Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I enjoyed most of this, although towards the end it all sounded a bit too samey. 3.5
Nostalgisk og fint avbrekk
It’s been a while since I’ve heard this album. It’s still great, but doesn’t hit as hard as it did when I was an angsty teenager.
I was never much of a metal fun, and by much I mean I never enjoy listening to this genre, but soad manage to somehow stand out and are one of the bands I’m willing to make an exception for
3/5 While often feeling just loud or rushed, the best moments on this album are when the songs are given a moment to breathe from the repetitive heavy guitars and screamed vocals, to appreciate some decent ideas and melodies. And to give it credit, the music is never afraid to get weird, even if laughably so. Suite-Pee 3.5/5 Know 3.5/5 Sugar 4.5/5 (FAV) Suggestions 3.5/5 Spiders 4.5/5 DDevil 2/5 Soil 3/5 War? 3.5/5 Mind 2/5 (LEAST FAV) Peephole 4/5 CUBErt 2/5 Darts 2.5/5 P.L.U.C.K. 2.5/5
Not their best album, but they are a solid act
15 year old me would love this album if it came out when I was 15. I lived through the glory years of Heavy Metal and what Nü Metal came later in the 90s was pale in comparison. SOAD sounds like a refresh to what I listened to without being too pretentious. 3.5/5
At least, it has aged a lot better than most other nu metal.
ekki slæmt. auðvitað einhæft. 3,5.
First time really listening to the band. Heard them lots before here and there but never really went out of my way. Enjoyed it.
I wouldn't normally listen to much metal, and I appreciate they have better albums, but I can still understand why one would enjoy SOAD if they were more interested in the genre
Heavy, would not listen to it usually, not that it is not up my alley. Some songs began to fuse as the album progressed.
This is one of the most strange albums I’ve ever heard. It kind of sounds like the ramblings of a schizophrenic man, but it honestly only makes it better.
I was around when they first broke out, never heard, never listened. Can’t really now either. The squalling vocals, can’t do it. Not for me, best to you, guys. 🇦🇲
i have a nostalgic soft spot for nu metal but this is just kind of vaguely annoying to me
Bien
So good. But they are a personal fav.
Some fun, some annoying. Never got into this stuff.
3.5
throwin' it on back to middle school with this one
Metal is a silly little genre and you can’t convince me otherwise
Ok
I dont know Toxicity was better in my opinion but this is still some solid numetal
Love SOAD but they have better albums than this
This heavy metal was too heavy for me. I can imagine that in the right environment and mood it really gets going. Sugar is the only track that I really like. No wonder, it's the most civilized and harmonious or tame one on the album. 3/5
Ho apprezzato molto le influenze tra i generi, soprattutto la contaminazione metal-sonorità est-europee. Anche i testi non sono niente male! Avrei voluto amarlo un po’ di più come album, però (anche perché conoscevo già alcune loro canzoni). Le canzoni che ho preferito sono: “Spiders”, “Soil”.
Brings back high school memories
Es handelt sich um wütenden Heavy Metal der in den ersten Songs eine Schreitirade über Mütter und deren Söhne die die Mutter lieben ausartete. Nu-Metal als Variante des alternative Metal heißt dieser Stil. Trotzdem fällte es schwer die sehr gesellschaftskritischen Texte vor dem Hintergrund dieser Schreielemente zu verfolgen. Nach „Sugar“ der letzten Tirade, gewinnt das Album überraschender Weise an Niveau. „Suggestion“, „Spider“ & „Peephole“ sind sogar ok … aber keine Angst auch in der zweiten Album wird weiter über die Muttersöhnchen laut geschimpft.
This is objectively a decent record in its own genre, and I truly respect it, but it is just so far from me musically that I can't give this more than a kind-hearted 3.
Definitely interesting and really makes use of the extremes of loud and quiet as well as noise/structure, and tempo shifts. Not sure I particularly like it lyrically but I do find some of the construction of the songs, the political commentary, and the varied voice (scream, whisper, normal talking, voice-in-a-drain, overdrive, singing, shouting, etc) engaging. Definitely have carved out a distinct style.
Everything but the singing is good lol, god his voice got annoying. Love the energy
The screaming is too much.
I do like these guys, but I've mainly listened to some of their later stuff, like the Toxicity album. It's a pretty good album, if not spectacular.
good album, but not what I'm into. particularly firsst thing in the morning. Good lyrics... tho
I don't really like the music but the vocals are so interesting, don't know if I have heard anything like it.
There are many albums in the world and this is one of them…the album resonates for me as a time capsule of some of the darker days of my life. Musically I enjoy the clown car ride that system of the down can bring to a genre that is overall mostly loud noise. I enjoy Serj Tankians vocals because of how different they are compared to other musicians in this genre. Overall I assume I’ll be in the minority but if you can get past some of the screaming and intensity, System of the Downs debut self titled album bangs and was a unique take on rock.
Eh. It's ok.
It seemed like they had a good time making it. Was very bouncy and definitely not standard nu metal. But I never really liked this album. Always preferred their later stuff but even then I'm not a SOAD fan
A bit shouty in places but a good listen overall. 3*
In my wheelhouse for sure but never one of my favourites.
I like SOAD but this album is nothing special. Definitely not top 1000 list for me. Don't even think it's their best album.
Tight, heavy and high-strung nnu-metal that stops and starts on a dime. Great tension building breakdowns, moody intros, and some pretty huge riffs. Doesn't have the rapping element of nu-metal, but does the bass/guitars perfectly - thick, compressed, down-tuned sludge tone with a bit of groove to the riffs. The vocals are the most unique element, a snarled rapid fire delivery with melodies using the harmonic scales for a slighly exotic flair, they push into the red for some intense operatic belting andlow growling screaming. Not sure why this one got picked over Toxicity, which made a much bigger impact and took their whole sound to its fullest expression... Favorites: Spiders
This is another one like Linkin Park for me: 16 year old me = 5*. Easy. I loved this, it was weird, hard, edgy: everything a teenager thinks they are. It sounded like nothing else. But now? I listened to it loving the feeling of nostalgia, but I would never stick this on now. Im sadly not young anymore. But does it matter? I dunno. If I’d never heard this before I’d probably be more impressed with it being unique and a bit different. I really struggle with these sorts of albums.
