Toxicity (album)

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Toxicity
File:SystemofaDownToxicityalbumcover.jpg
Studio album by System of a Down
Released September 4, 2001
Recorded March – July 2001
Cello Studios
Hollywood, California
Genre
Length 44:01
57:26 (special edition)
Label Columbia
Producer Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian
System of a Down chronology
System of a Down
(1998)System of a Down1998		 Toxicity
(2001)		 Steal This Album!
(2002)Steal This Album!2002
Singles from Toxicity
  1. "Chop Suey!"
    Released: August 13, 2001
  2. "Toxicity"
    Released: January 22, 2002
  3. "Aerials"
    Released: June 11, 2002

Toxicity is the second album by Armenian American rock band System of a Down. Produced by Rick Rubin, Toxicity was released on September 4, 2001 by Columbia Records, debuting at number 1 on both the United States, with 220,000 copies,[3] and number 1 on the Canadian charts. Toxicity has sold over 12 million copies worldwide[4] and is their only multi-platinum in the United States.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 73/100[5]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 5/5 stars[6]
Blabbermouth.net 10/10[7]
Christgau's Consumer Guide (1-star Honorable Mention)[8]
Drowned in Sound 10/10[9]
Entertainment Weekly B–[10]
Los Angeles Times 3/4 stars[11]
Q 4/5 stars[12]
Rolling Stone 3.5/5 stars[13]
Slant Magazine 3.5/5 stars[14]
Uncut 1.5/5 stars[5]

On review aggregator website Metacritic, Toxicity attained a score of 73 out of 100, based on reviews from nine critics, which indicates "generally favourable reviews".[5] Don Kaye of Blabbermouth.net gave the album ten out of ten, one of only 21 albums to achieve a perfect rating from the site.[7] Keith Harris of Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Both manic and schizoid, Tankian veers easily from sing-rap rhythm to Korn-ish hysterics to demonic baritone growl to doomily ruminative... the music insists on forward motion without trapping itself in a thrashy lock-step rut".[13]

Q gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and wrote that the album "matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s".[12] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B– and wrote: "Strange and engaging... It all adds up to bizarro type of metal that has a warped majesty and strength".[10] Joe Gross of Spin wrote that the band "have an undeniable nerd-prog charm".[15]

However, not all reviews were favorable. Uncut wrote, "Toxicity is virtually unlistenable: thrash metal splintered into a million pieces by unnecessary time changes, topped off with excruciatingly theatrical vocals."[5]

Artwork

The cover artwork shows words "System Of A Down" as a parody of the Hollywood Sign.

Accolades

The album is listed in Blender's 500 CDs You Must Own.[16] MusicRadar held a public poll and Toxicity was ranked as 28th greatest heavy metal album in the list of The 50 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time. The album is ranked at number 44 in Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the Decade for 2000s.

Spin named the album as one of 'The 300 Best Albums Of The Past 30 Years' , with Toxicity being one of the highest-listed metal albums on the list. [17] They also named Toxicity as Album of the Year in 2001.[18]

Digital Dream Door has currently ranked Toxicity at number 72 on their list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums", and number 16 on their list of "100 Greatest Albums of the 2000s". Kludge ranked it at number five on their list of best albums of 2001.[19] Alternative Press ranked it number 9 in its "25 Best Albums of 2001" (Feb 2002, p. 64). Mojo ranked it number 93 in its "100 Modern Classics" (p. 54).

The album won a 2001 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for "Album of the Year."[20]

Loudwire listed the album as #1 on its list of 'Top 11 Metal Albums of the 2000s'[21] and #11 on its list of 'Top 50 Metal Albums of All Time.'[22]

NME listed the album as #6 on its list of '20 Greatest Metal Albums Ever.'[23]

Soundtrack appearances

Track listing

No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Prison Song"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 3:21
2. "Needles"   Tankian, Malakian Tankian, Malakian 3:13
3. "Deer Dance"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 2:55
4. "Jet Pilot"   Tankian Odadjian, Malakian 2:06
5. "X"   Tankian Malakian 1:58
6. "Chop Suey!"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 3:30
7. "Bounce"   Tankian Malakian, Odadjian 1:54
8. "Forest"   Tankian Malakian 4:00
9. "ATWA" (Air, Trees, Water, Animals) Tankian, Malakian Malakian 2:56
10. "Science" (featuring Arto Tunçboyacıyan) Tankian Malakian 2:43
11. "Shimmy"   Tankian Tankian 1:51
12. "Toxicity"   Tankian Malakian, Odadjian 3:39
13. "Psycho"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 3:45
14. "Aerials[I]"   Tankian, Malakian Malakian 6:11
Total length:
 44:01

^ I "Aerials" contains a hidden track often referred to as "Arto" due to it featuring Arto Tunçboyacıyan. The track is actually an adaptation of "Der Voghormia" (meaning "Lord Have Mercy"), a traditional Armenian church hymn.

French Special Edition bonus CD[24]
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
1. "Sugar" (live) Tankian Odadjian, Malakian 2:27
2. "War?" (live) Tankian Malakian 2:48
3. "Suite-Pee" (live) Tankian Malakian 2:58
4. "Know" (live) Tankian Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian 3:03
5. "Johnny"   Tankian Tankian 2:09

Personnel

System of a Down
Production
  • Photography: Martyn Atkins (Studio), Glen E. Friedman (Back Cover, Water), John Dolmayan, Hallie Sirota
  • Cover Art: Mark Wakefield
  • Art Direction: Shavo Odadjian & Brandy Flower
  • Album Art Concepts: Shavo Odadjian & System of a Down
  • Inside Collage Art: John Dolmayan & Brandy Flower
  • Co Label Art: Shavo Odadjian
  • A&R direction: Dino Paredes
  • Production Coordinator: Lindsay Chase
  • Worldwide Representation: David Benveniste, Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group
  • Recorded at Cello Studios, Hollywood, CA
  • Mixed at Enterprise Studios, Burbank, CA
  • Mastered by Eddy Schreyer at Oasis Mastering, Studio City, CA

Chart performance

Singles
Year Single Chart Position
2001 "Chop Suey!" Billboard Hot 100 76
Modern Rock Tracks 7
Mainstream Rock Tracks 12
Australian ARIA Top 50 14
2002 "Toxicity" Billboard Hot 100 70
Modern Rock Tracks 3
Mainstream Rock Tracks 10
Australian ARIA Top 50 39
"Aerials" Billboard Hot 100 55
Modern Rock Tracks 1
Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
Australian ARIA Top 50 36
Preceded by Canadian Albums Chart number-one album
September 22, 2001		 Succeeded by
Silver Side Up by Nickelback
Preceded by Billboard 200 number-one album
September 22, 2001		 Succeeded by
The Blueprint by Jay-Z

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ System of a Down Mezmerizes Music Fans Worldwide
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Alternative Rock: 500 CDs You Must Own
  17. ↑ http://www.spin.com/2015/05/the-300-best-albums-of-the-past-30-years-1985-2014/2/
  18. ↑ http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/401-spins-20-best-albums-of-2001/
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Metal Edge, June 2002
  21. ↑ http://loudwire.com/top-11-metal-albums-of-the-2000s/
  22. ↑ http://loudwire.com/top-metal-albums-of-all-time/
  23. ↑ http://www.nme.com/photos/20-greatest-metal-albums-ever-as-voted-by-you/212959#/photo/15
  24. ↑ Discogs.com
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter System of a Down in the field Interpret. Enter Toxicity in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Toxicity in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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