Toxicity

One of the best Alt Metal/Nu Metal albums of all time. This band was HUGE from 2000-2005, just mental how popular they were. Every song on this album is solid, even the worst song is awesome. Just an easy 5/5, no question.

I was surprised that it wasn’t this System Of A Down record that was on the original list. I’m happy to see it here at least. Nu-metal gets a lot of flak - especially from me - but the deranged symphony presented here deserves serious credit for re-envisioning the heavy sound for the new millennium. It’s a gas.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Jet pilot, X, Chop suey, Bounce, Forest, Toxicity, Psycho, Aerials

Hell yeah! Political criticism, combined with absolute nonsense, on the notes of the most energetic metal music you've ever heard! Every song is just a (head)banger

Wait, what... This wasn't on the original list. Wild. Vocally outstanding. Instrumentally outstanding. Vibes on point, etc. 3rd easiest 5 stars that I've given.

There's never really been anyone quite like System Of A Down and they were at their absolutely ridiculous, deranged, unique selves on Toxicity, one of the best albums of the nu-metal era and one that holds up 25 years or so later. I think it's unfair for it to really get grouped with nu-metal though, it's mostly metal with their own quirks and Serj's inimitable delivery. It manages to make clear political points, as was the style of the time, while being batshit crazy, I mean look at some of the lyrics across the record: Pull the tapeworm out of your ass Wired were the eyes of a horse on a jet pilot, one that smiles when he flew over the bay Jump! (Pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo, pogo) Looking at life through the eyes of a tyre hub And it worked so well, and that's before you get into the musicality of it, full of heavy driving riffs that punch you in the face and then pick you up to continue the ride, drumming is spectacular, it's so good. Prison Song, Chop Suey, Toxicity, Aerials are pretty timeless as four absolute belters off this, they're spread across the album so you never feel like it loses its way even with some filler like Jet Pilot, ATWA, Psycho etc, but in another 25 years this'll still be revered and it definitely has a place on this list. Objectively a high 4 because of some filler, I might push it to a 5 because of just how much I've listened to and enjoyed it over the years.

That early 2000s rock/nu metal may be viewed as some angry teenage music but it really is some of the best stuff from the late 90s/early 00s. Serj is a fantastic singer and the range on here is what makes some of this album so good. There are a handful of songs that are great and a couple that are all time classics. This is a fantastic album that deserves many listens. 8.5/10

About as prescient an LP you could drop a week before 9/11. I've been relatively ignorant of SoaD's catalog outside the big hits, and this was a needed intro to one of their most blistering yet catchy albums. Plenty of snippets I recognized from pop culture but hadn't heard in full – Serj's amazing vocal range (from professorial to barking to melodic) plus the technically melodic instrumentals are a perfect match, and one I wish I had listened to sooner. Vanishingly few artists can pull off a listenable protest album that doesn't age like milk, but System of A Down nails it every time.

This is a very good rock/metal album . To be honest the first tracks are more of less ok, but certainly after the fantastic "Chop Suey" each song is a banger till the end of the album

They have a lot to say

‘Shimmy’ came to me through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 and that kicked off a long and wonderful relationship for me with SOAD. Toxicity represents all that makes them great. Where is my scratched up CD copy?

Best album of the Nu Metal era. System were just a cut above everything else. Shocked this wasn't on the main list. All time operatic, politically charged, but also stupid canon metal album.

Yea this is absolutely should be on the regular list, but glad it got picked up by the listeners. A real high water mark for nu metal.

I’ve never been a huge fan of System of a Down but I’ve always appreciated them. chop suey and the title song are undeniable classics plus they have a much more thoughtful approach to nu metal than a lot of their contemporaries. Plus serge is just a cool dude. Hold up forgot that the last song turns into the white lotus lmao

Early 2000's rock. If this doesnt get you hyped for something I don't know what would.

Alternative metal, nu metal. Chop suey, Toxicity... Un 4.

System Of A Down has a very special place in the (nu-)metal canon. Their style is immediately distinctive, thanks to the traditional Armenian and Greek influences, highly melodic harmonies on both vocals and guitars, and the bouncy, propelling rhythm section they use to enhance their riffs. Also, their lyrics often tackled political subject matters giving an extra dimension to their songs. And Serj Tankian is a powerful vocalist, equally at ease for screaming and singing. When SOAD first surged into public consciousness with their debut (rightly mentioned in the 1001 Albums book), they kind of made me think of a band succeeding in being like "Dead Kennedys on steroids", which also speaks volumes about the punk influences which also inspired them. Sophomore LP *Toxicity* is maybe not as cohesive and impactful as that debut was: the first third of its tracklist is a bit bumpy, as if a couple of songs could have been taken away without affecting the whole thing. Yet this record harbours three hit singles that are absolutely iconic for anyone even remotely interested in the band: the title-track, "Aerials" and "Chop Suey!". And starting with the latter song, said tracklist becomes near-perfect, even its deeper cuts and the way they follow one another. Therefore, I will gladly add this album to the debut in my own list. And given its pretty high global score, it looks like many other users would do the same. 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5+4). Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 16 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 28 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 53 ---- Émile ! J'ai répondu à ton message. Regarde environ 15 reviews au dessus ! Pas de nouvelle réponse de ta part, mais c'est pas un souci, je compte juste vérifier toutes les deux semaines environ. On est pas aux pièces, comme on dit sur le vieux continent.

Not first listen. that was last year HL: "Prison Song", "Chop Suey!", "ATWA", title track, “Aerials” A good nu-metal band is hard to come by, but SOAD make it happen. May 28, 2025

Took me back to when this was released. Chop Suey was my son’s favourite song when he was about 3, and who can blame him.

Not really my thing. Mostly I'm just not digging what is going on vocally, and even though I agree with the general sentiments the strident preachy tone is grating. Scrapes a bare 3 stars for instrumental competence with some decent variety.

Fun middle school vibes. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

Not my favorite genre and I think I liked the other System of A Down album a little more but bonus points for that including a song with Shimmy - there isn’t enough shimmying today and I’m encouraged by its unlikely appearance here.

Aerials is a 5/5 perfect song, and I've loved it since it was released. But... everything else on here is a form of audio insanity. Nuts music. Like a mental breakdown set to weird atonal riffing guitars.

So this really isn't my kind of thing and I found it quite abrasive in places, but I can certainly appreciate why people love this album, it's got a lot of depth and variety and very well written songs, just not my genre.

Britney clears

Better than I remember it being - but still very much associated in my mind with teenagers in baggy trews and too much metal in their faces. Is there anyone who really, really likes this album who didn't have one of those ridiculously distended earlobes?

ugh I just don't care about these guys. How is it both outsider music and bro music at the same time? I don't care. Not interested. Just fucking bottom feeder music. Nu-metal had its moments, but this sure as fuck wasn't one of them. SOAD is a one hit wonder by most definitions, but will escape the label because they were pretty alternative. Sick of hearing chop suey at weddings and shit, too. 2/5.

Huh, thought this wouldve been here already. Chop Suey remains the only Sysyem Of A Down song that is tolerable to listen to 2

Not the one for me. But I appreciate that it is probably impressive music and obviously very popular. I just can't

I enjoyed this for a bit… until I didn’t. At first I was completely onboard with the RATMesque anger and call to action. I found the stops and starts and extreme dynamics exciting. I found the vocal tones engaging. I was considering 5 stars for bit. But my god it got formulaic. It’s not exciting and engaging if you do the exact same stop stars and intense drum emphasis every track. It just got annoying and stressful to the point I decided I was not having a good time and turned it off.

Truly one of the worst albums ever made

Rubbish