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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: Slain on June 24, 2010, 10:39:23 AM

Title: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Slain on June 24, 2010, 10:39:23 AM
I started a thread about Serj's new song, and some stuff came up about favorite SOAD albums, so I figured I'd make one about what DTF thinks is the best one, and why.

It's definitley Toxicity for me, it's the most consistent, there are songs that I love on the other albums but I think that this one is the best overall.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Zantera on June 24, 2010, 12:03:30 PM
It's pretty much a tie between Toxicity and Steal This Album! for me, but i went with the latter because of really small margins. :P
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: In The Wake Of Poseidon on June 24, 2010, 12:09:56 PM
Mesmerize
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Dcrupi on June 24, 2010, 12:17:37 PM
Mezmerize. 

Also, does anyone actually know why they spelled that wrong?  The correct spelling is "mesmerize"...I've always wondered why they did that.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Jamesman42 on June 24, 2010, 12:27:49 PM
It's pretty much a tie between Toxicity and Steal This Album! for me, but i went with the latter because of really small margins. :P

This. I used to be OBSESSED with this band.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: ariich on June 24, 2010, 01:01:06 PM
Mesmerize for me, though all but their self-titled debut are very strong, and even that's pretty good.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: DarkEternalNight on June 24, 2010, 02:26:46 PM
The best is Toxicity although Hypnotize is my favorite.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Darkes7 on June 24, 2010, 02:28:22 PM
I haven't listened to them for way too long to decide, although I've always definitely preferred Hypnotize over Mezmerize. Hypnotize is great almost from start to finish, Mezmerize had like 3-4 songs I really liked.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Jamesman42 on June 24, 2010, 02:35:47 PM
The best is Toxicity although Hypnotize is my favorite.

Good point, their best is Toxicity and my favorite is STA!.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Gadough on June 24, 2010, 02:39:35 PM
Toxicity by a wide margin.

The only bad System album is the debut. Ugh.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: lateralus88 on June 24, 2010, 02:49:27 PM
Personally, I don't think they have bad album, and they are all great for their own reasons (I've said the same about Tool's albums, I know). And picking a favourite album isn't necessarily an easy task. But if I had to choose which SOAD album I'd like to be trapped on a desert island with, it'd be Mesmerize. To me, Mesmerize is the highest point of the bands career. With their earlier material, you have this "untamed" beast, so to speak, called their debut album. It's wild, strange, loud and a teenage rebellion's wet dream. As they began to release albums such as Toxicity and Steal this Album! (B-sides, I know), they began to refine their song writing more and more. With Mesmerize, you have an album that combines the obscurity and hardcore influenced elements we heard from their first few releases, but with a much more fine tuned style of writing and flow within the music. The album itself just seems much more...well made. As if it really took an immense amount of time and effort to make, whereas their earlier work (While great, I'm not talking down towards their older albums at all) felt a bit more unpolished and recorded "just for the fucks sake of recording an album".

inb4 teh flames
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: orcus116 on June 24, 2010, 02:53:05 PM
Self-titled, though Toxicity is pretty fantastic.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Sigz on June 24, 2010, 02:55:12 PM
I only have Toxicity and S/T, but I think I like Toxicity a little more (though it's close).
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Gadough on June 24, 2010, 03:02:26 PM
I'm surprised to see this much love for Mesmerize. I love it, but I was under the impression that in general, both Mesmerize and Hypnotize were looked down upon by the fanbase.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: lateralus88 on June 24, 2010, 03:04:04 PM
I'm surprised to see this much love for Mesmerize. I love it, but I was under the impression that in general, both Mesmerize and Hypnotize were looked down upon by the fanbase.
I used to have that point of view, actually. But I think the only reason fans give the albums a bad rep is the "commercial value" they have. You know, if it's popular, it's the worst thing the band released. Which is obnoxious.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Gadough on June 24, 2010, 03:06:16 PM
I'm surprised to see this much love for Mesmerize. I love it, but I was under the impression that in general, both Mesmerize and Hypnotize were looked down upon by the fanbase.
I used to have that point of view, actually. But I think the only reason fans give the albums a bad rep is the "commercial value" they have. You know, if it's popular, it's the worst thing the band released. Which is obnoxious.

Or possibly due to Daron's heavy vocal presence on both albums, which is a criticism I in all fairness cannot argue with.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: lateralus88 on June 24, 2010, 03:10:16 PM
I don't see a problem with this vocals. While they are nowhere near as good as Serj's, they aren't necessarily BAD. I mean, the songs where he dominates vocally are easily the worst ones on the album (with the exception of She's like Heroin, I love that song), but I don't believe his voice is the sole reason. Songs like Lonely Day and Hypnotize would have been bad whether Serj or Daron were singing. Those songs were just terribly written.