These guys are talented musicians for sure, but this is not my favorite brand of rock music. I like mine with a little more melody and rhythm. It's just a matter of personal preference!
Rhrhhrhhrhrhr
A truly ridiculous and kick ass straight up hard rock record from the late 90s. A lot of fun listening to this.
tbh oke al nisam trebala u 8 ujutro ic slusat
Suite-Pee as an opener. Hard, grunge, dark(ISH) metal...but surprisingly musically decent and not completely as shit as expected By track 3 it was all sounding the same. Suggestions was a (slight) bit of relief Spiders - probably the best track DDevil - reasonable War - heavy death metal ...and more of the same. Stuck between a 2 and 3, so I'll give it a 3
Not my usual genre but the energy is pretty astonishing. A touch melodramatic perhaps but the thrash-funk sound and dynamics are pretty rad. I appreciated the tight rage attack
Not as strong an album as Toxicity.
This wasn't terrible for the genre of music where guys scream at you. I kind of liked "Sugar." The whole thing kind of got to me, though, after a while, and I certainly didn't get the messages they were conveying through their lyrics. Not my thing, but not bad either!
I like the really complex instrumentals and the singer has a really great voice, but I wasn't a huge fan of the screaming. Very Halloweeny vibes!
Definitely on the heavy side, Interesting vocals. He goes from loud screaming, to grunts, to melodic singing interspersed with very fast almost rapping. Guitars go from heavy distortion to sparse single picked notes, and all of this happens in one song, Sugar. It's the only song I remember getting radio play off this album. Overall its a crazy wild ride of loudness. This album was probably groundbreaking in that it's the first middle Eastern heavy metal act that I can think of to get any radio play in the United States
3.5 stars. I shouldn't have listened while working. Not exactly a chill work album. Would likely give 4 stars in another setting. Do love some songs on this like Sugar
Intense. A bit too much for my taste…
02/05/24 10:53 S Tier————————— A Tier————————— Peephole B Tier————————— Spiders Suggestions Soil Pluck War? Cubert Sugar DDevil Mind Darts C Tier————————— Know Suite-Pee
hmm dobro al ne skroz
Gotta say I likes this and look forward to digging into toxicity. As a late 90s Phish fan, these guys were as far away from my wheel house as possible. I still don't live the vocal styling here but there is plenty else to tantilize
Never listened to these guys and wouldn't have bothered if it wasn't for this challenge. They sounded pretty much like I expected, loud, intense, hard-rocking metal band. It actually was more listenable than I thought it'd be and I listened right to the end. It was enjoyable enough, though their music wasn't what I would call memorable, though there are a lot worse bands on this list.
I'm not angry enough. I live a comfortable middle-class life. My days of rage are over.
System Of A Down is a really cool band. This album has some good songs, but I think both 'Toxicity' and 'Mezmerize' are better albums. Still, it really stands out and manages to stay clear of being too juvenile/ridiculous and keep on the right side of "coolness". You can tell they're on to something here.
This is one of the SOAD albums i haven't listened too and was a bit skeptical since it was their first and how much other metal has aged badly from the same period. I was pleasantly surprised, this still sounds unique and fresh. While I think they fully come in to their own in the following albums this was still a cool one. It was angry but never felt immature or too pretentious.
Accomplished in terms of nu metal. The Helmet influences are now quite obvious. 'Sugar' gave me quite the rush of nostalgia. That said, how much juice are you gonna get out of 'quiet bit - funny vocal tic - loud bit'? I'm over-simplifying, but tell me I'm entirely wrong.
I'm gonna also go to bat for this one. This band is an acquired taste, to say the least, and our dear List Leaders have unfortunately again gone with an album that very few fans would say is the group's best. Which is too bad because "Toxicity" is maybe the only good thing to come out of nu-metal and I have a hunch it ain't coming up in our queue. You can hear the progression towards that album on this one, but there's far too much dependence on pretty basic breakdowns and the kitchen sink approach to the vocals. He tames that shit down a tad later and it just fits better on an album that is more thrashy and spastic musically all around. I realize saying that probably means there's no chance in hell that Craig will listen to it now, but I'm telling you... if you give it a chance to click, and it clicks? It's a hell of a guilty-esque pleasure. And not even that guilty! Because unlike most (all?) of their counterparts, System of a Down chose more interesting things to write songs about than say, "the nookie" or "bawitiba da-bang da-bang please-shoot-me-in-the-face." Low bar, yes, but dudes were signing crazy weird ass songs about the Armenian genocide and the industrial prison complex. What I'm trying to say is they're better than Disturbed. Can we all just agree on that?
Ouu... I am 100% sure they can and have done better than this.... 3 stars
Unique Not for me Not bad
It's angry, it's powerful and it's more interesting musically than most of System's contemporaries in the nu-metal scene. It's way too self-righteous for me, and lacks quite a lot of subtlety. I think they could probably learn from Rage Against the Machine on that front - their political message is lost amid the music too easily. Having said that, it's one of the metal albums I like the most, and it's not their fault I'm not really their audience.
Solid early album by System of a Down.
Hressilegt, alveg ágætt. Engin dauð stund.
alright, a bit too screamy for me but a couple songs slap
It’s cool, I mean, SOAD is fun and creative and they were exhilarating when they came out. Generally, I’m not into the “alternative metal” thing and think it ages poorly, but this has a lot of good. Gets tired by the end, but it’s a pretty short record.
Like other System of a Down albums, I like a few songs and really don't enjoy the others. So a little hard to rate. I'll give it a 2.5.
Great album from a band I’m still deciding whether I like or not. The musicianship here is insane with the amount of rhythmic tricks and flow the band is able to pull off, but I’m not sure if that’s really my thing at the end of the day.
