like those songs, the verses have the same set of words. I'm sick of this formula being used over and over again. Other than that, this track's average and is only a good listen when you just hear it all by itself.
10. Old School Hollywood
Now let's talk Hollywood. Why? Because the last two songs on Mezmerize are about Daron Malakian's experiences there. The first Hollywood track is the most techno sounding song you'd hear from the band and speaks of the game of Old School Hollywood Baseball. Daron does the verses here and I never expected a band like System of a Down to say something like "Tony Danza cuts in line" in a song. Serj Tankian sings the chorus and I laughed so hard when I heard him describe Jack Gilardi's height. "Old School Hollywood" is okay, but it's a good musical montage to summarize the first part of the double album before going over to the last song.
11. Lost In Hollywood
My favourite track on the whole album. It's the longest song here and just like "Old School Hollywood", it's something I never expected from SOAD. Unlike "Old School Hollywood" though, it's soft and mostly acoustic. Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian switch what their usual roles were on previous albums, making it so that Daron does the lead vocals while Serj does the background vocals. Daron Malakian sings about how many people think Hollywood is a great place to go to when it really isn't, saying lyrics like "All you maggots smoking fags on Santa Monica Blvd.". I usually hate it when Daron sings, but he really shines here. System of a Down were going to finish Mezmerize with a song called "Lonely Day", but they cut it off at the last minute and moved it to Hypnotize. Even though I haven't heard Hypnotize yet, "Lost In Hollywood" is a great way to close Mezmerize off, making it end the same way it began.
Track By Track Rating:
01. Soldier Side (Intro) [N/A]
02. B.Y.O.B. [5]
03. Revenga [3]
04. Cigaro [3.5]
05. Radio/Video [4]
06. This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song [2.5]
07. Violent Pornography [3.5]
08. Question! [5]
09. Sad Statue [2.5]
10. Old School Hollywood [3.5]
11. Lost In Hollywood [4.5]
Content Rating: Mildly Offensive (The only tracks with swearing on them are "B.Y.O.B.", "Cigaro", and "Violent Pornography")
