IMO Toxicity is one of the best full albums of all time. Zero skips, couldn't put the songs in a better order IMO, and on the actual CD the way the tracks often flow into one another was just... *chefs kiss*.
You're right, the track listing works really well. And no skips too! Every song really stands out and has its own little unique touches that makes each one memorable.
Toxicity is one of the biggest "must listen" album in metal. Great reaction, love you pointing your thoughts during the songs! I would love to see you reacting to Shadow Of Intent's - Melancholy album. They are a fun band to start heavier things!
FUN FACT: The title track “Arto” is a partly an improvisational song. The main melody heard here is a traditional Armenian hymnal called “Der Voghormia," which translates to "Lord Have Mercy" and is traditionally played at funerals as a prayer for the dead. The track is titled “Arto” after avant-garde folk and jazz multi-instrumentalist, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, who is featured on this song, as well as “Science”. Additionally he is also featured on the track “Bubbles” from the bands 3rd studio album, “Steal This Album!” Which itself was recorded during the Toxicity recording sessions.
Serj, the vocalist, is also a poet which really explains why the lyrics are so fun and sometimes have pretty heavy themes. He also has some solo songs, though I don't think they're as good as those of SOAD. That said I can't wait to see your reaction to Steal this Album which is favorite of the band.
I think empty walls is on the same level as soad. Maybe saving us and lie lie lie also. Those 3 songs are, to me, on the same level as soad to me. For sure empty walls out of all his solo songs though.
Well for me Serj have very good solo songs, that are on very high level in my humble opinion. Empty walls, Sky is over, Gate 21, Baby, Harakiri, Lie Lie Lie, Ocupied tears, are such a great songs! Daron also have very good songs in his group Scars on Broadway
In "Arto" the woodwind instrument is playing the song "Lord Have Mercy" a hymn sung in Armenian churches. If you listen to Armenian music, much of which is religious at its core, you'll notice a lot of sounds SOAD adapted into their songs. Especially in later albums.
Oh nice, you're new to them too! I thought I was like the only person who had never heard System of a Down before, haha. I'm glad we're both finally getting to hear their music, it's pretty awesome.
System of a down as one of a kind. There never has been nor will be another band like them, truly a golden age of music for me. Loved this reaction, definitely going to check out some of your other videos!
You are spot on, System of a Down is such a unique band. I've never heard anything quite like them before. And thanks for watching, glad you're enjoying the channel!
Chop Suey, Toxicity, Aerials are the songs that were melodic enough to help me fall in love with the band. I now love all their songs but it took me awhile, Thanks for sharing your journey with us. It is very entertaining to watch someone listen to songs I know inside out.
I was waiting for this reaction to pop up! :D Oh, man. I remember this SOAD album. It was the first "real metal album" I bought when I was a teenager. I went into a record store (before they pretty much went extinct) and felt rebellious; wanting to transition from The Offspring (so punk rock) to metal. Looking for the heaviest, hardest sound I could find (thinking that was the hardest, heaviest sound I could find at the time :P ). Then I remembered 'Chop Suey' from MTV. So I picked up their cd asked for a test run, put on one of those headphones from the store (the kind where the wiring runs into a booth, so you can't steal it) and had a listen. xD I was absolutely sold by all the ways SOAD could catch you off guard but could still trigger some adrenaline. They felt hyperactive, unhinged but also oddly satisfying at the same time. From there, a tradition of finding new CDs from metal bands began. Haha, anyways thank you for indulging this personal bit of history. I'm glad you listened to this album. For many it was iconic back in the day. Introducing elements of rock/metal that no one else had done before. Fun fact: on my CD copy of this album back in the day 'Arto' was a hidden track. You had to wait a couple of minutes and then it followed up Aerials without changing to a different track. (A lot of bands, then, did this. Come to think of it, it almost seemed to be kind of a trend or tradition)
That's awesome, I like your description of their music: hyperactive, unhinged, but really satisfying. Sums up their sound pretty well. Glad you enjoyed the reaction!
Great video. This has always been a standout album to me. Definitely my favorite from their catalog. The song Shimmy is even more relevant today than it was when the album was written.
Also, I'd really like to hear what you think of the album The Hunter by Mastodon. If you're not familiar with them they've been around since the early 2000's and have evolved as a band quite a bit. Their earlier stuff is a bit raw and unpolished but you can hear their talent shinning through. The Hunter came out in 2011 (right in the middle of their career, thus far) and is the most accessible album of theirs, for people just getting into them, making it a great place to start. I think you'll like it.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not familiar with Mastodon's music but I know they had a new album out this year that I haven't heard yet. I'll have to check out their stuff!
@@mollyesanborn Please do!!! They are amazing, 20 years in the game with 8 albums they just peaked with their latest "Hushed and Grim". Would love to see you rate all of them. Side fact: Shavo the bassist from SOAD got into a fist fight with Bret Hinds the lead guitarist of Mastadon.