Never a huge fan. Not awful, just never grabbed me. Does anyone still listen to this?
Would listen to this again - but maybe not all of it, and depending on mood as while it’s a metal album the themes, lyricism and highs and lows make it feel a little more complex and deep. First listen - didn’t enjoy really all sounded samey Second listen - enjoyed some lighter and clean vocals The I didn’t want to turn it off Top songs: Sugar, Soil
I don't think I've ever heard this album. Like a lot of people, I'd never heard SOAD until Toxicity, which I listened to a lot and then got tired of. They're one of those bands that I can get really into but after a handful of songs I'm like "ok, that's good."
An interesting band, whilst this might be where they started I found it lesser than Toxicity. It's fair enough but no tracks stood out at all
This is good. Really interesting album. On first listen, I was worried that the album wouldn't have a moment like the bridge in Chop Suey, which took that song to another level, but then Spiders came on, and it was superb, maybe not the level of Chop Suey, but really good. Definitely the heaviest album I've reviewed so far, which was a nice change. I think I will revisit this album in future, but only if i was in a certain mood, as it's very heavy and very fast. Rating wise it is a THREE, but a high end Three.
Bit of a mediocre start but then warms up to a great album. Spiders and War are the highlights. 3.5 stars.
Highlights: "Know," "War?," "Ddevil," "CUBErt" In retrospect, this might stick out as an early example of actual experienced musicians learning and performing ideas from 'nu metal,' which had already seen several of its biggest stars reach their peak albums. There are overtly Korn songs (Know, Mind), overtly Deftones songs (Suggestions, War) overtly Tool songs (Spiders), but all of them are sharp homages. These bands define all the mainstream influence on SoaD we could otherwise attribute further back to Sonic Youth and Primus, and you can also see post-Zorn Mr. Bungle being a huge influence as the original klezmer and middle-eastern exotica metal group. In other words, it's the Jefferson Airplane of pop metal! For better or for worse. The only thing really holding it back are some of the most obnoxiously stupid lyrics you will ever hear, too awkward and specific to fall into usual metal angst, but still too cliche to get written off as psychedelic ranting, and delivered with unavoidable clarity from Serj's powerful and nasal vocals. What makes them divisive is how far people are willing to overlook this for the otherwise very professional performances. Because if we're honest, the songcraft of the genre it was curating had already set the bar very, very low.
It is good because it was unique and had original screaming thrash compositions.
More interesting than a lot of the metal I've been through here. A lot of it still pretty silly and adolescent in its transgressiveness.
That band that wrote that table song. Oh it's not on this? Damn. It's fine. Compared with other nu metal bands Serj Tankian's vocals actually work with the music and make it listenable but it's not really music I'd listen to all the time. Nonetheless it's not the worst thing I've heard here. 3.5/5
I find it hard to say much about music like this. I don't catch many of the lyrics, but I know there's substance there, and the music itself is technically impressive but needs a few listens to take it all in. So, as my first encounter with the album, 3stars middle of the road babyyy
Decent album, interesting vocals and song structure as always with SOAD. It could just be my mood on the day but I found it drifting into the background a little. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
System of a Down is the debut album by American heavy metal band System of a Down. This nu metal / alternative metal album was a critical and commercial success and is certified double platinum in the US. System of a Down started out strong with their debut album, as it contains some quality metal tracks. I enjoyed the album's songs' flow, but nothing really stuck out to me as amazing. However, that could also be due to the fact that I don't particularly like metal music so someone that does may love this album.
If I was going to choose a System of a Down album to recommend to somebody I would pick Toxicity over this. I do enjoy it, but a lot of that comes down to my nostalgia sneaking in. I have always liked how System of a Down always includes a message in their songs and I’m glad to see Serj has been bizarre since the very beginning.
I wouldn't call this classic metal, but this is a classic metal band to me. I'm a bit sad this isn't the Chop Suey album, but it still has their iconic sound/vocals. This band/sound they have makes me think of back in the early 2000's watching/hearing music like this when hanging out with my cousins who were in middle/high school. It's hitting the nostalgia in a good way. I like how chaotic and high-energy the songs are. It's pretty good music to hype you up. I will say that it is like eating only the same thing for a week. It is great at first but starts losing its appeal after a long time.
Solid late-90s metal. They are usually classified as “nu-metal” but I feel like they’re a step beyond that. The lyrics here were actually pretty thought provoking and political.
Better than Toxicity from what I've heard. Vocals are still a bit too "quirky" for me to stomach more than what is given, however. SoaD always has been like that for me.
Nog bättre än många alt-metalgrejer på 90-talet.
It's good.
I saw this band in the mid-90s when they played a small club with my friends’ band. I remember we all confused by them. They showed up late for their performance, dressed shabbily, yet they seemed to have brought very “Hollywood”-looking groupies, expensive equipment (which they could play very well, like Steely Dan, also on this list, though SoaD is more interesting), but were just doing an extended version of The Pixies/Nirvana soft-loud-soft format, w/random freak outs. Then I was always mildly turned off my their MTV/radio singles… This band has no swing, no groove. Fine. But listening to an hourlong freak out only goes so far. They just do the dynamics, then write semi-literate lyrics, but the outburst & operatic vocals that make no sense (“Don’t you ever want to know whfhwirjrirjejrhehejrjyyy!!!?”). To me they just compressed what a lot of other bands did better before: Queen, The Pixies, Nirvana, Slayer(they even crafted their name to be closer to their heroes in record shops), Butthole Surfers, Faith No More, Mr Bungle… the slapped a “Nü Metal” sticker on it. However we’ll-intentioned they may have been, they always seemed like they were largely a creation of the post-Nirvana 90s corporate ATM, so they crafted themselves into what they thought would be “next”. Boring, seen it before. Nobody really tries to sound like these guys bc they sound like others. Sure Serj Tankian has good takes on stuff & good charity work… but his band mostly appeals to chaotic, real life, grown up, Beavis & Buttheads who drive raised trucks, wear “no pain no gain” tshirts to the gym (“Bro do you even lift?), & become cops who rack up brutality complaints before the city settles & transfers them to some other unwitting city to wreak havoc… all in all not terrible, but I won’t be running back to listen anytime soon.
