Very enjoyable, though if I may offer one point of constructive feedback... I enjoy some analysis of lyrics by a music expert, but what I essentially come for is music expert analysis of music. Personally, I prefer when that forms the majority of the content.
@@christopherjohn84 their harmony is largely the reason I love SOAD. Honestly I don't consider either of them back up singers. This band has two lead singers and they are both incredible. My favorite demonstration of their vocals is Radio/Video.
The System Of A Down rabbit hole is one of the most life changing experiences anyone can go through. They are an absolutely incredible, thought provoking, critically thinking band that were way ahead of their time pushing for these important subjects to be heard through the power of music and they have defiantly been the most successful band at doing so.
When I was in high school, I thought their music was awesome and fun, and now I’m listening at thirty, and I’ve been just been a big cry baby and coming to tears. Their music can certainly bring you to tears understanding how deep their songs truly are.
I lived in an apartment on the second floor and I had a neighbor on the third floor, who played this record several times a day very loud. Years later, I bought the cd, when this neighbor left the building.
Appropriate facial expression when the last chorus starts, Douglas. Haunting, epic, hard as hell to sing properly, that chorus hits me every time, still, 20 years later.
Has it been 20 years already? I still remember the first time i saw this mv pop on my tv set and i was so confused because it didn't sound like all the other music.
@@NoisieBastrdd I think Daron deserves some credit too for that vocal harmony at the end of the song. They both sang their hearts out, you can feel the passion and the emotion between them
My best friend died in 1999 and even two years later I wept for him when I first listened to this song. Riding in the back of my parents' van, grey knock off Walkman cd player, Chop Suey on repeat for an hour. There are only so many events where I can say I know where I was and what I was doing when they happened; that song has stuck in my grey matter decades later. That breakdown chorus still gets me from time to time.
And that's a very real, personal experience. The value in this song (not having experienced that) is it makes me think 'what does this mean'. I don't think they give (or have) answers, but they put out a question that is foundational to who we are as individuals, family, friends, people. I don't know they thought this - perhaps they just loved the transitions. In 2023, I remembered how I felt when I was so much younger.... and how I wondered... and yet time washed away those thoughts (to be replaced with a reality that we were told was real). thought-provoking.
I still remember where I was when I found out Chester Bennington died and I still remember where I was when I found out Chris Cornell died and I still remember where I was when I found out Michael Jackson died. Some things really do just stick with you forever. Sorry for your loss.
I think this is the best analysis of this song I've ever heard. SOAD's music is steeped with politics, spirituality, and mental health and you got all three of these aspects almost immediately. I would love to hear your opinion of any of their other songs.
@@MF______ I'm almost positive that he did BYOB already, but I couldn't find it....I swear that I remember him at one point focusing on what was being displayed on the goggles of the troops and in another part he was discussing Bring Your Own Bomb...makes me wonder if it was taken down or if I'm confusing him with another channel
That made me feel like the first time I heard it, me and my brother talking away with music on in the background then this played, and we both went quiet and listened to the whole thing. Not many songs make you speechless like that they only come along every few years.
I was already into classic metal and extreme metal by the time SOAD hit, I thought "Sugar" was a fun song but never gave their first album much of a thought. When I saw the video for this song and that outro section kicked in, the melody, the harmonies, I was really blown away by how talented and emotional they came across in this one. Toxicity still one of my favorite albums ever.
I think it needs pointing out that Serj Tankian is / was an exceptional vocalist. His ability to do both the shouty and melodic emotional stuff really made SOAD stand out. For reasons I don't really understand, listening to them always cheers me up!
For me they cheer me up because 90% of their songs have harmonies, and it's fun to join in. That's kinda a rarity in metal, especially when so many metal singers have far greater range than you, or they sing in that distorted growly unclean way that not many can mimic.
You hit the nail on the head with the religious connotations. A short documentary on this song mentions how Serj was a bit stuck with lyrics and the song was almost not making it into their album, but he sat in Rubins’ library and happened to pull out a bible and opened it on the passage where Jesus calls out to his father. I think that shaped the rest of the song as well. Thanks for the breakdown and your thoughts. Always on point
oh bro instant sub at you not only getting the meaning through thinking about it but wanting to listen a second time round, that's NEVER done. I like you bro, you're a rare one in reactions.
I remember reading an article in the 2000's where Daron Malakian talked about putting as much stuff as you can into song in a short span of time to make almost a small opera. It is cool to see a classic composer analyze this years after he said it.
Really great breakdown, Doug. It's awesome to see you get so taken by a song a d give such a detailed analysis. Most SOAD songs have some social or political philosophy behind them.
Toxicity is definitely one of the greatest metal albums of all time. Nowadays I listen to mostly progressive or death metal but Toxicity is still in my top 10 albums.