You will love so much the transition-evolution of this band. Next is Steal This Album I think your favourites will be the last two: Mezmerize/Hypnotize
@@mollyesanborn The first album is more raw, like experimental Hardcore Punk. I think Toxicity is a lot different from their first one. Better sound production, more melodies and better vocal harmonies. Steal this album definately is like Toxicity 2. Same style, sound and production with a bit more variety maybe. My favorite album. The fourth and fifth album are a big progression, and quite different again, in comparison with the first three.
Yeah! So cool to see this album experienced freshly again. I got this CD for my 18th birthday and 20 years later the songs are hardwired into my brain. I can just about remember how awesome it was to hear them for the first time! Great video thanks Molly!
Awesome reaction ! My personal favs from Toxicity are Sience and Aerials. Also I'm not sure if anyone in the comments mentioned it, but at the same time as Toxicity was released, 9/11 happened, and they had some troubles with promotion of their songs like Jet Pilot, Aerials, Chop Suey, but they still managed to make album reach the top of the charts.
One of the greatest bands of all time. Personally, their sheer creativity puts them at #1 for me. Like you said, just as much beauty as there is intensity.
Yes, they mix melodic, angelic sections with crazy heavy nu metal, and then fuse it all together with their signature insane weirdness. What an awesome band! Never heard anything like it before.
I remember lying on the floor as a 2 to 4-year-old seeing the music video for Chop Suey on the TV. I didn't know what the song or band was called, but when I eventually found the song again when I was 17 years old, I suddenly was taken back to that time. The song was recognisable and the music video was somewhat familiar.
Thanks for reacting! :D I heard this album pretty much when it came out and we played it in music class at school and so on.. so I know it well. But it's always fun to watch somebody listen to it for the first time. :) It still sounds great, even though I haven't listened to System of a Down in years
X is also one of my favorites from this album, i realised that X and 36 are very underrated songs, maybe because they are so short but bubbles, pictures and arto are also short.
welp, you just made me want to blast this record until I get tired of it again, just like when I was a teen glad you liked it, its truly an amazing album
I really enjoy your reactions while listening to albums. Keep up the good work 😁 One new album I think you might appreciate is the new Mastodon “Hushed and Grim” for me it incorporates everything I love about music. It is not only heavy as a ton of bricks but also so very beautiful. Brut-iful if you will. I personally think it is one of the greatest albums of this year but any year. Once again thanks for the content and Happy Holidays to you and your family.
One of the greatest metal albums EVER! own it on vinyl, CD and cassette. Honestly not a single bad song on the entire album it's just absolutely phenomenal! So glad you enjoyed it!
This album was the absolute jam all summer long when it came out. Literally everyone wanted to listen to it all of the time and did. Seen them twice while touring for this album. Didn't realize how lucky I was for that many years later hearing many others state that they always wished they had.
Either during your dive into System of a Down or after it, I recommend checking out Serart, which is a collaboration between Serj and another Armenian folk artist (named Arto, like the song). It is incredible!
This is probably one of the albums of my life! I love to see your reactions and i'm waiting so much for the next soad albums Aaaand, the second vocalist in the track ATWA (Air, Trees, Water, and Animals) is Daron Malakian, their guitarrist, that does the funny vocals in Prison Song, Sugar on the first album, Aerials, and a lot of more tracks
Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but the string instrument you refer to is a sitar. Which is an indo-persian instrument, mostly played in india. Brings some kind of oriental sound to it. You will hear it a lot on the next album also. It's a wonderful, psychedelic instrument. Look for the channel "sitar metal' on RUclips.
I'm grateful that you're reacting to whole albums, especially by System of a Down. So many songs get passed up in single song reactions. I could watch these all even if you didn't cut them 🤣
With "Toxicity" I feel like SOAD solidified their place in being revolutionary for me in terms of my musical growth. I spent a big chunk of my high school years circling around that album. SOAD was really a springboard or gateway to the progressive rock and metal bands that I jam to now. That's what I think "Toxicity" was for a lot of people, when "Chop Suey" hit the radio...it blew people's minds! I really should revisit their albums though...I feel like that's overdue! By the way, as I'm watching your review, I'm reminded of how many excellent songs are on this album.
I'd really like to see you react to Porcupine Tree (Lightbulb Sun, Deadwing, In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet) or Opeth (Mainly starting at Blackwater Park or Damnation, but slowly checking the entire discography) They're some of the standouts of the prog scene, and I think you'd like them, at least Porcupine Tree, Opeth is more polarazing.
This was the first heavy metal album i ever heard so its up there in my all times list. Prison song was just so iconic starting off with that opening power beat that glitches and leaves the listener in a bit of hang time glitch moment. Still so good to this day.
