Mezmerize (System of a Down album)

''Mezmerize'' is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on May 17, 2005, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Upon its release, the album received acclaim from critics. The album sold over 450,000 copies in its first week (over 200,000 more than ''Toxicity'' did), and immediately topped the ''Billboard'' 200.

At a length of just over 36 minutes, ''Mezmerize'' is the band's shortest studio album.

Background

Despite the time difference between releases, ''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 many of the tracks.

Malakian wrote "Old School Hollywood" after playing in a celebrity baseball game for charity. The song mentions Tony Danza and Frankie Avalon, who also played in the game.

In "Radio/Video", there are lines referring to two people named Danny and Lisa. Malakian commented on the song to '' Revolver'' magazine:

In the same interview, Daron Malakian talked about "Violent Pornography"'s "non-stop disco" lines:

The Japanese version of the album contains alternate mixes of "Soldier Side (Intro)" and "Lost in Hollywood", the former with additional strings and the latter containing slightly different background vocals, while "Cigaro" as a bonus track on the single for " B.Y.O.B." contains a 4-stick hit intro not present in the retail version. The album artwork is done by Vartan Malakian, the father of Daron Malakian.

Reception

''Mezmerize'' was acclaimed by critics, scoring 85 at Metacritic based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The album debuted at number one in at least 12 countries, including the US ''Billboard'' 200, with 453,000 copies, and has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA. The hit single "B.Y.O.B." won a Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Track listing

All music written by Daron Malakian, except "Question!", written by Malakian and Serj Tankian.

Personnel

System of a Down
* Serj Tankian – vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar on "Question!" (uncredited)
* Daron Malakian – vocals, guitars, bass (uncredited)Alan Di Perna https://www.guitarworld.com/features/daron-malakian-21st-century-schizoid-man (September 29, 2008)Fabrizio Pedrotti https://fabriziopedrotti.com/2019/07/18/shavo-odadjian-system-of-a-down-nunca-va-a-morir/ (July 18, 2019)
* Shavo Odadjian – bass
* John Dolmayan – drums, percussion

Vocals
* "Soldier Side" - Intro: Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian (both main)
* "B.Y.O.B.": Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
* "Revenga": Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
* "Cigaro": Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
* "Radio/Video": Malakian and Tankian (both main)
* "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on this Song": Tankian
* "Violent Pornography": Malakian and Tankian (both main)
* "Question!": Tankian (main), Malakian (backing vocals)
* "Sad Statue": Malakian and Tankian (both main)
* "Old School Hollywood": Malakian and Tankian (both main)
* "Lost in Hollywood": Malakian (main) and Tankian (second voice)

Production
* Rick Rubin – production
* Andy Wallace – mixing
* David Schiffman – engineering
* Jason Lader – editing
* Dana Neilsen – editing
* Phillip Broussard – engineering assistance
* John O'Mahony – Pro Tools engineering
* Steve Sisco – mixing assistance
* Joe Peluso – mixing assistance

Additional personnel
* Marc Mann – string arrangements
* Vartan Malakian – artwork
* Brandy Flower – graphic design

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control

2005 albums
Albums produced by Daron Malakian
Albums produced by Rick Rubin
American Recordings (record label) albums
Columbia Records albums
System of a Down albums
Albums recorded at The Mansion (recording studio)