I like how you name all the members in the band. a lot of people that react don't frame bands like that and only focus on the vocals but your classicalness shines through
Serj is actually an orchestral composer as well, I highly recommend his first solo album. It's like SOAD with an orchestra. Edit: I recommend the song which is actually titled “Beethoven’s Cunt”
Several takeaways from this video: 1. I miss and have always admired this band and wish they would come back together for new material. 2. The power of Rick Rubin and his producing skills in the early 00’s shows up here big time. 3. The piano touch at the ending of the song hits me in the feels big time with the everything happening. 4. There’s a video that’s sort of recent in which Rick talks on how they came up with the name and how Serj was struggling with some lyrics of the song too so he directed him to his library to help with that. It’s an interesting video, worth checking out.
They did release a couple songs in 2020, in response to the war in The Republic of Artsakha/Nagorno-Karabakh, a land disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Doug, this is one of my very favorite videos of yours. You are adept at parsing through layers of meaning, reflecting on your own life, and expressing them in ways that connect with universal human feelings and experiences. Your students are fortunate to learn from you and not just about how to make music.
@@MattBargain This was only their second album, so I'd disagree. Their first really only got War, Suite Pee and Spiders, which I'd count as underground hits. Toxicity was an album basically full of songs where any one of them could've been legitimately considered a single. After this, they had 'Steal this Album', which was released as a full album, but many think (myself included) that it was b-sides from Toxicity and their debut album, but only had a couple interesting songs. After that, they released Mezmerize. This was where they won a grammy for BYOB, which launched them into the stratosphere. I was in college at the time and had been a fan since their first album, but this is when I started hearing songs other than Chop Suey and Toxicity get constant radio play. Hypnotize was a lot like Steal this Album, but had significantly more bangers than duds and got them a Grammy nom. Honestly, they probably would've continued to be successful, but the two singers had a falling out. Both went on to form separate bands, but neither could capture what they had as a group.
"This is almost political speech." It is exactly political speech, as so many of their songs are. Serj is a passionate and vocal social justice activist.
Serj wrote next to nothing though lol. Sure, he's pollical, but he's actually the least contributing member of the band. Daron wrote almost everything alongside record label corporate song writers.
@@pottingsoil Eh, Serj stepped back creatively, but he wrote most of his own lyrics up until that era. I'm less inclined to believe that record label writers contributed a significant amount of lyrics. And it isn't like Serj wasn't involved in the lyric writing. He's the one who found the quote for the Father I commend my spirit bit when they were struggling with what to do there. And, even if Daron wrote all the lyrics himself, my point remains that they are precisely sociopolitical lyrics.
What really makes this song such a classic imo is the contrast between the heavy rock and Serj’s loud vocals with the beautiful melodic chorus and Serj’s softer vocals. Add on top of that the simple but profound lyrics about how we should not judge those who die one way (drugs, suicide, driving too fast, alcohol, etc) over those who die in ways we “accept”.
never seen one of your videos before, but i’m really enjoying your dissecting style of reacting, whether it’s music and/or lyrics, and i’m subscribing. fantastic job, Doug!
Floods needs to come next. It remedies the one issue he had with Cemetery Gates, it being a bit too short. And he's still right, Cemetery Gates needed at least another minute or so.
Thank you, Doug! No other reactor that I have seen has had the insight and courage to address the spiritual and religious aspects of this particular song.
Could you do aerials by system of a down pretty please, vocally the song is very beautiful and interesting. I think you would find a lot to talk about. An interesting tuning as well
You can actually pick any system of a down and your going to be impressed. Personally I've gone back through system of a downs catalog recently and honestly i think that "Question!" Is the most underrated song of system of a down. It is absolutely haunting at times.
Eh, debatable. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of their songs, but they’re not exactly super creative or technical in their musical composition in some songs. Songs like Prison Song or Aerials are great examples of super simple music composition. I love both songs, just saying.
@@alexschneider8494 they might be simple compositions but aerials sounds nothing like anything but a system of a down song. And on top of that the transitions in aerials are some of the smoothest I've heard anywhere. I don't understand what you mean SOAD is not exactly creative... You can take any two SOAD songs and they will sound nothing alike, on top of that you can take any SOAD song and compare it to any other NU, Industrial, Prog metal bands of the era and yeah there are similarities but they sound nothing alike
@@wolfinthesno I said some songs aren’t creative. Songs like Chop Suey, BYOB, or Question are creative and very different. They have some others as well that are quite different, but I wouldn’t say they’re different in a good way. They venture into just being flat out weird sometimes. However songs like Aerials, Toxicity, Spiders, etc are all very basic sounding rock/metal songs in my opinion. Just because the music in a song doesn’t sound like any other band, doesn’t mean it doesn’t still follow the same tropes and styles of said genre of music. I like these songs, I’m just saying that songs like Toxicity or Aerials are the type of music I could come up with sitting in my room playing around on my instruments lol
This is the first of your videos I watch and wow! A few years ago I went through suicidal ideation, and this song captures it perfectly. You force yourself to live, to pretend you're ok, you recriminate yourself for every little mistake, you hide how you feel and you believe you deserve all that, and you think it's only one way out, but you can't say because everybody judges. That's all there in the lyrics. When I know that someone else, with the same struggle and pain, finally reaches the breaking point and "leaves" this world behind, I moan their passing, even if i barely knew them, because I understand how they felt, I understand they were sensitive beings going through so much. "I cry when angels deserve to die." This song really speaks to me, and I love how dynamic, powerful and beautiful it is. I think you did a great analysis and I'll be checking out more of your channel. ❤
I've been listening to this song for 20 years and always kinda felt the meaning in it but could never put that anguish of being judged into words. You hit the nail on the head immediately and have changed this song for me forever.
