Mezmerize (album)

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Mezmerize
Studio album by System of a Down
Released May 16, 2005
Recorded 2004–2005, The Mansion and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles, California
Genre Alternative metal, heavy metal, progressive rock, alternative rock, experimental rock, art rock
Length 36:15
Label American
Producer Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian
System of a Down chronology
Steal This Album!
(2002)		 Mezmerize
(2005)		 Hypnotize
(2005)
Singles from Mezmerize
  1. "B.Y.O.B."
    Released: March 29, 2005
  2. "Question!"
    Released: August 29, 2005
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 85/100 [1]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars [2]
Entertainment Weekly A− [3]
PopMatters 9/10 stars[4]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[5]
Stylus B− [6]
Kerrang! 5/5 stars
Pitchfork Media 7.1/10.0[7]

Mezmerize is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It is the first half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. It was released on May 17, 2005, six months before Hypnotize, on American Records. The album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide since its release.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Background

Mezmerize was released to universal acclaim, scoring 85 at Metacritic based on 19 reviews.[1] The album debuted at number one in at least 12 countries,[8] including the US Billboard 200, with 453,000 copies,[9] and has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. It was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. The hit single "B.Y.O.B." won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Despite the time difference between releases, the album actually takes its name from the lyrics in the song "Hypnotize"; Mezmerize and Hypnotize were recorded within the same time frame. The album features guitarist Daron Malakian sharing most of the vocal work with vocalist Serj Tankian, splitting the vocals at least halfway on most of the tracks.

The Japanese version of the album contains a slightly different mix of "Soldier Side (Intro)" with strings, while the leaked mp3 version of "Cigaro" contains a 4-stick hit intro not present in the retail version. The album artwork is done by the father of guitarist Daron Malakian, Vartan Malakian.

[edit] Track listing

No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Soldier Side - Intro"   Malakian Malakian 1:07
2. "B.Y.O.B."   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 4:15
3. "Revenga"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 3:48
4. "Cigaro"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 2:11
5. "Radio/Video"   Malakian Malakian 4:09
6. "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 2:08
7. "Violent Pornography"   Malakian Malakian 3:31
8. "Question!"   Tankian Malakian, Tankian 3:20
9. "Sad Statue"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 3:25
10. "Old School Hollywood"   Malakian Malakian 2:56
11. "Lost in Hollywood"   Malakian Malakian 5:20
Total length:
 36:15

[edit] Personnel

System of a Down
Main production personnel
Additional production personnel
  • Phillip Broussard – engineering assistance
  • John O'Mahony – Pro Tools engineering
  • Steve Sisco – mixing assistance
  • Joe Peluso – mixing assistance
Additional personnel
  • Mark Mann – string arrangements
  • Vartan Malakian – artwork
  • Brandy Flower – graphic design

[edit] Charts

Year Chart Position
2005 Billboard 200 1
UK Albums Chart 2
Australian ARIA Top 50[11] 1
Canadian Albums Chart[12] 1
Finnish Albums Chart[13] 2
Norwegian VG-lista 2
New Zealand Top Albums Chart[14] 1
Polish Albums Chart[15] 5

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b [1]
  2. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Mezmerize: System of a Down". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r737666/review. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
  3. ^ Sinclair, Tom (May 16, 2005). "Mezmerize (2005): System of a Down". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1060789,00.html. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
  4. ^ Begrand, Adrien. "System Of A Down: Mezmerize". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/systemofadown-mesmerize.shtml. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
  5. ^ Fricke, David. "System of a Down: Mezmerize". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28. http://web.archive.org/web/20070428001633/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/systemofadown/albums/album/7309436/review/7313411/mezmerize. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  6. ^ Pemberton, Rollie. "System Of A Down: Mezmerize". Stylus Magazine. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/system-of-a-down/mezmerize.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-30. 
  7. ^ "System of a Down: Mezmerize / Hypnotize". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11839-mezmerize-hypnotize. Retrieved 2012-01-29. 
  8. ^ System Of A Down Mezmerizes Music Fans Worldwide
  9. ^ [2]
  10. ^ a b Epstein, Dan (July 2008). Guitar World Interview with Daron Malakian: "A Scar Is Born". Guitar World. http://soadfans.com/Article600.htm. 
  11. ^ australian-charts.com
  12. ^ hitparade.ch
  13. ^ Finnish charts
  14. ^ charts.org.nz
  15. ^ Polish charts
Preceded by
Stand Up by Dave Matthews Band		 Billboard 200 number-one album
May 29, 2005 – June 4, 2005		 Succeeded by
Out of Exile by Audioslave
Preceded by
Il Divo by Il Divo		 Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
May 30 – June 5, 2005		 Succeeded by
Monkey Business by The Black Eyed Peas
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