First time listening to Toxicity saying things like "this might me my favourite so far/this might be the stand out of this album to this point" is the perfect reaction to this masterpiece
This album was a staple in my middle school and high school years. I had Aerials as my profile song on MySpace. lol I'm glad you are getting into SOAD. This album is a masterpiece and absolutely iconic. Again, love your reactions, thanks for all that you do!
one of the bands, you hear one song and instantly know which band ii is. I wonder how intensive it was to record that album. Serjs and Darrons voices complement themselves so perfectly. Would have been so interessting to see where their music might have taken them.... Their melodies make it such fun to listen. Aerials has one of the best base lines, it is so heavy paired with a perfect melody. The power of Chop Suey is undenialble. Thanks for your reaction
Toxicity was top 5 most defining albums of my life growing up. I listened to it every single day for years after getting it when I was a kid. It was so unlike anything else I had ever heard. The only song I ever knew by them was Sugar from the self titled so I wasn't sure how it was going to be but I wore that damn thing out. I had so many dreams related to this album too and they always stick in my memories.
I’m pretty sure that instrument you keep mentioning is a sitar or just a guitar with no distortion, played with a tremolo picking style. They use both to achieve a Mid East vibe
Definitely the best group to come out of the nu-metal era, although it almost feels unfair to put them in a genre at all. Serj's transitions between erratic and almost operatic vocals and the influences from Armenian folk music give them a super unique energy. I still come back to this album at least once a year.
I never thought of them as nu metal but now, after so much time, it does make sense. I'm also a fan of Korns earlier albums, Jonathan Davis (lead singer of Korn) said Mr. Bungle was a huge inspiration for him so I checked them out and I was shocked at how much they sounded like SOAD... or how much SOAD sounded like Mr. Bungle. My point is that I don't think Mr. Bungle is "nu metal', but they inspired Korn and SOAD... :shrug:
Had been waiting for this reaction and it was Amazing. Aerials is also my favorite song it's powerful and meaningful like no other song. Looking forward to see your next video 🔥😍
Glad you enjoyed the reaction. Yeah, Aerials is fantastic, might be my favorite song on Toxicity. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of their albums!
The 2nd singer you hear in ATWA is the guitarist Daron Malakian. He did backing vocals throughout the whole album! PLEASE please check out Mesmerize and Hypnotize from them, Daron and Serj have some fantastic harmonies and the music gets even crazier
The second singer you briefly mentioned is the guitarist Daron, he also does alot of the backing voicals and from this album and onwards he does more solo vocals on some songs as well as singing at the same time as Serj in others.
I see you're enjoying Sony's headphones. I strongly recommend you to acquire MDR-1AM2 if you want to hear your favorite music in a completely new light. The effect a good pair of headphones can have on your enjoyment of music is really transformative. I'm not a Sony employee btw
The second vocalist is almost always there too, he is the guitarist who also sings with the higher voice. BTW another band that goes back and forth from quiet parts to chaotic loud : Pixies.
Great reaction. You should really check out The Mars Volta -Deloused in the Comatorium if you haven’t already. I think you’ll really like the instrumentation on that album. One of my favorites, it’s a trip
@@mollyesanborn awesome. I’ll do that. Also if you’re interested there’s an Album called Silent Alarm by a band called Bloc Party. It’s British pop rock. Really solid album. Great instrumentals as well.
Toxicity it's one of my favourites album of my teenager era, always in my heart. What an incredible album. I recommend you to react to Porcupine Tree, amazing band!, especially the album "In Absentia" (2002). I assure that it is an incredible trip that you will not regret. Also Deadwing, which is another great album (to be honest, they are all worth it xD) Excellent reaction, greetings from Argentina!.
That was awesome! I've been listening to soad's albums for like a decade now but I still feel like i've learned something new watching your reactions, cause you bring such wonderful insight and just explain how you feel about sections of each song so well! By the way, arto was sort of an armenian-like song (Cause, as you probably know, they are armenian) and it didnt' actually end off the album, technically anyways, cause it was a hidden track. Can't wait for your reaction to Steal this album! It's like soad's incesticide , in the sense that there are a few new songs but a lot of the material are either outtakes from previous recording sessions re-recorded, or songs from their demo days re-done beautifully. It's quite the rollercoaster of emotions, just because of how different each song is, I think you might like it! Once again, amazing video, I hope you have a good day!
Thank you, I really appreciate your comment! I'm excited to hear Steal This Album and see how their sound will progress across their discography. A few others have mentioned that about Arto being a hidden track at the end, makes sense as it's such a uniquely different song from the rest of the album.
