Toxicity (album)

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Toxicity
Studio album by System of a Down
Released September 4, 2001
Recorded March – July 2001
Cello Studios
Hollywood, California
Genre Alternative metal, heavy metal
Length 44:01
57:26 (special edition)
Label American
Producer Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian
System of a Down chronology

System of a Down
(1998)		 Toxicity
(2001)		 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
  4. "Psycho"
    Released: 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 American Recordings, debuting at number 1 on both the United States, with 220,000 copies,[1] and number 1 on the Canadian charts. Toxicity has sold over 12 million copies worldwide[2] and is certified multi-platinum in the United States.

Accolades

The album is listed in Blender's 500 CDs You Must Own.[3] 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.

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". 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."[4]

Loudwire listed the album as #1 on its list of 'Top 11 Metal Albums of the 2000s.'[5]

Linkin Park's first lead singer, Mark Wakefield is said to be the cause for the album's cover. They also played as the band Xero in 1997 as an opening act for System Of A Down.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 73/100[6]
Review scores
Source Rating
E! Online A−[7]
Allmusic [8]
Q
Entertainment Weekly B−[9]
Alternative Press 9/10 Oct 2001, p. 102[6]
Blabbermouth.net 10/10[10]
Kerrang!
Rolling Stone [11]
Sputnikmusic 3.0/5[12]

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".[6] 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.[10]

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" (Sept. 27 2001, p. 70).[11]

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" (Sept 7 2001, pp. 161–162).[9] Q gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s" (Sept. 2001, p. 121).[6] Spin wrote, "System have an undeniable nerd-prog charm" (February 2005, p. 89).[13]

Soundtrack appearances

"Shimmy" appeared in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. "Toxicity" was playable in Guitar Hero: Metallica. "Science" appeared in ATV Offroad Fury 2. "Chop Suey!" was playable in Rock Band 2.

Track listing

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

    Special Edition bonus CD[14]
    No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
    1. "Sugar" (live)TankianOdadjian, Malakian 2:27
    2. "War?" (live)TankianMalakian 2:48
    3. "Suite-Pee" (live)TankianMalakian 2:58
    4. "Know" (live)TankianOdadjian, Malakian, Tankian 3:03
    5. "Johnny"  TankianTankian 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

    Charts
    Chart (2001) Peak
    position
    Billboard 200 1
    UK Albums Chart 13
    Australian ARIA Top 50 6
    Canadian Album Chart 1
    New Zealand Top Album Chart 7
    Polish Albums Chart[15] 17
    Certifications
    Region Certification Sales/shipments
    Austria (IFPI Austria)[16] Gold 20,000x
    Australia (ARIA)[17] 3× Platinum 210,000^
    Belgium (BEA)[18] Gold 25,000*
    Brazil (ABPD)[19] Gold 50,000*
    Brazil (ABPD)[20]
    5-album bundle    		 Platinum 40,000*
    Canada (Music Canada)[21] 2× Platinum 200,000^
    Germany (BVMI)[22] Gold 150,000^
    New Zealand (RMNZ)[23] Platinum 15,000^
    Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[24] Gold 20,000x
    United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Gold 100,000^
    United States (RIAA)[26] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
    Summaries
    Europe (IFPI)[27] Platinum 1,000,000*

    *sales figures based on certification alone
    ^shipments figures based on certification alone
    xunspecified figures based on certification alone

    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
    Iowa by Slipknot    		 Canadian Albums Chart number-one album
    September 22, 2001     		Succeeded by
    Silver Side Up by Nickelback
    Preceded by
    Aaliyah by Aaliyah    		 Billboard 200 number-one album
    September 22, 2001     		Succeeded by
    The Blueprint by Jay-Z

    Notes

    1. ↑ System of a Down Mezmerizes Music Fans Worldwide
    2. ↑ Terrybezer (28 July 2009). "Albums Of The Decade: System Of A Down – ‘Toxicity’". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 11 January 2014. 
    3. ↑ Alternative Rock: 500 CDs You Must Own
    4. ↑ Metal Edge, June 2002
    5. ↑ http://loudwire.com/top-11-metal-albums-of-the-2000s/
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Toxicity at Metacritic
    7. ↑ E! Online Review
    8. ↑ Allmusic Review
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Entertainment Weekly Review
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Blabbermouth Review
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Rolling Stone Review at the Wayback Machine (archived July 8, 2007)
    12. ↑ Sputnikmusic Review
    13. ↑ Spin Review
    14. ↑ Discogs.com
    15. ↑ "OLiS: sales for the period 08.10.2001 - 14.10.2001". OLiS. 
    16. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity" (in German). IFPI Austria.  Enter System of a Down in the field Interpret. Enter Toxicity in the field Titel. Select album in the field Format. Click Suchen
    17. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 
    18. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2003" (in Dutch). Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch. 
    19. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. 
    20. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – System of a Down – System of a Down" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos. 
    21. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". Music Canada. 
    22. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (System Of A Down; 'Toxicity')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. 
    23. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. 
    24. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (System Of A Down; 'Toxicity')". Hung Medien. 
    25. ↑ "British album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". British Phonographic Industry.  Enter Toxicity in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Click Go
    26. ↑ "American album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". Recording Industry Association of America.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
    27. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2004". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. 

    External links

    System of a Down
    Studio albums
    Singles
    Promo Singles
    Tours
    Categories
    • System of a Down
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    • Songs
    • Book:System of a Down
    • Category:System of a Down
    • Portal:Heavy metal
    Rock Sound Album of the Year
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