SOAD is so good! I'm a lover of metal and tons of other rock music and I just got my masters in opera performance. I love when the metal/rock world collides with the classical world, so thanks for this video
Never get tired of Doug reacting to metal. Whenever he likes the song he starts shaking his head and I'm just sitting here, bobbing alond and screaming internally "F#!K YES, DOUG!"
Awesome breakdown. This song bring me to tears every time the chorus hit and at each repetition of it, it strike harder. The lyrics in their full meaning came later in my listening experience (EN’s not my mother tongue and I knew the song before being fluent) so it was just that coming back to the tonal center making the magic for me. Thanks for spending the time with a song that has been this important for my generation and the ones after us (my son now listens to SOAD)
I have been watching "react" videos for years and you analysis was by far the best one I have ever seen. Thank you for even re listening to this piece of art. There is a video showing the make off Toxicity album and this song has a whole orchestra in the background. Cellos, piano and violins. Amazing work.
Loved this episode. Growing up in the 2000’s I always thought of this as a fun/wacky song. But your breakdown of the lyrics gives me a completely different view of it now.
Some young friends of mine played this at their recent wedding reception. For some reason they were surprised that I knew the words and could hold my own with the head-banging and pogo-ing. (My kids were into SoaD). I wonder what you'd make of some Linkin' Park...?
My grandmother was a huge fan of System of a Down. She didn't really love the rest of the music I liked - although she was raised in Birmingham so she had a soft spot for Black Sabbath - but this really appealed to her. Love that they have cross generational appeal!
Great analysis. For these reasons you mention, I've re-found SOAD in my adult years from a completely new perspective as opposed to just the angry music with interesting lyrics that I listened to as a teen.
I've been listening to this for 2 decades. Seeing Doug hearing it and digesting it for the first time was a wonderful and heavy revisting of this special song.
I love hearing the musical breakdown of songs I love. It helps me appreciate the complexity of what I've heard and the level of talent. Sure, I like seeing react videos of songs I love but I want to hear the why, the how, the what is going on
I remember when I first heard this some 20 years ago. I was not ready for it. The heaviness, but also so melodic, such a bipolar song structure wise, but absolutely brilliant. The fact that it sounds so fresh over 20 years later makes this song an instant classic IMO.
Hey would love to see your reaction to another one of their songs, "Sugar". IMO, it's another great critique on the madness of society, perfectly communicated in their one-of-a-kind way! They're such an awesome band!
Your analysis is really interesting, and I think you're right on the money with a lot of stuff. I've always thought it's about a co-dependent relationship; the lines "grab a brush and put a little makeup, hide the scars to fade away the shakeup" speaks very strongly to me of a domestic violence situation and the morning after a fight, looking in the mirror and trying to cover up the bruises. And quite possibly using that kind of abusive relationship as a metaphor for how we sacrifice ourselves to goals and ends that aren't worth it in society as well, as if choosing to suffer is in and of itself a moral good.
I think both readings are valid. One a literal thing and one a metaphorical one...but then I'm shit at literature type things. It's really powerful lyrically and musically.
That was a fantastic analysis of this song. I love System of a Down. They came at the same time as other Nu Metal bands, but they were just not like anything else and I miss them like crazy.
@@jojomellon Mr. Bungle is eclectic but nobody had this Armenian folk flavored metal. alongside the political and societal context they completely changed the game it was like the intensity of RATM without the hip hop and more of the metal with the unique duality of Daren and Serjs lyrics. serjs typically get the spotlight but listen to them in isolation and you see just how much their layering and counterpoint accentuate each other.
@@jojomellon in the spectrum of Nu-metal and just metal in general, they're quite unique. i don't even understand what you mean by "not unique if you only listen to Nu-metal"... How the fuck am i supposed to compare them to anything that NOT Nu-metal? And no, i don't only listen to Nu-metal.