Great video soad has Been my favorite band since I was 10 in 2000 the instrument you heard is a sitar also serj is classical trained and has done Opera
Wow! I can't believe I haven't listened to this entire album.... Thanks for the review!! If you like the mix of styles, intensity, and some quirkiness I really think you would like Faith No More, the album Angel Dust is a fun listen.
hey molly! VERY VERY late. anyways, that stringed instrument you really liked was actually just daron's e-guitar! he has a distortion pedal that can change from a heavy thrash sound to that unique sound you liked! hoped that answered your question, its also in chop sueys music video if you wanna see him play that part
I've actually reacted to their debut, I did it before this video and it was my introduction to System of a Down's music. Glad you enjoyed the video! :)
@@mollyesanborn I am seeing all your vids and I find it funny that you are reviewing all the albums that marked my late teens/early adult years (I am 39). Here go a couple of recommendations: check the first and second albums from Rammstein, Slayer's Reign in blood and Sepultura's Arise or maybe Beneath The Remains. Those are (I think by now) my most favorite metal albums. I would also encourage you to get some prog rock (Maybe the first from King Crimson and the "tour-de-force" Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd. Cheers!
Serj and Darron have one of the best vocal harmonies in metal. They really highlight it on Hypnotize and Mesmerize
Can't wait to hear those albums!
Corey Taylor also excels on switching back and forth from aggressive to melodic / harmonic vocals. Nero forte is the perfect example.
So glad you said that!!
Its me or the psycho solo guitar reminds me of some Pink Floyd ?
IMO Toxicity is one of the best full albums of all time. Zero skips, couldn't put the songs in a better order IMO, and on the actual CD the way the tracks often flow into one another was just... *chefs kiss*.
You're right, the track listing works really well. And no skips too! Every song really stands out and has its own little unique touches that makes each one memorable.
I think the first track is a little too on the nose but the songs get better as you go
Toxicity is one of the biggest "must listen" album in metal. Great reaction, love you pointing your thoughts during the songs!
I would love to see you reacting to Shadow Of Intent's - Melancholy album. They are a fun band to start heavier things!
Glad you enjoyed the video! I'll have to check out your album recommendation.
Great suggestion. Melancholy is truly great.
It’s a must for every “storm the nation capital” representative 😈
FUN FACT: The title track “Arto” is a partly an improvisational song. The main melody heard here is a traditional Armenian hymnal called “Der Voghormia," which translates to "Lord Have Mercy" and is traditionally played at funerals as a prayer for the dead. The track is titled “Arto” after avant-garde folk and jazz multi-instrumentalist, Arto Tunçboyacıyan, who is featured on this song, as well as “Science”. Additionally he is also featured on the track “Bubbles” from the bands 3rd studio album, “Steal This Album!” Which itself was recorded during the Toxicity recording sessions.
That's interesting, thanks for letting me know! I love how they incorporate so much of their Armenian roots into their music.
I saw These Guys, Deftones, Pantera, Fear Factory, & Black Sabbath all play the same Day. What a Day!
Arto was a hidden song played after Aerials.
I've had this album since 2001 and I never heard it
@@weedo3 after the song Aerials ends, I think you have to wait 2 minutes, then the song will play
That was beautifull. Felt like a gift
one of the beauty of having CD/Cassettes, artists always found creative ways to hide tracks on an album. Missing the old days.
@@Retro_Hero09 actually its few seconds after
Please do Steal This Album next! You gotta do their entire discography
YES! That'll definitely be my next SOAD reaction video. I'm looking forward to hearing it.
Underrated, my favorite SOAD album
@@zeedevel7141 love pizza pie!!
@@mrbard1 every minute every second buy buy buy buy buy buy 👍
Hypnotize and Mesmerize are great too doesn't matter which album they're all great
Serj, the vocalist, is also a poet which really explains why the lyrics are so fun and sometimes have pretty heavy themes. He also has some solo songs, though I don't think they're as good as those of SOAD.
That said I can't wait to see your reaction to Steal this Album which is favorite of the band.
I think empty walls is on the same level as soad. Maybe saving us and lie lie lie also. Those 3 songs are, to me, on the same level as soad to me. For sure empty walls out of all his solo songs though.
Well for me Serj have very good solo songs, that are on very high level in my humble opinion. Empty walls, Sky is over, Gate 21, Baby, Harakiri, Lie Lie Lie, Ocupied tears, are such a great songs!
Daron also have very good songs in his group Scars on Broadway
This is one of those albums that was a 10/10 when it came out, and it's still 10/10. They really nailed it on this album.
In "Arto" the woodwind instrument is playing the song "Lord Have Mercy" a hymn sung in Armenian churches. If you listen to Armenian music, much of which is religious at its core, you'll notice a lot of sounds SOAD adapted into their songs. Especially in later albums.
Thank you for introducing me to this band
Oh nice, you're new to them too! I thought I was like the only person who had never heard System of a Down before, haha. I'm glad we're both finally getting to hear their music, it's pretty awesome.
System of a down as one of a kind. There never has been nor will be another band like them, truly a golden age of music for me. Loved this reaction, definitely going to check out some of your other videos!
You are spot on, System of a Down is such a unique band. I've never heard anything quite like them before. And thanks for watching, glad you're enjoying the channel!