Toevallig afgelopen week veel gedraaid, terwijl ik er in de jaren 90 weinig van wilde weten. Iets minder goed dan dat andere plaatje, hoewel 'sugar' echt een geweldige track is.
Loud and shouty. But not all the time, mixes it up. Didn't like it but didn't hate it either.
This is something that I would have really enjoyed 40 years ago but can't stand today. It does have quite a lot that I can appreciate as good music but in a genre that I'm not big on. So I'll split the difference and give it a three. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.
Kind of a best of band.
I love it better now than I did when it came out.
Played this during my workout - amazing energy! Not a huge fan of his operatic vibrato voice, but overall very powerful lyrics and sound from everyone in the band.
3/5. Not a bad album but don’t think I’d throw it on as often as a 4 would. It is quite good, don’t get me wrong, but as engaging in the latter part of the album.
"System of a Down" is the debut album by American heavy metal band System of a Down. The genre classification is nu metal and alternative metal but there also elements of thrash, punk and alternative rock. The lyrics are about politics, anti-war, genocide, religion and brainwashing. Yeah, everything here is in your face and aggressive. Rick Rubin was the producer. The cover is an anti-fascist poster from Nazi Germany with five fingers symbolizing the capability to both create and destroy. "Suite Pee" starts with fast guitar and goes right to thrash metal. As with most of these songs, it changes styles and ends in a sludgy, grungy way. It's criticizing the church and one of the members who is a pedophile...a comment on religious extremism. Way to start off soft. Their first single "Sugar" has an idiosyncratic guitar. They do their loud-soft-loud thing. Lead singer Serj Tankian screaming while there's a catchy chorus and somewhat of a groove. I think sharp criticism about society and reliance on drugs and mentions sugar and the Kombucha mushroom people. An eerie metal bass opens the other single "Spiders." Serj is actually singing. Compelling guitar. Very dramatic. "Mind" throws in the kitchen sink and if you had one song to showcase System of a Down, this would be it. There's Midfle Eastern guitar. It's slow then goes into thrash metal and punk. It ends weird. Something about the CIA, brainwashing and government control. The album ends with "P.L.U.C.K. (Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers)". No ambiguity here as it's about the 1915 Armenian genocide by the Turkish government. All members of System of a Down have Armenian backgrounds. Reverb guitar. Thrash metal. Serj screaming. You get the point. This is a very busy album, actually chaotic at times. No doubt on purpose. Classified as nu metal (one of my least favorite styles) but there's so much more going on..thrash metal, punk, screaming. I can't decide if this album was brilliant or just was giving me a headache. I think both. Anyway, if you're into a hard rock and metal variety, this is right up your alley.
meh, a few good songs
- was very intimidated to start this, but actually bopping along and having fun
Another baffling instance of the list compiler automatically selecting an act's debut while neglecting their best album. Why no Toxicity? I still enjoyed discovering this one though. Nobody does it quite like SOAD; manic riffs, sudden tempo changes, Eastern European folk influences, political ire, Serj Tankian's distinctive operatic yelp, darkly epic anthems - they're all here. But they hadn't quite been perfected yet.
Actually really good. Well written, well performanced and spanning a broad range of sounds
High decibel electrified insanity. "sugar"
Really intense (screaming was interesting). Not the type of music I usually listen to, but thought it was interesting anyways. Highlight was probably Sugar, Suite-Pee and Suggestions
Def my 'kind' of music, and a very solid debut. The first half of the record is stronger than the second. This must have been an incredible live show. "The kombucha mushroom people" is one of my favourite rock lines ever for reals.
Hard rocking, good first record.
Good, but not my general jam
First listen
Much like The Velvet Underground & Nico's first album, this is not as polished or as enticing as later albums - but it shows insane amounts of promise for later smash albums.
tight
De joyeuses gueuleries parfaitement assumées de la part de System Of A Down. Le seul problème à l'horizon est que tous mes collègues se sont concertés pour me répondre "okay" quand je leur dis bonjour. J'espère vraiment que la situation va évoluer et vous tiendrai au courant.
Je suis un très grand fan de System Of A Down, SOAD pour les intimes. Quand j'ai vu leur nom s'afficher dans le générateur, mon excitation était palpable. C'est alors que mes yeux se sont attardés sur le nom de l'album: System Of A Down... Tiens tiens tiens mais quel est cet album. La réponse est en fait très simple: cet album est le seul mauvais du groupe, montrant leur style unique encore pas du tout maîtrisé, car Robert a pour habitude de prendre le contre-pied du bon goût. Robert je te pisse au cul.
I cant understand 90% of what they are singing about most of the time, doesn't stop me from vibing to the aggression. Saved a few songs but more likely to listen to Toxicity Favourite tracks Sugar, Spiders
Normally not a huge fan of metal but I was pleasantly surprised by this. There wasn't too much indiscernable screaming so I could still appreciate the skilled guitar 3/5
When I first learned drums, I would play a lot of System Of A Down. While nothing they did was groundbreaking, they never failed to put together some unique-sounding music. While I don't feel like their self-titled is as iconic as Toxicity, you can hear the early stages of where their sound evolved. Decent album. Not the type of genre I really listen to anymore but enjoyed it enough.
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. I mean, I didn't like it, but it wasn't unbearable by any means. Musically it's actually kind of interesting, but the lyrics are pretty atrocious. They at least have a sense of humor, and I kind of enjoy the prog-like twists and turns throughout. Rick Rubin's production saves it from a 2.
I don't mind SOME System of a Down but this didn't do a whole lot for me, felt super generic and sounded like "hard rock" in the worst way. Not my thing.
Surprisingly listenable album - 3 stars
Decent but their other album was better and also system of a down kinda sounds goofy to me tbh
this is not my style
System of a Down is a strange one for me. The highs with them are awesome, the lows with them are awful, and they're often for the same reasons. Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. Favorite track: Sugar
their other stuff is better
This was good, but it's not my genre at all. Will keep in mind if I need to get hyped/angry.