This is the best explanation of the song I've ever heard, and as someone who's been listening to SOAD since childhood, your first listen to it made me understand the song even better than I had previously.
Thank you Doug! I enjoy your analyse! Please do more of their musics. And another thing that is interesting is the Armenian touch and melodies in their songs. I'm from Iran and can relate very well.
Man, I just adore this song. I can listen to it over and over again and it still moves me like it did back in 2001. Especially when the keys come in towards the end. You are right, Doug, it is political speech in the broader sense, because it deals with certain societal taboos that people are not comfortable engaging with and throws it in everybody's face. It almost demands thinking about the subject matter it's covering and demands answers to the questions it's raising. Lots of love to you!
This is also not my usual cup of tea, Doug, but I really loved how you dug into the lyrics and meaning and gave me a much better appreciation of this song.
I've been watching reactions for a long time. It's often about music I listen to but are not very well known by the general public (whatever that means). You sir have given me repeatedly new insight and perspective for songs I've listened for years, decades, and can now come back to and enjoy with new thoughts and inspiration. As I come older it seems to be less and less frequent I get to find something new to get excited about, so I'm glad you bring me back to something familiar with the same excited feeling of first discovering it. Anyways, here's a like and a new subscriber. I don't do this often to reaction channels ;)
Other explanation... Depression, living just becouse of daily routine, for show (creating a fable), without hope and joy... Yet seeking empathy, not being judged...
Loved your analysis of this. Amazing video. Speaking about songs like how you did motivates me to continue making music and writing. I personally would say that this song is poetry, I remember listening to it for the first time on guitar hero and I had no idea what it was about apart from me picking up on the religious aspect of it however, now I'm older and hear the song, this is a work of art which just becomes more and more relevant as the years go on. Keep it up! love the content.
It’s one of my favourites too, particularly for Daron and Serj’s harmonising, yet I haven’t got a clue what any of the lyrics mean, if they actually mean anything at all.
Being a New Yorker I get emotional when I hear this song.I relate it to 9/11. Unknowingly people started their day,then terrorist crashed passenger jets for a self-righteous fable,made innocent victims, Angels to pay the ultimate price...This came out during that time..Psychic really.SOAD so in touch with the times..practicing Buddhism for 48 years,Life is the most precious thing we own.
I saw SOAD and slipknot on the pledge your allegiance tour just a few weeks if not days after 9/11 happened and it always reminds me of that period in time as well.
Hi Doug I have a band you should check out called The Warning. 3 sisters from Monterey Mexico that started out playing classical piano and their parents got them the game rock band. They fell in love and started doing covers and did a cover of Enter Sandman when they were ages 9,12,14 that went viral with over 28 million views. They have 2 EPs and 2 full length albums and releasing their 3rd album on the 24th of June.
Love your extensive analysis of this relatively short but very complex song, especially with you doing the extremely rare thing of playing it twice in order to analyze it fully. 👏🏻 Brilliant and spot-on analysis you give this unique and amazing song. 👍🏻
Fantastic analysis Doug. Such a powerful song... you nailed it my friend 👏 Having met and spoken to Serj, I know their lyrics always mean something. He's a very deep thinker.
"Why have you forsaken me?" is a direct quote from the Bible. Jesus on the cross turns to his father and asks the question. It's a powerful connection between faith and emotion.
The line from the song is, "father, why have you forsaken me." Does that answer your question? However, I believe Rick Rubin spoke on this on the Joe Rogan podcast and said it was just random how they added it and had no larger meaning. Like literally flipped to a random page of the bible as a joke or something like that.
This literally made me weep. Especially the second time. Right when you said the name "Jesus"...I lost it. Much love and thank you covering one of the best songs in existence...twice. I won't get into the Biblical connotations here, but you were on point. God bless 🙌
20 years later and this song still in my playlists and its been my savior in one way. Remember when I was in a very dark place as a teenager, and how It helped me to just blast this tune on repeat. Today im in a happy place. But this song is a constant reminder that i've made it through those tough years. Music is amazing. And thanks for this amazing channel Doug 🙌
These videos make my day.Thanks Doug.
Makes my day too!
Very enjoyable, though if I may offer one point of constructive feedback...
I enjoy some analysis of lyrics by a music expert, but what I essentially come for is music expert analysis of music. Personally, I prefer when that forms the majority of the content.
@@Doug.Helvering 5:55 just vibin
he is for sure under the top 3 reaction channels....
"These guys are effective musicians."
Bingo.
Their song Aerials is another good demonstration of Serj’s great vocals.
Toxicity too
Everyone forgets how talented Daron is as well
Love the harmonies with Serj and Daron on Aerials 👌
suggestions is by far the song with the hardest serj vocals
@@christopherjohn84 their harmony is largely the reason I love SOAD. Honestly I don't consider either of them back up singers. This band has two lead singers and they are both incredible. My favorite demonstration of their vocals is Radio/Video.
