This is a modified repost of an old review, originally written on 14 November 2005
Hypnotize is the latest (and probably the last) offering by the Armenian quartet System Of A Down. It is the second and concluding part of the Mesmerize/Hypnotize double album. Nearly six months after the release of Mesmerize, Hypnotize is finally here and delivers what it promised to - an old school System of a Down. Good news for the fans of the band as the foursome is back, and how!
The album art has a very interesting story to go with it. Like the art that came with Mesmerize, the album art for this album too has a bit of history and a certain mystery surrounding it. The album art has been created by guitarist/singer Daron Malakian’s father, Vartan Malakian. The packaging for Hypnotize is specially designed to physically join Mezmerize and Hypnotize together, forming one unified product with continuous artwork. Pretty impressive and quite amusing to say the least.
Cover for Hypnotize
The album comprises of a total of twelve tracks and is 39:36 minutes long.
The track listing is as follows:
1. Attack
2. Dreaming
3. Kill Rock ‘N Roll
4. Hypnotize
5. Stealing Society
6. Tentative
7. U-Fig
8. Holy Mountains
9. Vicinity of Obscenity
10. She’s Like Heroin
11. Lonely Day
12. Soldier Side
The lead single Hypnotize, which shares its name with the album, was released about a month ago and can be heard on the band’s official site. The single was a sort of a teaser, and gave the band’s fans a glimpse of what was on offer. The single is in the same vein as the music on Mesmerize complete with mellow vocals, electric beats, strong riffs and rhythmic guitars. Daron Malakian’s distinct, sharp vocals fused with their iconic frontman Serj Tankian’s trademark vocals have been utilized pretty well, not only on the single but also throughout the album. This collaboration raised a lot of questions in the minds of the fans. Could System of a Down finally be onto something new here? Would they be finally breaking free of the Nu-Metal genre shackles? What does the future hold for guitarist Daron Malakian? All these questions were answered through this album.
The album is reminiscent of the band’s old works, when they took the entire world by storm with its raw yet captivating début in the form of their self-titled album. Although not as hard-hitting and political as they were back then seven years ago, System of a Down has still managed to capture their fan’s imagination with their surprisingly successful experiments. For me, the band has shrugged the Nu-Metal genre which was forced upon them by their critics and they have made a successful transition to New Progressive, a relatively new and not-so-popular genre.
The album features some very powerful and heavy songs like Dreaming, Tentative, Stealing Society and U-Fig which would remind any devoted System of a Down fan of the band’s works in their début and sophomore effort, Toxicity, which went on to become their best selling album. With this new album, they have reaffirmed my faith that they are a very fine bunch of musicians that I always thought they were. For the die-hard fan, Holy Mountain and Kill Rock ‘N Roll would seem familiar as they are the final studio versions of the bootlegs floating on the internet during the pre-Mesmerize days. The band also shows a different and experimental side with Lonely Day. It also features the full version of the song Soldier Side, whose snippet could be heard on Mesmerize in the form of a rather intriguing introduction to the album. The song is rather contrasting, as it now sets the mood to conclude the album and does a rather good job of it. My favorite song off this album undoubtedly has to Vicinity of Obscenity which uncannily reminds me of Chic ‘N Stu from Steal this Album. Catchy riffs coupled with some rather bizarre and crazy lyrics and insane vocals make this song a delight, something I would not refrain to listen to over and over again.
This album features some of the most interesting lyrics I have come across in a long time. Very few bands manage to execute it with such ease. The guitar work is intricate and some serious efforts have been put into it, which is quite evident. The drumming is hard and rhythmic. All these elements have resulted in a harmonious union which takes the listener to a different plane altogether. Tankian’s team up with Malakian on the vocals has been a rather successful gamble, and is a treat. Unlike the last album, Malakian is quite prominent on this one and it seems to be that the band is exploring new territories in a big way. The new, crisp and hard-hitting sound is pure aural bliss; quite ‘hypnotizing’ indeed. I simply could not manage to take my headphones off once I started listening to this album.The certain degree of unpredictability and the sheer amount of energy that the band possesses has worked in their favour. System of a Down have truly reinvented themselves with this album and according to me, the only band they are competing with are themselves. Their New Progressive sound is very impressive, and one can only imagine what the future holds for these insanely talented musicians. This album is a trademark power epic by the band that is System of a Down and they are all set to scale new heights with Hypnotize.
This album is a must listen for any System of a Down fan. Even if you are not, this would not at all be a bad album to start exploring the band
My rating:4.0/5.0
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