#Toxicity system of a down album art free#

And then things started getting really weird. Within the space of days, they began notching up airplay for the track Chop Suey!, only to find it dropped by radio stations who found its lyrical references to вЂself-righteous suicideвЂ™ and dying angels too near-the-knuckle in the wake of 9/11. вЂњIt was, like, вЂThis band of Armenians are causing a riot in LA and they have an album coming out tomorrow.вЂ™вЂќД«ut if System Of A Down were big news when they released the album, they were even bigger news when it went to Number One, though not necessarily for the right reasons. вЂњThe press went crazy with it, so our little band became a bit bigger,вЂќ laughs Shavo. Little did the band вЂ“ or the fire marshal вЂ“ know, but it all helped raise SystemвЂ™s profile. A pipe hit one of our guys in the face and broke all his teeth. My bass tech was throwing fists trying to protect my gear and thereвЂ™s people swinging at each other. вЂњThey had shots from above where we were supposed to be playing and there were people fighting with our crew. вЂњWe were on the news on every channel,вЂќ says Shavo. There, they were treated to the surreal sight of watching the riot that was happening just a few blocks away unfold on TV. The band were given a police escort to the nearby hotel for their own safety. вЂњThe kids went crazy вЂ“ they started destroying our equipment and gear, and we had to get a police escort out of there,вЂќ says Shavo, who estimates that more than the damage to their equipment totalled $30,000. I kept pleading with the fire marshal, like, вЂJust let us go out there and play three or four songsвЂ™ but he was like, вЂNo, you canвЂ™t do it.вЂ™вЂќДЄt the exact same point, the authorities decided to take the bandвЂ™s stage banner down and all hell broke loose. вЂњI remember being in the back with my family,вЂќ says Shavo, вЂњand I was worried because my little brother and his friends were in the crowd and we heard all this rioting going on. Predictably, the audience were none to happy and promptly rioted. The fire marshal in charge closed down the show. The place could hold around 5,000 people, but it was Labor Day, a public holiday, and there were more like 15,000 fans flooding the streets.

#Toxicity system of a down album art free#

Having completed the record, System arranged a free promotional show in a parking lot on HollywoodвЂ™s Schrader Boulevard on September 3, 2001, the day before the Toxicity was due to be released. The clues that Toxicity would become one of the blockbusting metal albums of the early 21st century were there even before the album came out. We never thought people would like our style, and we never did our style for the radio because they werenвЂ™t playing it at all.вЂќ вЂњWe were just doing what we do, and if we ever thought about whether people would like it weвЂ™d never do what we do. вЂњThere was no saying, вЂAre we gonna be good enough?вЂ™вЂќ says Shavo. They paid little attention to what anyone else might want вЂ“ a masterstroke in hindsight. This maverick approach was the compass by which the whole band steered the album. вЂњRick had one of those exercise things,вЂќ says Shavo, вЂњso they hung Serj upside down and he did some tracks.вЂќ Another time, he decided to literally turn things on their head. The band partly recorded the album at producer Rick RubinвЂ™s house, and at one point, Serj set up a tent in RubinвЂ™s studio and sang inside it. The singer went to unusual lengths in an effort to take his already unique vocal style into completely different areas. When Shavo says this, heвЂ™s not exaggerating. Also Serj had a lot to do with the vocals and it wasnвЂ™t like normal takes.вЂќ Everyone gave what they gave, but he did so many guitar tracks and instruments, he was like a kid in a toy store! With Toxicity, Daron really came through and shined.

вЂњI mean, a band is a team and you let people do what theyвЂ™re good at, and then you complement them with what youвЂ™re good at. вЂњYeah, Daron was in there like a maestro,вЂќ grins Shavo. In pre-production alone, the band wrote 35 songs that would eventually be spread out between Toxicity and 2002вЂ™s Steal This Album! They also brought in a wide array of instruments, including sitar, banjo, piano, keyboards, and an Armenian Oud, a lute-like instrument.