This channel is letting me experience so many of my favorite albums thru the eyes of someone else and it’s incredibly fun
Chop Suey, Toxicity, Aerials are the songs that were melodic enough to help me fall in love with the band. I now love all their songs but it took me awhile, Thanks for sharing your journey with us. It is very entertaining to watch someone listen to songs I know inside out.
Yeah, I love their fusion of heavy and manic energy with those heavenly melodic parts. It really makes their music stand out from the crowd.
I was waiting for this reaction to pop up! :D
Oh, man. I remember this SOAD album. It was the first "real metal album" I bought when I was a teenager. I went into a record store (before they pretty much went extinct) and felt rebellious; wanting to transition from The Offspring (so punk rock) to metal. Looking for the heaviest, hardest sound I could find (thinking that was the hardest, heaviest sound I could find at the time :P ). Then I remembered 'Chop Suey' from MTV. So I picked up their cd asked for a test run, put on one of those headphones from the store (the kind where the wiring runs into a booth, so you can't steal it) and had a listen.
xD I was absolutely sold by all the ways SOAD could catch you off guard but could still trigger some adrenaline. They felt hyperactive, unhinged but also oddly satisfying at the same time.
From there, a tradition of finding new CDs from metal bands began.
Haha, anyways thank you for indulging this personal bit of history. I'm glad you listened to this album. For many it was iconic back in the day. Introducing elements of rock/metal that no one else had done before.
Fun fact: on my CD copy of this album back in the day 'Arto' was a hidden track. You had to wait a couple of minutes and then it followed up Aerials without changing to a different track.
(A lot of bands, then, did this. Come to think of it, it almost seemed to be kind of a trend or tradition)
That's awesome, I like your description of their music: hyperactive, unhinged, but really satisfying. Sums up their sound pretty well. Glad you enjoyed the reaction!
Great video. This has always been a standout album to me. Definitely my favorite from their catalog.
The song Shimmy is even more relevant today than it was when the album was written.
Also, I'd really like to hear what you think of the album The Hunter by Mastodon. If you're not familiar with them they've been around since the early 2000's and have evolved as a band quite a bit. Their earlier stuff is a bit raw and unpolished but you can hear their talent shinning through. The Hunter came out in 2011 (right in the middle of their career, thus far) and is the most accessible album of theirs, for people just getting into them, making it a great place to start. I think you'll like it.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm not familiar with Mastodon's music but I know they had a new album out this year that I haven't heard yet. I'll have to check out their stuff!
@@mollyesanborn Please do!!! They are amazing, 20 years in the game with 8 albums they just peaked with their latest "Hushed and Grim". Would love to see you rate all of them. Side fact: Shavo the bassist from SOAD got into a fist fight with Bret Hinds the lead guitarist of Mastadon.
You will love so much the transition-evolution of this band. Next is Steal This Album
I think your favourites will be the last two: Mezmerize/Hypnotize
Steal this Album is Like Toxicity Part 2
I can't wait to hear all three of them!
As good as their last two albums are, I don't think they are on the same level as the first three.
@@mollyesanborn The first album is more raw, like experimental Hardcore Punk. I think Toxicity is a lot different from their first one. Better sound production, more melodies and better vocal harmonies. Steal this album definately is like Toxicity 2. Same style, sound and production with a bit more variety maybe. My favorite album. The fourth and fifth album are a big progression, and quite different again, in comparison with the first three.
Roullete is a beatiful track of Steal This Album
Yeah! So cool to see this album experienced freshly again. I got this CD for my 18th birthday and 20 years later the songs are hardwired into my brain. I can just about remember how awesome it was to hear them for the first time! Great video thanks Molly!
That's awesome, so glad you enjoyed the video!
Awesome reaction ! My personal favs from Toxicity are Sience and Aerials. Also I'm not sure if anyone in the comments mentioned it, but at the same time as Toxicity was released, 9/11 happened, and they had some troubles with promotion of their songs like Jet Pilot, Aerials, Chop Suey, but they still managed to make album reach the top of the charts.
One of the greatest bands of all time. Personally, their sheer creativity puts them at #1 for me. Like you said, just as much beauty as there is intensity.
Yes, they mix melodic, angelic sections with crazy heavy nu metal, and then fuse it all together with their signature insane weirdness. What an awesome band! Never heard anything like it before.
@@mollyesanborn Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, System of a Down and Slipknot belong on the mount rushmore of nu metal.
@@TheWretchedMammoth that's one too many
Molly, you're quickly becoming one of my favourite youtubers with all these reactions to my fave albums. You're doing an awesome job, keep it up!
Thank you, glad you're enjoying the videos! I'm glad I'm finally getting to hear all of these great albums.
I remember lying on the floor as a 2 to 4-year-old seeing the music video for Chop Suey on the TV. I didn't know what the song or band was called, but when I eventually found the song again when I was 17 years old, I suddenly was taken back to that time. The song was recognisable and the music video was somewhat familiar.