The System Of A Down rabbit hole is one of the most life changing experiences anyone can go through. They are an absolutely incredible, thought provoking, critically thinking band that were way ahead of their time pushing for these important subjects to be heard through the power of music and they have defiantly been the most successful band at doing so.
@chetsenior7253☝️🤓
Rage Against the Machine would like a word.
@@ConnorHammond Yeah but Soad did it better
@@ConnorHammond Queensrÿche entered the chat.
Where do I start to go down this rabbit hole?
"Y'all wanna listen to it again?"
The greatest musical composition of the last two decades? Sure, Doug, I'm in.
It's like asking someone if they want another sip from the fountain of youth
When I was in high school, I thought their music was awesome and fun, and now I’m listening at thirty, and I’ve been just been a big cry baby and coming to tears. Their music can certainly bring you to tears understanding how deep their songs truly are.
I lived in an apartment on the second floor and I had a neighbor on the third floor, who played this record several times a day very loud. Years later, I bought the cd, when this neighbor left the building.
Your new neighbors can definitely be proud of you.
Hahaha. You're story made me laugh, thank you.
Appropriate facial expression when the last chorus starts, Douglas. Haunting, epic, hard as hell to sing properly, that chorus hits me every time, still, 20 years later.
same, man. that's Some powerful delivery from Serj
SAME
Has it been 20 years already?
I still remember the first time i saw this mv pop on my tv set and i was so confused because it didn't sound like all the other music.
@@razenburn 21 years 😄
@@NoisieBastrdd I think Daron deserves some credit too for that vocal harmony at the end of the song. They both sang their hearts out, you can feel the passion and the emotion between them
My best friend died in 1999 and even two years later I wept for him when I first listened to this song. Riding in the back of my parents' van, grey knock off Walkman cd player, Chop Suey on repeat for an hour. There are only so many events where I can say I know where I was and what I was doing when they happened; that song has stuck in my grey matter decades later. That breakdown chorus still gets me from time to time.
🙏
And that's a very real, personal experience. The value in this song (not having experienced that) is it makes me think 'what does this mean'. I don't think they give (or have) answers, but they put out a question that is foundational to who we are as individuals, family, friends, people. I don't know they thought this - perhaps they just loved the transitions. In 2023, I remembered how I felt when I was so much younger.... and how I wondered... and yet time washed away those thoughts (to be replaced with a reality that we were told was real). thought-provoking.
I still remember where I was when I found out Chester Bennington died and I still remember where I was when I found out Chris Cornell died and I still remember where I was when I found out Michael Jackson died. Some things really do just stick with you forever. Sorry for your loss.
I think this is the best analysis of this song I've ever heard. SOAD's music is steeped with politics, spirituality, and mental health and you got all three of these aspects almost immediately. I would love to hear your opinion of any of their other songs.
Fully agree, you took the words out my mouth
War? or soil would be cool
BYOB, Prison Song or Deer Dance would be my favourites
@@MF______ I'm almost positive that he did BYOB already, but I couldn't find it....I swear that I remember him at one point focusing on what was being displayed on the goggles of the troops and in another part he was discussing Bring Your Own Bomb...makes me wonder if it was taken down or if I'm confusing him with another channel
@@Bimmer_MD
I was wondering, actually. BYOB would be the logical progression.
Possibly taken down - fuck TH-cam.
"1 billion people can't be wrong" excuse me sir, a million of those are mine
That made me feel like the first time I heard it, me and my brother talking away with music on in the background then this played, and we both went quiet and listened to the whole thing. Not many songs make you speechless like that they only come along every few years.
I was already into classic metal and extreme metal by the time SOAD hit, I thought "Sugar" was a fun song but never gave their first album much of a thought. When I saw the video for this song and that outro section kicked in, the melody, the harmonies, I was really blown away by how talented and emotional they came across in this one. Toxicity still one of my favorite albums ever.
@@godofdeadlydeath It certainly made Me research Their previous Disc.
I think it needs pointing out that Serj Tankian is / was an exceptional vocalist. His ability to do both the shouty and melodic emotional stuff really made SOAD stand out. For reasons I don't really understand, listening to them always cheers me up!
For me they cheer me up because 90% of their songs have harmonies, and it's fun to join in. That's kinda a rarity in metal, especially when so many metal singers have far greater range than you, or they sing in that distorted growly unclean way that not many can mimic.
@@Relyx Most people can do growls with a bit of practice. Came to me more easily than normal singing.
What he did better is just jump between them like it’s natural
@@AnonYMooseBoG growl is easy but not that easy to master ,if you do it incorrectly you could pretty easily damage your vocal chords
You know the song is good when it's 3'29'' and has like 8 sentences and still takes 15 minutes for Doug to assimilate it properly. Awesome.