A good album but not their best album. I think toxicity deserves to be on this list more but either way this album is still good. Given that it’s their first helped show what soad was made of. The fast and high powered guitar. Serj having a wife vocal range dnd using it in weird was. This album was just okay though. 6.4/10
The song title Suite-pee is hilarious.
Great metal but lacks the umph that brings it together
I'd heard the name of the band but I think that's really about it. I didn't even know what kind of music they play, although once I saw the album cover here I had a reasonable idea. Musically, I like a lot what I'm hearing. It's fast-paced and frenetic but incredibly tight and well-arranged, too. That's hard to do and I'm impressed. It's definitely way more thrashy and jarring than most music I listen to, but that's what I say about most metal/thrash and so on, and it's not a negative (e.g., I listen to quite a bit of dissonant and jarring jazz, too). The vocalist is kind of funny at times -- reminds me of the Muppets for some reason -- and it seems like the band is really enjoying this, all, which is contagious in a fun way.
This is too much this early in the morning
CD
Like many people I was introduced to this band through their second album, so it's a bit of discovery for me to hear this. And yet, this album has all of the things that I like about System of a Down on it as well as all the things I'm less fond of.
3.5
I really like this for some reason
I like this band, though a full album is probably more than I need at a time.
I'm very much not a fan of nu-metal, but this is probably as good as the genre ever got. Musically this is quite creative, with a great frenetic energy to it. Not really my thing, but for what it is it's top notch. Could have been shorter. Fave Songs: Soil, Spiders, Suggestions, Know
Not a big fan of SOAD but I like it.
If I didn't already like SOAD I would doubtless declare this to be noise. But I do so I didn't.
Hard
Spiders is a damn good song.
Definitely nostalgic for me. Had a few of these tracks on Napster back in the day. Think I still prefer Toxicity tho.
It's a System of a Down album alright. Was fun to revisit these guys and I think there are a couple catchy songs here but not sure I'll need to revisit this one over something like Toxicity.
Very much at the cusp of something big—a lot of creative energy flaring out in a lot of new ways. Metal remains not for me.
Yeah, aggressive and strong. I do like SoD, but not a daily listener, for sure.
Heavy metal. Lots of loud vocals which makes thinking awkward. But nice sound to zone out too 5/10
Great start, but then a little ripetitive
HEAVY. METAL. Definitely need to be doing something active while listening to this.
Hart, aggressiv, aufhetzend
Täähän oli yllättävän jees, harvoin metalli enää näin iskee. Bändiltä tunsin vain ne junnuna voicella pyörineet hitit. Alussa harkitsin jopa nelosta, mutta vähän loppui veto jossain vaiheessa.
The confident anger of youth. Great dynamics, great guitar tones, occasional (brief) genre bending, lyrics that make me think "hmm I should probably scan through these before singing along too enthusiastically". I always avoided these guys because Chop Suey just seemed immature, but this was better than I expected. I still wouldn't listen to it again, because I no longer posses the moral certitude for confident expressions of anger to resonate with me. Give me grey and uncertainty. I'll recommend this to my son when he's in his teens and needs an outlet.
Enjoy how dynamic and frenzied the album is and often found myself drumming on the desk, but not a fan of the metal growl/screaming vocals.
Great frenetic energy and it was nice to thrash around to it, but I'm not sure I'll be returning any time soon. It very much feels of a time and that time was high school.
Isn't the typically genre of music I'd listen to but that's the while point of this project.. the only track I recognise is the 3rd - Sugar - since this was part of a phenomenal soundtrack for the 2000 video game MTV Sports: Skateboarding (along with other tracks from Cypress Hill, Pennywise and Goldfinger). This is definitely a genre of music I'd have to be in the mood to listen to again. I can appreciate it but was just never big into the heavy metal/alt-rock scene. 3/5 from me
Debut album by SOAD. It's a good preview of what comes after from them. Favourite track is Spiders. The album has a mix of good tracks and ones that I find skippable.
Moments are 5/5 for me. Others are 1/5. Big fan of the band, will return to their later stuff, but not really this one. This was not the first time through this one for me.
3.4 - The vocals and lyrics keep me from getting too deep into a groove
Favorite songs: Spiders, Soil, Peephole 1998 didn't know what hit em when this came out. Great debut but not my cup of tea
Crank it: Spiders is really really good. Like too good for this album good lol. It's as good as what they band will put out in future releases when they hit their stride. War? is also a good one. Spank it: Suggestions is a little too out there for me. Mind is a clusterfuck. Vibe: I like their other releases sooo much more than this one. They refine their style in every possible way, so this just sounds sloppy to me when compared to that. Still fun to see where they started, makes the follow ups even more impressive.
Primary association: Friends and I driving too fast on country backroads almost certainly on drugs, probably speed. As a teenager, I thought this album was great because it was loud and intense and weird as hell. Didn’t like that it was so popular though. Also the vocal parts that were spazzy and goofy felt too vulnerable. I think I felt embarrassed for the singer because he let himself be seen, by throwing in all those high notes, outside of the masculine standard of the day. Rick Rubin does amazing work though damn.
Sugar y Spyder. El resto muy intenso, creo que después se moderaron e introdujeron variedad, me gustan más sus dos discos posteriores. Pero vamos, no está mal este (o su versión original).
I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. I never listened to SoaD much as a teenager but my older ears actually appreciated the variety of sound. The lyrics felt like they meant something to someone instead of just being scrawled down just before recording. The sheer manic energy almost never lets up, but when it does the result is even better, "Spiders" comes to mind. As a non-metal listener who generally cringes at the sound of a dude screaming while a snare drum thrashes in the background, I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I appreciate the skill behind this album as it’s undeniable, but I’m not into nu-metal. I don’t mind SOAD but I can only take them in small doses. The one saving grace today is that I took the day off work and thus wasn’t playing this in my car like usual. I might have driven off a cliff if I was trapped in a car with this album.
