The Better Half

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They are there. The other fifty percent of those recording sessions, for which the band had for months earlier this year included in tight spaces with sound Persian rugs on the wall, to forge "Mezmerize / Hypnotize". Why so late? The decision to market both as stand-alone drives, you have - inspired by example as Tarantino's "Kill Bill" - taken from a purely conceptual reasons was to hear from tape circles. Why else.

Has guitarist Daron Malakian, of the mammoth project almost single-handedly with producer Rick Rubin (grain, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers) akimbo - "The Band", which is now - and also quite autonomously. Lead singer Serj Tankian and the other band members are primarily executive in this project. Interestingly, that was indeed was not the case with the previous albums. If you like, Mezmerize / Hypnotize Malakians "White Album" is. It is John, Paul George and the rest of the band Ringo.
But the result is, amazingly, no more than ambitious Egomanenwerk, but rather a synthesis of more erratic, yet asymmetrischeren, asynchroneren, verwirrendererereren Tempi- and mood swings within a nu-metal frame, the long nobody has been more. The "SoaD effect" as such - that is, the moment in which scare unprepared ears when Ersthören either captivate or forever - is strongly emphasized here than ever. But "Maxed Out" is the wrong word. "Sophistication", rather. Because although individual segments of the system songs were hard to distinguish from the output of other pop or Thrash sizes (depending on perspective), it's this irresistible blend of hard and soft, anthemic and dodgy, yes and no, even elitist music watchers and Antikommerzler more than just can listen again. System of a Down are likely to have, despite predictions to various Nu Rock Witch Hunters managed now at the latest, to fight for an individual star on the Hollywood Walk imaginary Of Fame of the music business'. Style security and consistency thank.

"Hypnotize" Now, the listener performs a quintessential like. Just mentioned even more in mind and ears, as it has done in the first half Contrasted with "Mezmerize" especially proven ("Cigaro") and something that could not be further away from ("Old School Hollywood"), located Experimentierfreudigkeitsmörtel and old-hardening concrete mix with "Hypnotize" to a cementitious consensus should underpin SoaDs status as a serious rock band permanently.
Nice to see at times snakelike-creeping, sometimes aimlessly-galloping "She's Like Heroin", which does not programmatic could be ("Chinese tricks in rooms with ghosts of hooker girlie dudes. Me and heroin maybe we can make some cash."). Further deepened the mistaken and self-confident "Vicinity of Obscenity". Perfected in endless sad Omega "Soldier Side", the in - yep, unusual! - Four-four time increases to fulminant finale and the circle to the Alpha closes on "Mezmerize". With a tear in his eye. Résumé or retrogression? Who wants to know exactly, please press again on "Start".

Conclusion: What is the consumers of Mezmerize / Hypnotize, is a snapshot of a band that - not equal to others Output of current heavy metal world - is worth to be heard. Even if it remains subjective questionable whether the longevity of the unbeaten debut album is also set here. A modified sugar and spinning world is no longer so easy to bring up out of the socket. Nevertheless: If you leave the World-According-To-Daron back toward reality, you feel a bit like after a John Irving novel. But whacked not invalidated, but not fertilized converted, disillusioned but not disoriented. Or maybe? "Where do you expect us to go When the bombs fall?"
(Playing tips: Tentative, She's Like Heroin, Vicinity Of Obscenity)