I felt his vocals fit, especially when it was him and Serj trading off throughout the song (i.e. Kill Rock and Roll), but I did prefer when he sang less.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Gadough on June 24, 2010, 03:14:48 PM
Yeah, I have no problem with his vocals as long as it's 50/50 trading off with Serj. I don't particularly mind his vocals. However, any song that is dominated vocally by him is overstaying his welcome, in my opinion. Let the lead singer do his job, you know?
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: ariich on June 24, 2010, 03:31:00 PM
Not keen on Daron's voice solo, but it complement's Serj's voice perfectly. On the whole I have no issues with the vocals in the last 2 albums, especially considering how many great harmonies there are. The vocals on the debut, on the other hand, are pretty average.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Arcaeus on June 24, 2010, 03:57:56 PM
Not keen on Daron's voice solo, but it complement's Serj's voice perfectly. On the whole I have no issues with the vocals in the last 2 albums, especially considering how many great harmonies there are.

This.

Though I really like Lost In Hollywood.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Jamesman42 on June 24, 2010, 03:59:34 PM
Hypnotize just terribly written.

lolwut
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Darkes7 on June 24, 2010, 04:05:53 PM
Yeah, the title track on Hypnotize is definitely one of my favourites.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: lateralus88 on June 24, 2010, 04:30:09 PM
I really, really, really, really don't like the title track.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Jamesman42 on June 24, 2010, 04:37:09 PM
I just listened to it. It was great. Unlike the hail of fail coming from above me.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Sintheros on June 24, 2010, 05:45:13 PM
Self-Titled
Toxicity
Hypnotize
Steal
Mesmerize

Spiders is my favorite song of theirs.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Birch Boy on June 24, 2010, 09:30:18 PM
I only have Toxicity and S/T, but I think I like Toxicity.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: wolfking on June 25, 2010, 05:07:35 AM
Toxicity by a wide margin.

Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Fluffy Lothario on June 25, 2010, 05:38:57 AM
Toxicity
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: HarlequinForest on June 25, 2010, 07:07:44 AM
Toxicity is the only one I even like.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: cthrubuoy on June 25, 2010, 07:12:14 AM
Self Titled, the only other contender is Toxicity.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Dimitrius on June 25, 2010, 07:39:22 AM
Toxicity followed by Mezmerize.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: ZKX-2099 on June 25, 2010, 11:14:51 AM
Shit sucks.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Sigz on June 25, 2010, 11:58:47 AM
Shit sucks.

(https://www.gamesundso.de/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/boxxy-trolling.jpg)
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Arcaeus on June 25, 2010, 12:00:19 PM
Shit sucks.

(https://www.fugly.com/media/IMAGES/Random/get-the-fuck-out.jpg)
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: ZKX-2099 on June 26, 2010, 07:00:17 AM
https://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/system-down.php
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Arcaeus on June 26, 2010, 09:36:55 AM
https://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/system-down.php

I thought that looked familiar...

https://www.somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/metal.php
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: Ultimetalhead on June 26, 2010, 09:40:12 AM
Personally, I don't think they have bad album, and they are all great for their own reasons (I've said the same about Tool's albums, I know). And picking a favourite album isn't necessarily an easy task. But if I had to choose which SOAD album I'd like to be trapped on a desert island with, it'd be Mesmerize. To me, Mesmerize is the highest point of the bands career. With their earlier material, you have this "untamed" beast, so to speak, called their debut album. It's wild, strange, loud and a teenage rebellion's wet dream. As they began to release albums such as Toxicity and Steal this Album! (B-sides, I know), they began to refine their song writing more and more. With Mesmerize, you have an album that combines the obscurity and hardcore influenced elements we heard from their first few releases, but with a much more fine tuned style of writing and flow within the music. The album itself just seems much more...well made. As if it really took an immense amount of time and effort to make, whereas their earlier work (While great, I'm not talking down towards their older albums at all) felt a bit more unpolished and recorded "just for the fucks sake of recording an album".

inb4 teh flames
Completely 100% agreed.
Title: Re: Which is the best System of a Down album?
Post by: ogrejedi on June 26, 2010, 09:47:28 AM
I grew up on Toxicity but Mezmerize/Hypnotize is pretty much the pinnacle of their abilities, so I picked Mezmerize (my favorite of the two).