Still not my thing.
Oni su mi opcenito zanimljivi i mislim da dobro zvuce ali neb si ih nikad pustila. Tak i s ovim albumom
Wow, was not expecting to enjoy that. *sugar*
- i feel like being abused for something I dont remember doing - imagine this in german language - im surprised this album is here as i know this band for different type of songs (similar to the song Peephole) - guys at high school were OBSESSED with this - i like radio pop so cant put high score, although i somehow "enjoyed" it
04/28/22
While hard rock, metal is my jam, I have never been fond of Serj’s voice, I find it grating. Decent album, just that voice!
When you're in the right mood, this can be a great one to get your blood pumping. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Not what I normally listen to though. 3/5
I like System of A Down, but I can't really tell why. They're definitely unique - the only band I can think of that can be describe as Heavy Metal Shuffle. It's a weird mix of metal, country, and punk. Serj may also be the first one to put the microphone all the way into his mouth and scream - that's something. I don't think this is their best album (so I assume we'll see another on the list), but it definitely made a splash as their debut and has held up.
Yeah
They have such a great, unique sound. Best when played loud! Great for the genre, but not something I listen to very often. When you are in the mood - this is a great one to listen to. 3/5
I think that metal groups in the 90s and 00s had a harder challenge in front of them then is generally recognized. They had to produce music that definitively sounded like metal without continuing to works that were substantially similar to what came before. I like metal, but it's sound can be restrictive. Bands like System of a Down did a great job of walking that line. I don't like this album as much as Toxicity, but still, you can clearly hear the innovation of their sound here. In a genre where it can be hard to stand out even with very talented musicians, SoaD manages to be instantly recognizable. That being said, this album still sags in places. Their song writing would improve in future works, but it's not quite there yet on this work 3/5
A veces, demasiado confuso y pesado
While this is not where I gravitate to, I do love the vibe and the lead singers voice
Not my favourite genre, but an interesting showcase of it I suppose.
Fully smashing - and hilarious at points
Nice one
I can appreciate the energy in this group, and am particularly impressed by some of the technical guitar playing. Reminds me of college when this type of music was in.
I've always thought System Of A Down was just okay. Not bad, but not really good, either.
Finally but the bullet after 10 days (couldn't face Armenian-American thrash metal). But you know what? Took it out for a walk with dampened earphones. It's not bad - some musical talent, and small familiar snippets (clips felt like XTC or Split Enz!). Unusual, not unbareable. No headache recorded.
Not my speed, but decent album
Not my metal cup of tea but I dig their attitude.
I honestly don’t know why I like this better than the other thrash metal on this list, but I do. Which is still only good enough for 3 stars.
ah
Nice bit o’system
What is this? Death punk metal? Jane's Addiction do it better.
YEAAHHHH
3/5
On this album they have one trick. They do it very well but it's not enough for me, and I much prefer Toxicity, which feels more mature and varied.
My 14 year old self loved toxicity, don’t think Iv ever heard this album before. Given Iv grown to hate Nu-Metal I Enjoyed this album much more than I thought Or probably should, great heavy guitars and drums, vocals not so much. Would I listen to this album again? Probably not, I’d put on toxicity given I have the nostalgic connection to it.
I did not know this album existed. I guess I thought System of a Down sprung into the world fully formed with Toxicity, a good album. But here's their debut and I get why it's on the list. Rock in the late 90s was mostly the tail-end of grunge and all the quirky band that had a go in the era of the high-profit CD. Then along comes this and it sounds like nothing on the scene. It's rock, it's metal, it's alternative. It's Los Angeles by way of Yerevan, bringing Eastern European sounds to the bratty LA rock scene. The whole thing works. It sounds nothing like what came in the years before not what was to come in the nu metal years after. And when SOTD come for kombucha people, that feels like an arrow shot 20 years into the future.
The best of this album IMO: - Know - Peephole - P.L.U.C.K. (for the chorus) Easy to listen to. Non-stop action. 3.2/5
I prefer the more polished sound of Toxicity
not my bag, but so important. first albums are always better than second albums
6/10
Very passionate album. Strong anti-war, religion, and other themes throughout. The album cover is apparently from an anti-fascist poster from 1928. I'm not a huge metal fan but I can appreciate it for what it is. Solid album
It’s fine. I’m not really a fan of the genre! I remember liking Toxicity in high school. It’s a good album, but not for me, not me as I am today.
Too much rock and roll for me
I had heard a few songs from this, but not most of it. Sounded a lot more like regular metal before they found their sound.
It’s ok. Not really my cup of tea. I do enjoy the song Sugar.
Eh. Budget TOOL. Spiders was the standout song.
kinda worse than chop Sui
Pretty much what I remember from listening to it a time or three 20 years ago.
Brutally whimsical and frenetic energy that forces itself into your brain. Strong melodies and interesting sounds.
Pleasantly surprised by this, especially given the genre. Really like the dark atmosphere, especially on Spiders Saved: Suite-Pee, Sugar, Spiders*
Listen. I get this. It just caught me on the wrong day. I can recognize that this has some damn good sound, but I just don’t feel the rage and anger that I need to enjoy this.
Lidt for ensformigt, men udemærket Hard Rock. Husker det som bedre
Better than I expected, but essential? Probably not.