You hit the nail on the head with the religious connotations. A short documentary on this song mentions how Serj was a bit stuck with lyrics and the song was almost not making it into their album, but he sat in Rubins’ library and happened to pull out a bible and opened it on the passage where Jesus calls out to his father. I think that shaped the rest of the song as well. Thanks for the breakdown and your thoughts. Always on point
oh bro instant sub at you not only getting the meaning through thinking about it but wanting to listen a second time round, that's NEVER done.
I like you bro, you're a rare one in reactions.
Wait till you watch Dougs reaction video to Octavarium by Deam Theater. Such a treat
Chop Suey is actually one of the most vocally and emotionally impressive songs I've ever listened to.
I remember reading an article in the 2000's where Daron Malakian talked about putting as much stuff as you can into song in a short span of time to make almost a small opera.
It is cool to see a classic composer analyze this years after he said it.
This is by far the best lyrical analysis I've watched for this song. And I've watched a number of them... Thank you sir
Chop Suey is one of the songs that got me into metal. Love it!
Same
Really great breakdown, Doug. It's awesome to see you get so taken by a song a d give such a detailed analysis.
Most SOAD songs have some social or political philosophy behind them.
toxicity: angrily shouting statistics about drug incarceration
also toxicity: aha the pogo is his dick
I always loved the official music video, it's got some amazing shots and editing in it. Super iconic
The drummer is cgi in the video, lol
So happy you enjoyed this so much! These guys fucking jam so hard. Toxicity as an album is an Alt Metal classic. Throughly enjoyable front to back.
Toxicity is definitely one of the greatest metal albums of all time. Nowadays I listen to mostly progressive or death metal but Toxicity is still in my top 10 albums.
I like how you name all the members in the band. a lot of people that react don't frame bands like that and only focus on the vocals but your classicalness shines through
Serj is actually an orchestral composer as well, I highly recommend his first solo album. It's like SOAD with an orchestra.
Edit: I recommend the song which is actually titled “Beethoven’s Cunt”
He's not really. His orchestral piece is sub par. Wouldn't recommend it to any classical composer. He would rip it apart.
Beethovens cunt? Wtf
Beethoven’s Cunt is actually one of my favorite songs from Elect The Dead.
Several takeaways from this video:
1. I miss and have always admired this band and wish they would come back together for new material.
2. The power of Rick Rubin and his producing skills in the early 00’s shows up here big time.
3. The piano touch at the ending of the song hits me in the feels big time with the everything happening.
4. There’s a video that’s sort of recent in which Rick talks on how they came up with the name and how Serj was struggling with some lyrics of the song too so he directed him to his library to help with that. It’s an interesting video, worth checking out.
They did release a couple songs in 2020, in response to the war in The Republic of Artsakha/Nagorno-Karabakh, a land disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Great interpretation of the lyrics. I've known this song for a long time, but you've helped me understand the lyrics more.
Doug, this is one of my very favorite videos of yours. You are adept at parsing through layers of meaning, reflecting on your own life, and expressing them in ways that connect with universal human feelings and experiences. Your students are fortunate to learn from you and not just about how to make music.
This song absolutely catapulted SOAD into stardom, all of their albums are excellent but Toxicity is just another level.
Nicely covered.
Well, I feel that this song was more at the end of their career.
@@MattBargain This was only their second album, so I'd disagree. Their first really only got War, Suite Pee and Spiders, which I'd count as underground hits. Toxicity was an album basically full of songs where any one of them could've been legitimately considered a single.
After this, they had 'Steal this Album', which was released as a full album, but many think (myself included) that it was b-sides from Toxicity and their debut album, but only had a couple interesting songs.
After that, they released Mezmerize. This was where they won a grammy for BYOB, which launched them into the stratosphere. I was in college at the time and had been a fan since their first album, but this is when I started hearing songs other than Chop Suey and Toxicity get constant radio play.
Hypnotize was a lot like Steal this Album, but had significantly more bangers than duds and got them a Grammy nom. Honestly, they probably would've continued to be successful, but the two singers had a falling out. Both went on to form separate bands, but neither could capture what they had as a group.
I love how you really put your whole mind and soul into analyzing this to the point of playing it a second time. Love you! You have a lot of heart!
This is ranked the #1 Metal Song of the 21st century. Hard to argue against that rank in my opinion.
"This is almost political speech."
It is exactly political speech, as so many of their songs are. Serj is a passionate and vocal social justice activist.
Serj wrote next to nothing though lol. Sure, he's pollical, but he's actually the least contributing member of the band. Daron wrote almost everything alongside record label corporate song writers.
@@pottingsoil Eh, Serj stepped back creatively, but he wrote most of his own lyrics up until that era. I'm less inclined to believe that record label writers contributed a significant amount of lyrics.