Thanks for reacting! :D I heard this album pretty much when it came out and we played it in music class at school and so on.. so I know it well. But it's always fun to watch somebody listen to it for the first time. :) It still sounds great, even though I haven't listened to System of a Down in years
Those growl-like sounds on the first song is called an inhale growl, and it is exactly what it sounds like. (Same on needles after the bridge)
this is amazing, I like the way you react to the entire album.
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the format :)
X is also one of my favorites from this album, i realised that X and 36 are very underrated songs, maybe because they are so short but bubbles, pictures and arto are also short.
11:14 guitarist daron malakian does vocals as well.
Oh, that's who it is! Thanks for letting me know :)
@@mollyesanborn He was actually in most of the songs you've listened to by them. Guess he got overshadowed by Serj lmao
@@mollyesanborn daron has a side project called scars on broadway as well
Science was the first SOAD song I ever heard - been hooked ever since about 20 years later lol. The whole album is legendary!
welp, you just made me want to blast this record until I get tired of it again, just like when I was a teen
glad you liked it, its truly an amazing album
Man, to experience this album for the first time again. Formative teenage years, this album changed so much for me.
Loved this reaction and can't wait for the STA review! It has some slept on bangers.
Can't wait to hear it!
Here we go my first love of this band. Needles, Prison Song, Jet Pilot, Forest, X banger after fucking banger!
one of the best albums to play all the way through. so many emotions and themes that it takes you through while listening.
as a fan of korn, i would love to watch u react to their album "The Nothing", it's a great album imo
Lyrically very sad but its really great
How about just the first ~4 albums.
I really enjoy your reactions while listening to albums. Keep up the good work 😁 One new album I think you might appreciate is the new Mastodon “Hushed and Grim” for me it incorporates everything I love about music. It is not only heavy as a ton of bricks but also so very beautiful. Brut-iful if you will. I personally think it is one of the greatest albums of this year but any year. Once again thanks for the content and Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Glad you're enjoying the videos! I haven't heard that album yet, but I will have to give it a listen. Thanks for the suggestion :)
Guitarist Daron sings duel vocals on most tracks on the album, much more than their debut.
doesn't matter how death/grind/slam/thrash i get; this album will ALWAYS slap
One of the greatest metal albums EVER! own it on vinyl, CD and cassette. Honestly not a single bad song on the entire album it's just absolutely phenomenal! So glad you enjoyed it!
This album was the absolute jam all summer long when it came out. Literally everyone wanted to listen to it all of the time and did. Seen them twice while touring for this album. Didn't realize how lucky I was for that many years later hearing many others state that they always wished they had.
Either during your dive into System of a Down or after it, I recommend checking out Serart, which is a collaboration between Serj and another Armenian folk artist (named Arto, like the song). It is incredible!
If only I could listen to Chop Suey for the first time. Or rather this entire album for the first time. You're lucky
Yea I'm subbed after the rage video and this. Brilliant way of reviewing the albums, haven't seen it, well done great video again
Wow thanks! That makes me really happy to hear, glad you're enjoying the channel :D
@@mollyesanborn peace and love from Ireland 🇮🇪
so glad you did this one, i been hoping for it ever since you did their self titled!!
This is probably one of the albums of my life! I love to see your reactions and i'm waiting so much for the next soad albums
Aaaand, the second vocalist in the track ATWA (Air, Trees, Water, and Animals) is Daron Malakian, their guitarrist, that does the funny vocals in Prison Song, Sugar on the first album, Aerials, and a lot of more tracks
Not sure if anyone mentioned it, but the string instrument you refer to is a sitar. Which is an indo-persian instrument, mostly played in india. Brings some kind of oriental sound to it. You will hear it a lot on the next album also. It's a wonderful, psychedelic instrument. Look for the channel "sitar metal' on RUclips.
Thanks for letting me know! I'm excited to hear more of it on Steal This Album.
I'm grateful that you're reacting to whole albums, especially by System of a Down. So many songs get passed up in single song reactions. I could watch these all even if you didn't cut them 🤣
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the channel :)
BEEN WAITING FOR THIS, GREAT VID
Heard this album a million times...im going to listen to it one more time after this...😊
Can't wait to go on this journey with you, as these albums really are amazing.
Yeah, their first two albums are absolutely gold imo. Can't wait to hear the rest of their stuff!
X (or Multiply) is a great jam. The whole album never gets old, one of the finest releases
I just got into this album and I love how entertaining and engaging it is not one boring or slower song they all slap really hard
YESSSS MOLLY IM SO GLAD YOU GOT TO REACT TO THIS ONE!!!