Great album. System is a band that is so weird. I’m surprised there a huge band. Listening to this album you hear so much strange instrumentation. It’s wild
This album is so full of energy, it makes you want to get up and jump around head-banging. It's a politically charged album throughout, being anti-war and touching on topics of genocide, religion and brainwashing. All of these themes make sense when you realise that the band-members are Armenian, whose people have been subject to tragedies. Best: Sugar; Peephole Worst: Spiders
1998. Spiders, War?, Sugar
Оп, система! Слушал их достаточно, но с этим альбомом практически не знаком. Местами интересно, но в целом мне не нравится манера пения Сержа Танкяна, эти нервные выкрики. В музыкальном плане тоже скучновато, хотя и местами разъёбно. Тематика песен опять же мне не по мне. ---- Буду ли я переслушивать этот альбом? НЕТ, но какие-то треки бы оставил в плейлисте (Know, Sugar, Soil)
Loved this album when it came out, though I don't think SOAD really came into their own until Toxicity. Some fun stuff going on here that I think they really refine in subsequent albums.
decent metal album that stylistically doesn't stand out much but isn't bad either
3.5 - It's definitely better than other examples of nu metal I've listened to recently, like Slipknot. I like the dynamism, especially in the vocals. Serj Tankian sounds like some unhinged court jester - his performance is exceptional. I also appreciate the near eastern influences. I'm too old to relate to the rage and angst, and some of the politics, so probably the opportunity for me to love this sound has passed. It's a fun listen that I don't see myself returning to.
Solid. I like Toxicity a bit better, but still a good album.
Le chanteur est s9ide et les musiciens aussi. Mais l’album est bof. Surtout si on compare a leur auivant… 3
S.O.A.D is like kinda mid overall, expected way more. Sugar and Spiders are certified bangers and a couple other tracks like War? and Suite-Pee are great head-bangers. The rest of the album is lyrically dense and filled with panic but suffers from a lack of quality 'song writing'. While kinda bland SOAD is often nice metal background music, haha
SOAD :D Iha jees, mut ei tääkää mikää hullu oo 3/5
Bra album! Bästa låtar: Sugar Suite-Pee Spiders
Not the best SoD album, bit dissapointing
Great debut album. Clear sound and influences from the start. SoaD are consistent since the early days. 6.5/10
There are a few albums that sound like high school to me, and this is one of them. I'm not exactly a SOAD fan, but I remember liking this album then, and I like it now. Can't say the same for their other offerings, but...yeah. this one slaps. Highlights for me include "Know" and "Suggestions", with their obvious Armenian influence, and "War?" just because it's f*cking brutal and hits that metal itch I get every once in a while
Heavy metal. Great lyrics that speak to issues that you don't typically find in most music (genocide, religion, etc.). Glad this made the list to learn more about SoaD.
Great fun
You can't argue with the musicianship that was already on display for this band. It laid a strong foundation to continue their growth on notably with Toxicity and future efforts.
Noisy metal
Hadn't listen to them a lot before. Great drumming, and good background for running or the gym.
Bändin hittibiisit on tietysti tuttuja ja olen joskus jotain levyäkin tainnut kuunnella, mutta ei minusta ole fania tullut. Aikanaan isot pojat puhui että tää olis sellaista muusikoiden musiikkia ja teknisesti haastavaa jne. Minusta tämä on taiteellista rymistelyä, laulajan persoonallisesta äänestä en erityisesti ole koskaan tykännyt. Biiseissä kyllä tapahtuu sen verran paljon, että tylsistymään ei päässyt.
Some great tunes here, and incredible vocals.
Black tie white noise
7/10
I liked this more than any other "metal' albums so far. More melodic, and also doesn't seem like it's taking itself too seriously. It's also not way too long, like Slipknot was.
Riffs are kinda fun. Hard not to compare to their contemporaries, bands like Tool or RATM. Compared to them, SOAD does everything worse. Album is still alright. 5-6/10
Not my kind of music anymore but I still really enjoyed it.
Glad to have listened to it. Funnier than I would have thought. Both in explicit jokes and musical quotes
Better than I thought.
didn't love this :( 4/10
Not their best album
As much as I wanted this to end this was also absolutely rippin in some parts and will listen again.
3.5 stars. Not their best album but still good
Aged poorly but at the time good.
This group will forever be associated with the late nineties and early 2000's
Spiders seems like the route into Toxicity - Self Titled was good, but not my favorite
Not to my liking
Crunchy, wandering
3,5
Ok, but earlier versions of this sound are better, like RATM or Primus
Favorites: Suite-Pee, Sugar, Suggestions, DDevil, Soil, War?, Mind, CUBErt, P.L.U.C.K.
2/5
спасибо, пас))
Of all the System of A Down albums I’m not entirely sure why it was this one.
this is a little too heavy on the screaming and a little too light on the fun rhythmic stuff i want from them
I actually like System of a Down, and find Seth Tankian’s voice and style so unique, but had a harder time with this debut album. I remember their breakout with Toxicity in 2001 and enjoyed several of their albums in full thereafter. Spiders is probably the standout for this one, but otherwise too much screaming on the rest and it just ran together (I can only take small doses). If this were all I was exposed to from SOAD I would not explore further, and was honestly relieved when the album was finally over.
nah
Im 32 I can only take so much of someone screaming die or fucker at me
Not for me
american voice
Listening to this album was like assembling furniture from IKEA. Sure, there is something cool and functional about it, but putting it together destroys any illusion you may have had about its greatness. This album now sits in a corner for me, occupying space, but it will likely only be enjoyed by visitors.
Heyo, this album. I know it best for officially marking a rift in the 1001 Albums books. It's been in every edition from the beginning, but one of the album listed before it - "The Dandy Warhols Come Down" - was pulled from later editions of the book, with this album being moved to fill its place. I also know of System of a Down for that one Legend of Zelda song which was falsely attributed to the band in the early days of Internet file sharing. Honestly, I like that tune. Anyways, I'm pretty sure this band are either Eastern European or come from some Scandinavian country. I can't say with certainty what their genre is, but it's definitely metal. I doubt it'll be industrial or nu metal, so I'll just hedge my bets on heavy metal. Here goes. Fuck, it was nu metal. I'm beginning to tire of this genre, though I know System of a Down are a prominent act, so I shant contemplate snubbing this one. Anyways, yeah. This was just another nu metal album. The vocals are adept, albeit impersonal and unremarkable. The raw, crunchy guitars are listenable, but follow the exact same jittery chord progressions. The songwriting is kind of campy and directionless. I get that they're going for an operatic feel, though such a style has a little appeal with me. Overall, I was bored by this album, though the contemporary production and sound of this album made it a tolerable listen. Book time. Features many different musical styles along with a prominent Eastern European/Middle Eastern influence. The vocalist is good. Apparently has a political edge and a sense of humour, which are both things that I didn't pick up on. Wikipedia says this album went double platinum, having been elevated by the success of their follow-up album. Well-received by critics, but only had mild chart success. I'm favourable to System of a Down being on this list, but I don't think this is the right nomination. The band's follow-up albums appear to have attracted greater critical acclaim and commercial success. For those reasons, I switcharoo this inclusion to whatever their best album is.
omg so different from what I'm used to listen lol, but not bad. I may understand in the future a little more about heavy metal. For my taste may be a little too strong. not my type of music. i don't think i can dance to this.
