More and more I'm convinced that, rather than being the crazy moshing half brother of Rage Against The Machine, System Of A Down are actually not a metal band at all, but rather the sole heirs of The Dead Kennedys' estate. On 'Mezmerize', the first part of this year's double release ('Hypnotize' will be released in the autumn), there's that same familiar psychotic energy and enthusiasm that manages to add a blitz of colour to their records even when they're being as dark as hell, black comedy like Slim Pickens cowboy hick air force captain riding the bomb to oblivion in 'Dr.Strangelove'. It does not conform.
It's nice when the album runs from the quiet minor melancholy intro, 'Soldier Side', into frenetic supercharged 'Maiden territory for the Gulf War tirade 'B.Y.O.B.', and also nice when that song empties out into a hooky chorus that could almost be the Backstreet Boys bent over a big riff. On 'Revenga', Serj Tankian switches between an almost unintelligibly fast vocal and melancholy armenian folk meets Fugazi.