And it isn't like Serj wasn't involved in the lyric writing. He's the one who found the quote for the Father I commend my spirit bit when they were struggling with what to do there.
And, even if Daron wrote all the lyrics himself, my point remains that they are precisely sociopolitical lyrics.
They got something to say. -Doug
In a world where people focus on just making a good song, when you got all that AND a message it's something special.
This is by far the best commentary I've heard on Internet for a long, long time... thank you for staying truth to the art good sir!
What really makes this song such a classic imo is the contrast between the heavy rock and Serj’s loud vocals with the beautiful melodic chorus and Serj’s softer vocals.
Add on top of that the simple but profound lyrics about how we should not judge those who die one way (drugs, suicide, driving too fast, alcohol, etc) over those who die in ways we “accept”.
never seen one of your videos before, but i’m really enjoying your dissecting style of reacting, whether it’s music and/or lyrics, and i’m subscribing. fantastic job, Doug!
Thanks Doug. Pantera - Mouth For War
I don’t know if he’s ready for that one. But it’ll be nice to see. I like that song.
Floods needs to come next. It remedies the one issue he had with Cemetery Gates, it being a bit too short. And he's still right, Cemetery Gates needed at least another minute or so.
My favourite Pantera song
Use it for what it's for. Speak the truth about me!
Definitely Floods. Most Pantera songs are amazing, but this one is the most interesting one.
Thank you, Doug! No other reactor that I have seen has had the insight and courage to address the spiritual and religious aspects of this particular song.
I’ve seen a couple reactions and this one is perfect. Thank you for articulating this structurally and genuinely. SOAD deserves all the respect.
This guy is amazing. He's not into METAL but he can't help the HEADBANGING!
Could you do aerials by system of a down pretty please, vocally the song is very beautiful and interesting. I think you would find a lot to talk about. An interesting tuning as well
Lots of fun, but Doug get's inundated w/requests
What tuning? Isn't it just drop C?
You can actually pick any system of a down and your going to be impressed. Personally I've gone back through system of a downs catalog recently and honestly i think that "Question!" Is the most underrated song of system of a down. It is absolutely haunting at times.
agreed!
Let’s get this upvoted! Would love to hear Doug’s impressions!! 🙌
Eh, debatable. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of their songs, but they’re not exactly super creative or technical in their musical composition in some songs. Songs like Prison Song or Aerials are great examples of super simple music composition. I love both songs, just saying.
@@alexschneider8494 they might be simple compositions but aerials sounds nothing like anything but a system of a down song. And on top of that the transitions in aerials are some of the smoothest I've heard anywhere.
I don't understand what you mean SOAD is not exactly creative... You can take any two SOAD songs and they will sound nothing alike, on top of that you can take any SOAD song and compare it to any other NU, Industrial, Prog metal bands of the era and yeah there are similarities but they sound nothing alike
@@wolfinthesno I said some songs aren’t creative. Songs like Chop Suey, BYOB, or Question are creative and very different. They have some others as well that are quite different, but I wouldn’t say they’re different in a good way. They venture into just being flat out weird sometimes. However songs like Aerials, Toxicity, Spiders, etc are all very basic sounding rock/metal songs in my opinion. Just because the music in a song doesn’t sound like any other band, doesn’t mean it doesn’t still follow the same tropes and styles of said genre of music. I like these songs, I’m just saying that songs like Toxicity or Aerials are the type of music I could come up with sitting in my room playing around on my instruments lol
This is the first of your videos I watch and wow!
A few years ago I went through suicidal ideation, and this song captures it perfectly. You force yourself to live, to pretend you're ok, you recriminate yourself for every little mistake, you hide how you feel and you believe you deserve all that, and you think it's only one way out, but you can't say because everybody judges. That's all there in the lyrics. When I know that someone else, with the same struggle and pain, finally reaches the breaking point and "leaves" this world behind, I moan their passing, even if i barely knew them, because I understand how they felt, I understand they were sensitive beings going through so much. "I cry when angels deserve to die." This song really speaks to me, and I love how dynamic, powerful and beautiful it is.
I think you did a great analysis and I'll be checking out more of your channel. ❤
I've been listening to this song for 20 years and always kinda felt the meaning in it but could never put that anguish of being judged into words. You hit the nail on the head immediately and have changed this song for me forever.
SOAD is so good! I'm a lover of metal and tons of other rock music and I just got my masters in opera performance. I love when the metal/rock world collides with the classical world, so thanks for this video
Chop Suey - it's not what anybody normally goes to, yet we all get it when we get there. "Why have you forsaken me" always gets me.
Never get tired of Doug reacting to metal. Whenever he likes the song he starts shaking his head and I'm just sitting here, bobbing alond and screaming internally "F#!K YES, DOUG!"
God I miss SOAD. I could die a happy man if they'd just set aside their differences and release one more album.