Definitely not my thing, but hey, at least they had some commercial success and critical recognition- so they did something right. Still- not a thing one had to hear.
152. ok
Fav- sugar 2/5
Not even their best, hard to give any higher rating
Actually the worst SOAD album to pick. Toxicity is a better album in every way. This aged horribly. Alright sugar is alright still
I expected to hate this. Didn't, but also didn't like it very much. Too harsh sounding for me. Don't need to hear it again.
Definitely reminds me of mindless self indulgence.
US can't make good metal
technically proficient, politically committed, a unique and well-executed vision, terrible music. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
for an album with so much screaming, it's so empty IDK DUDE LIKE WHAT DO I SAY THIS ALBUM IS JSUT SO BORING LEAVE ME ALOEN
Horrible, but the live part was sick! 2
Can't stand it.
not for me
There's a lot of good parts to many of the songs, they layer interesting style changes throughout and it doesn't get repetitive. I gave it 5-6 times through but it never really clicked with me however. The vocals are interesting and go on to be iconic as more albums came out but it was maybe to disjointed here. I liked Sugar, Spiders and maybe Soil the most.
Sugar
Not my sound. But not terrible
Listened to this first thing in the morning...big mistake
Not for me but I get why it is good. The pacing and how they mix the melodies into the anger/noise is nice. Rating is just my personal preference. This seems like something that is good, I just don’t ever plan to listen again
I am just not enough of a metal head for this and I like their later stuff much much better. Interesting to hear where they came from, but not for me.
kann immer wieder nicht verstehen, wie man das länger als 10 sekunden am stück hören will/kann
Album #85 System of a Down: System of a Down Formula for every System of a Down Song: Step 1. Talk in a silly voice Step 2. Silly voice morphs into melodic singing Step 3. Slow singing down into a whisper Step 4. Whisper turns into unintelligible screaming Honestly somehow more fun than it sounds like. I definitely expected to hate this album and find it really grating, but it actually didn’t feel like too much of a chore to sit through. I couldn’t help but find it entertaining when the lead singer would sound as if he were a bard from some medieval European RPG; if there is one thing that I will give this band is that they have their own unique sound. I can’t see myself ever becoming a fan of the Nu-Metal/Rap Metal era of music; I just find it quite corny and think that it fails in being shocking. But in saying that, I can definitely see the appeal. I think that I just don’t have enough rage left in me for a band like this. I can see a world where I’m in a mosh-pit releasing my anger against society whilst screaming the righteous lyrics of System of a Down, but unfortunately, in the world I currently live in, all my rage has depleted into indifference and acceptance. I’m much more likely to wallow in frustrations whilst listening to The Cure than try and fight an unwinnable battle, which bands like System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine posit themselves to do. To a fan of the band, my score might seem harsh, but honestly, it is a lot higher than I would have anticipated. Best Songs: Spiders, Peephole, P.L.U.C.K. Worst Song: Mind Score out of 10:5.5
This dude's voice bugs me
Where do I start? Not my favorite genre. Vocals were uneven. Melodies almost nonexistent. Yet this seems well planned. Not my cup of tea, but it could have been a lot worse. 2 stars
It’s not my gene. 4/10
It's got a few riffs for sure, but they are FAR overshadowed by the awkward changes and over-the-top cringy vocals. I think I was too old for nü.
Çok eko diyeceğim mlsf xddddddddd beni linçlemez rock camiası inş
This is quite a good album. There are some great moments when they break away from their core sound. Why anyone would want to hear this album ahead of Toxicity defeats me. That’s a 4 or 5 star album - and I hate my metal. Admittedly SOAD have more about them than their genre peers. Broader subject matter, a sense of humour, light and shade.
Giving this a 2 instead of a 1 because I didn’t immediately skip ALL the tracks.
Interesting info that this was their debut. All of the stuff i like from later albums is there. But it feels like all of it needs quite a bit of finetuning.
I can respect a lot of what they're saying. I love some of their later hits. But I'm not a big fan of much on this album.
Not my thing (anymore). I had a metal phase but it ended in the 90's. I have no nostalgia for this band, and I didn't even know "Nu Metal" was a thing. I give them credit for having melodies (not just noise) and for mixing in some different instruments/sounds. But I'm not really into the singer's voice.
I really love Serj Tankian's voice on the handful of mainstream(?) System of a Down songs I know (Toxicity, Chop Suey) so was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, the guttural screaming (which I guess is impressive he can do along with having such a genuinely lovely voice) was just way too much. -Too much at 7AM while trying to work out - when I figured speed metal vibes might be good for a HIIT + weights session. -Too much at noon when trying to eat my lunch. -Still too much while waiting for my husband to make dinner - though slightly less headache inducing when not listened to over headphones. My husband first mistook it for Limp Bizkit. I wanted to like this but unfortunately screaming and thrashing music best suited for a mosh pit are probably never going to be my thing. 'Spiders' was okay since he didn't growl-scream at all.
Like
I just can't get into it. Glad I didn't go to see them at Downsview.
It's probably good to some people. Without the screaming it's interesting. Tankians voice is interesting. I just done love it.
not really for me but it got a bit silly in parts which was fun tehe
I recall the band being popular around the late 90’s but never really cared much for them. Can’t say much has changed in the meantime. All a bit too thrashy for me. Tolerated it but didn’t really enjoy it. 2