Toxicity (album)

Toxicity
Studio album by System of a Down
Released September 4, 2001
Recorded March – July 2001
Cello Studios
Hollywood, California
Genre Alternative metal, nu metal[1][2]
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

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,[3] and number 1 on the Canadian charts. Toxicity has sold over 12 million copies worldwide[4] and is certified multi-platinum in the United States.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 73/100[5]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [6]
Alternative Press 9/10[5]
Blabbermouth.net 10/10[7]
Robert Christgau [8]
Drowned in Sound 10/10[9]
Entertainment Weekly B–[10]
Q [11]
Rolling Stone [12]
Uncut [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".[12]

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".[5] 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".[13]

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.[14] 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."[15]

Loudwire listed the album as #1 on its list of 'Top 11 Metal Albums of the 2000s.'[16]

Soundtrack appearances

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"  TankianMalakian, Odadjian 1:54
8. "Forest"  TankianMalakian 4:00
9. "ATWA" (Air, Trees, Water, Animals)Tankian, MalakianMalakian 2:56
10. "Science" (featuring 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.

French Special Edition bonus CD[17]
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

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[18] 17
Certifications
Region Certification Sales/shipments
Austria (IFPI Austria)[19] Gold 20,000x
Australia (ARIA)[20] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Belgium (BEA)[21] Gold 25,000*
Brazil (ABPD)[22] Gold 50,000*
Brazil (ABPD)[23]
5-album bundle		 Platinum 40,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[24] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Germany (BVMI)[25] Gold 150,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[26] Platinum 15,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[27] Gold 20,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[29] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[30] 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

References

  1. ↑ http://www.revolvermag.com/news/10-nu-metal-albums-you-need-to-own.html
  2. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/toxicity-mw0000620587
  3. ↑ System of a Down Mezmerizes Music Fans Worldwide
  4. ↑ Terrybezer (28 July 2009). "Albums Of The Decade: System Of A Down – ‘Toxicity’". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Toxicity – System of a Down". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Toxicity – System of a Down". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kaye, Don. "System of a Down 'Toxicity'". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 29, 2002). "Consumer Guide: Throw Your Hands in the Air". The Village Voice. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ Kaye, Don (August 28, 2001). "System of a Down – Toxicity". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Sinclair, Tom (September 7, 2001). "Toxicity". Entertainment Weekly. pp. 161–62.
  11. ↑ "Toxicity". Q: 121. September 2001.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 4, 2001/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/systemofadown/albums/album/130634/review/6067395/toxicity Toxicity at the Wayback Machine (archived September 4, 2001)
  13. ↑ Gross, Joe (February 2005). "Heavy Metal". Spin: 89. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  14. ↑ Alternative Rock: 500 CDs You Must Own
  15. ↑ Metal Edge, June 2002
  16. ↑ http://loudwire.com/top-11-metal-albums-of-the-2000s/
  17. ↑ Discogs.com
  18. ↑ "OLiS: sales for the period 08.10.2001 - 14.10.2001". OLiS.
  19. ↑ "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
  20. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 2003". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
  22. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  23. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – System of a Down – System of a Down" (in Portuguese). Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos.
  24. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". Music Canada.
  25. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (System Of A Down; 'Toxicity')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  26. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand.
  27. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (System Of A Down; 'Toxicity')". Hung Medien.
  28. ↑ "British album certifications – System of a Down – Toxicity". British Phonographic Industry. 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
  29. ↑ "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
  30. ↑ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 2004". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

External links