Since getting off the ground in the mid-Nineties, System of a Down have become one of the most unique and beloved forces in metal.
Through the years, they’ve impossibly combined elements of nu-metal, thrash, Armenian folk, subversive disco swagger and politically-charged lyricism, becoming multi-million selling artists and arena-fillers in the process. And while System shows seem to be fewer and farther between in more modern times, whenever the group get together on stage, you know it’s going to be a hell of a show.
But what’s the best SOAD song to see up close and personal? The number that gets you spin-dizzy in the pit while you’re doing your deer dance? The one that wakes you the fuck up the second they hit that first note?
We asked this of Revolver readers, and they voted their fives faves as follows.
“B.Y.O.B.”
Whether they’re lookin’ to dance in the desert or get sick in the pit, it’s fair to say that most System fans are going to the band’s shows to have a good time. Yet while this Mesmerize classic sports a groovy, metal-chunked chorus that ironically presents itself as a party anthem, “B.Y.O.B.” remains a staggering, scathing thrash rebuke of the war machine — and, specifically, how it tends to grind up the poor.
In concert, it explodes with big riffs, surprising musical swerves and potent political ideas — and that’s why it’s still a favorite with the fans.
“Psycho”
So… you really want to see the show?
System of a Down are hardly your standard rock stars. That comes across, of course, through the vibrant eclecticism of their music, but also — per the satirical lyrics of Toxicity’s “Psycho” — in how they’re trying their best to avoid the trappings of the trade, namely groupies and cocaine.
Nevertheless, “Psycho” is pure, unfiltered System, reflecting both their loud-as-fuck metallic tendencies and a moodier, almost-folk sensitivity. It’s a dynamic display that ranks real high with Revolver readers.
“Suite-Pee”
“Suite-Pee” is one of System of a Down’s earliest standout tracks, and the freakish disco-metal assault still stands as one of the fans’ most cherished in-concert favorites.
Daron Malakian’s string-scraping harmonic intro is a lighting bolt of energy, while the rest of the song is a deep-slamming and urgent display of force that makes us dance like our bladders are full of Red Bull and Mountain Dew cocktails.
Shavo Odadjian once told Revolver that a live performance back in 2001 found Malakian playfully tackling him to the ground, only to accidentally split the bassist’s head open. In other words, it’s all-out chaos whenever they hit this one live.
“War?”
Of “War?” we’ll speak forevermore.
“War?” is one of the most straightforwardly punishing pieces of System of a Down’s self-titled debut. There’s a surefooted heaviness to how Malakian and Odadjian lock into the chromatic, caveman-ish feel of the tune, while vocalist Serj Tankian is a house-on-fire with his defiant howls against holy-war crusading.
All told, it’s a primally-pounded, politically-edged blockbuster in the band’s heady songbook.
“Prison Song”
System of a Down may be one of the cherished few acts out there that can manage to get a crowd riotously gassed-up enough in concert to shout along, word-for-word, to a raging metal song all about the connective tissue between the U.S. prison-industrial complex and the war on drugs. And while the Toxicity stunner’s opening lines may have been whispered on the record, those come through loud and clear and loud-as-hell once you get a bunch of SOAD fans together.
“Prison Song” had previously topped another of our SOAD polls, and it remains at the top of the heap. That’s because it’s one of the band’s most manic and menacing musical arrangements, and likewise harnesses the power of their political spirit perfectly. And that’s why we all need to see it uncaged, live in concert.