I like hearing your thoughts on all of their songs and look forward to your video on their next album, probably my favorite of theirs
Thanks for watching! I'm looking forward to hearing Steal This Album :)
Probably one of my favorite albums albums!!! Great video Molly :)
With "Toxicity" I feel like SOAD solidified their place in being revolutionary for me in terms of my musical growth. I spent a big chunk of my high school years circling around that album. SOAD was really a springboard or gateway to the progressive rock and metal bands that I jam to now. That's what I think "Toxicity" was for a lot of people, when "Chop Suey" hit the radio...it blew people's minds! I really should revisit their albums though...I feel like that's overdue! By the way, as I'm watching your review, I'm reminded of how many excellent songs are on this album.
I'd really like to see you react to Porcupine Tree (Lightbulb Sun, Deadwing, In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet) or Opeth (Mainly starting at Blackwater Park or Damnation, but slowly checking the entire discography)
They're some of the standouts of the prog scene, and I think you'd like them, at least Porcupine Tree, Opeth is more polarazing.
I loved the face you made when you first heard Serj yell “Wake Up!” in the Chop Suey section
Pretty excited to see this get posted. I really enjoyed your reaction to the first album.
Nice, thanks for watching. I hope I did Toxicity justice, haha :)
I remember when this album came out. Turned music totally on its head.
Awesome reaction! Can’t wait for the other albums
I'm looking forward to hearing them!
Steal this album is a great one!
i knew you're gonna love Ariels!
easily my favorite track off the album, and top 5 SOAD songs for sure
Loved your reaction to this album, you gave very meaningful thoughts about how SOAD sounds and feels
I was smiling all along, thanks
Aw, thanks! Glad you enjoyed the reaction :)
This was the first heavy metal album i ever heard so its up there in my all times list. Prison song was just so iconic starting off with that opening power beat that glitches and leaves the listener in a bit of hang time glitch moment. Still so good to this day.
First time listening to Toxicity saying things like "this might me my favourite so far/this might be the stand out of this album to this point" is the perfect reaction to this masterpiece
This album was a staple in my middle school and high school years. I had Aerials as my profile song on MySpace. lol I'm glad you are getting into SOAD. This album is a masterpiece and absolutely iconic. Again, love your reactions, thanks for all that you do!
So glad you're enjoying the reactions! :)
one of the bands, you hear one song and instantly know which band ii is. I wonder how intensive it was to record that album. Serjs and Darrons voices complement themselves so perfectly. Would have been so interessting to see where their music might have taken them.... Their melodies make it such fun to listen. Aerials has one of the best base lines, it is so heavy paired with a perfect melody. The power of Chop Suey is undenialble. Thanks for your reaction
Awesome stuff! this was definitely one of the more notable albums of its time! Can’t wait to see you get to the rest!
Toxicity was top 5 most defining albums of my life growing up. I listened to it every single day for years after getting it when I was a kid. It was so unlike anything else I had ever heard. The only song I ever knew by them was Sugar from the self titled so I wasn't sure how it was going to be but I wore that damn thing out. I had so many dreams related to this album too and they always stick in my memories.
This is a wild album, I can only imagine what those dreams were like, haha!
Yay I was waiting so bad your reaction for this album. Hope you can react to their third one, steal this album.
I'm definitely planning on it!
Can't wait for the other SOAD reactions!
I love watching your reactions! Some priceless expressions 😂
I’m pretty sure that instrument you keep mentioning is a sitar or just a guitar with no distortion, played with a tremolo picking style. They use both to achieve a Mid East vibe
Definitely the best group to come out of the nu-metal era, although it almost feels unfair to put them in a genre at all. Serj's transitions between erratic and almost operatic vocals and the influences from Armenian folk music give them a super unique energy. I still come back to this album at least once a year.
I never thought of them as nu metal but now, after so much time, it does make sense. I'm also a fan of Korns earlier albums, Jonathan Davis (lead singer of Korn) said Mr. Bungle was a huge inspiration for him so I checked them out and I was shocked at how much they sounded like SOAD... or how much SOAD sounded like Mr. Bungle. My point is that I don't think Mr. Bungle is "nu metal', but they inspired Korn and SOAD... :shrug:
Uno de mis álbumes favoritos ❤️ saludos desde Chile 🇨🇱
Had been waiting for this reaction and it was Amazing. Aerials is also my favorite song it's powerful and meaningful like no other song. Looking forward to see your next video 🔥😍
Glad you enjoyed the reaction. Yeah, Aerials is fantastic, might be my favorite song on Toxicity. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of their albums!
Eu esperei demais por esse momento!!!!!!! 💙💙
The 2nd singer you hear in ATWA is the guitarist Daron Malakian. He did backing vocals throughout the whole album! PLEASE please check out Mesmerize and Hypnotize from them, Daron and Serj have some fantastic harmonies and the music gets even crazier
Can't wait to hear those albums!
Another solid reaction, Aerials is probably my favorite track. Like you said it’s very melodic
Aerials is such an amazing track!
The second singer you briefly mentioned is the guitarist Daron, he also does alot of the backing voicals and from this album and onwards he does more solo vocals on some songs as well as singing at the same time as Serj in others.
Thank you! I loved your reaction, I remember my first time listening to it. I thinks it's a fantastic album.
I agree, a fantastic album. I'm happy to have finally listened to it. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
This is one of the best albums, and the SOAD rabbit hole is great all the way down.
Arto was originally a secret track, and it was cool to discover in the album.
They lined up double quick, for just one pogo stick!
Honestly THE BEST ROCK ALTERNATIVE ALBU OF ALL TIMES 🌹
Exelent video reaction , Saludos de Colombia :)
I see you're enjoying Sony's headphones. I strongly recommend you to acquire MDR-1AM2 if you want to hear your favorite music in a completely new light. The effect a good pair of headphones can have on your enjoyment of music is really transformative. I'm not a Sony employee btw
The second vocalist is almost always there too, he is the guitarist who also sings with the higher voice. BTW another band that goes back and forth from quiet parts to chaotic loud : Pixies.
Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to dive deeper into the Pixies' discography. A few others have been mentioning them too.
Ohhh que recuerdos!! 🥺 Hi Moli, I love your reviews!!🤘😎
:D Thanks for watching!
Great reaction. You should really check out The Mars Volta -Deloused in the Comatorium if you haven’t already. I think you’ll really like the instrumentation on that album. One of my favorites, it’s a trip
I've heard Deloused, it's fantastic! I've done a Mars Volta album ranking video on my channel if you're interested.
@@mollyesanborn awesome. I’ll do that. Also if you’re interested there’s an Album called Silent Alarm by a band called Bloc Party. It’s British pop rock. Really solid album. Great instrumentals as well.
Toxicity it's one of my favourites album of my teenager era, always in my heart. What an incredible album.
I recommend you to react to Porcupine Tree, amazing band!, especially the album "In Absentia" (2002). I assure that it is an incredible trip that you will not regret. Also Deadwing, which is another great album (to be honest, they are all worth it xD)
Excellent reaction, greetings from Argentina!.
Glad you enjoyed the reaction! Porcupine Tree has been suggested to me by a few others as well, I'll check them out.
Oh, hell yeah, In Abstentia is such a beautiful album.
That was awesome! I've been listening to soad's albums for like a decade now but I still feel like i've learned something new watching your reactions, cause you bring such wonderful insight and just explain how you feel about sections of each song so well! By the way, arto was sort of an armenian-like song (Cause, as you probably know, they are armenian) and it didnt' actually end off the album, technically anyways, cause it was a hidden track. Can't wait for your reaction to Steal this album! It's like soad's incesticide , in the sense that there are a few new songs but a lot of the material are either outtakes from previous recording sessions re-recorded, or songs from their demo days re-done beautifully. It's quite the rollercoaster of emotions, just because of how different each song is, I think you might like it! Once again, amazing video, I hope you have a good day!
Thank you, I really appreciate your comment! I'm excited to hear Steal This Album and see how their sound will progress across their discography. A few others have mentioned that about Arto being a hidden track at the end, makes sense as it's such a uniquely different song from the rest of the album.
I was waiting for this one :)
Great video soad has Been my favorite band since I was 10 in 2000 the instrument you heard is a sitar also serj is classical trained and has done Opera
18:31 very interesting, i never thought about it like that
from the prison, to a jungle. pure, raw
Great reaction to my favourite metal album of all time!
Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Me gustan tus reacciones! El siguiente álbum Steal This Album! es mi preferido. Como lo disfrutaré 😂 Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
Gracias por ver! No puedo esperar a escuchar Steal This Album.
Wow! I can't believe I haven't listened to this entire album.... Thanks for the review!!
If you like the mix of styles, intensity, and some quirkiness I really think you would like Faith No More, the album Angel Dust is a fun listen.
I know a lot of others have suggested that album to me in the comments, I'll have to give it a listen soon!
hey molly! VERY VERY late. anyways, that stringed instrument you really liked was actually just daron's e-guitar! he has a distortion pedal that can change from a heavy thrash sound to that unique sound you liked! hoped that answered your question, its also in chop sueys music video if you wanna see him play that part
Oh cool, thanks for letting me know! :)
Gee I remember that 2001 when I first listened that album, great one! Cheers! You should do their earlier, debut album
I've actually reacted to their debut, I did it before this video and it was my introduction to System of a Down's music. Glad you enjoyed the video! :)
@@mollyesanborn I am seeing all your vids and I find it funny that you are reviewing all the albums that marked my late teens/early adult years (I am 39). Here go a couple of recommendations: check the first and second albums from Rammstein, Slayer's Reign in blood and Sepultura's Arise or maybe Beneath The Remains. Those are (I think by now) my most favorite metal albums. I would also encourage you to get some prog rock (Maybe the first from King Crimson and the "tour-de-force" Dark Side of the Moon from Pink Floyd. Cheers!
I love your album reviews!