Awesome breakdown. This song bring me to tears every time the chorus hit and at each repetition of it, it strike harder. The lyrics in their full meaning came later in my listening experience (EN’s not my mother tongue and I knew the song before being fluent) so it was just that coming back to the tonal center making the magic for me. Thanks for spending the time with a song that has been this important for my generation and the ones after us (my son now listens to SOAD)
This album, and even moreso Hypnotize/Mezmerise were really beautiful musically... not always,, but often.
I have been watching "react" videos for years and you analysis was by far the best one I have ever seen.
Thank you for even re listening to this piece of art.
There is a video showing the make off Toxicity album and this song has a whole orchestra in the background. Cellos, piano and violins. Amazing work.
Loved this episode. Growing up in the 2000’s I always thought of this as a fun/wacky song. But your breakdown of the lyrics gives me a completely different view of it now.
I love the face you make to the camera when you don't expect the change that comes! 🤣🤣❤
Doug, your soooo fricken cool. I love your impression of SODown and all metal songs you do. LOVE IT (and your so on point)
Thanks!
This is probably the best song analysis I’ve watched not only of this song, but of any song. Thank you and congratulations.
Some young friends of mine played this at their recent wedding reception. For some reason they were surprised that I knew the words and could hold my own with the head-banging and pogo-ing. (My kids were into SoaD). I wonder what you'd make of some Linkin' Park...?
I wish you lived on Maui... We'd be friends
@@Wendy-ov5hu Shame we're on opposite sides of the world! See us rocking the nursing home in a few years time 😀
My grandmother was a huge fan of System of a Down. She didn't really love the rest of the music I liked - although she was raised in Birmingham so she had a soft spot for Black Sabbath - but this really appealed to her. Love that they have cross generational appeal!
You point out all the feeling that i can't express when i listen to this song, absolute legend
Great analysis. For these reasons you mention, I've re-found SOAD in my adult years from a completely new perspective as opposed to just the angry music with interesting lyrics that I listened to as a teen.
I've been listening to this for 2 decades. Seeing Doug hearing it and digesting it for the first time was a wonderful and heavy revisting of this special song.
I love hearing the musical breakdown of songs I love. It helps me appreciate the complexity of what I've heard and the level of talent. Sure, I like seeing react videos of songs I love but I want to hear the why, the how, the what is going on
You have a pretty name congratulations
I remember when I first heard this some 20 years ago. I was not ready for it. The heaviness, but also so melodic, such a bipolar song structure wise, but absolutely brilliant. The fact that it sounds so fresh over 20 years later makes this song an instant classic IMO.
I bought this album the day it came out and it took me 20 years to really get how powerful this song is.
Still slaps all these years later 👍👍top job doug
Hey would love to see your reaction to another one of their songs, "Sugar".
IMO, it's another great critique on the madness of society, perfectly communicated in their one-of-a-kind way! They're such an awesome band!
I really enjoyed your analysis. Heavy topic and powerful punch packed into a short tune. Thanks for this.
Your analysis is really interesting, and I think you're right on the money with a lot of stuff. I've always thought it's about a co-dependent relationship; the lines "grab a brush and put a little makeup, hide the scars to fade away the shakeup" speaks very strongly to me of a domestic violence situation and the morning after a fight, looking in the mirror and trying to cover up the bruises. And quite possibly using that kind of abusive relationship as a metaphor for how we sacrifice ourselves to goals and ends that aren't worth it in society as well, as if choosing to suffer is in and of itself a moral good.
I think both readings are valid. One a literal thing and one a metaphorical one...but then I'm shit at literature type things. It's really powerful lyrically and musically.
Please! Do more of these. Getting out of your own genre into something new is always an eye opener.
That was a fantastic analysis of this song. I love System of a Down. They came at the same time as other Nu Metal bands, but they were just not like anything else and I miss them like crazy.
Love when you break down not only the music but also how the music impacts the lyrical content and message. And the second play through!
One of the bands that changed the game, super creative.
Whaaaa. Mr Bungle says hello
@@jojomellon Mr. Bungle is eclectic but nobody had this Armenian folk flavored metal. alongside the political and societal context they completely changed the game it was like the intensity of RATM without the hip hop and more of the metal with the unique duality of Daren and Serjs lyrics. serjs typically get the spotlight but listen to them in isolation and you see just how much their layering and counterpoint accentuate each other.
@@jojomellon sure, Mr.Bungle essentially started the whole Nu-metal thing, but SOAD sounded like no one else.
@@Ennui. but, they don't. Unless all you listen to is numetal. They're not unique.
@@jojomellon in the spectrum of Nu-metal and just metal in general, they're quite unique.
i don't even understand what you mean by "not unique if you only listen to Nu-metal"...
How the fuck am i supposed to compare them to anything that NOT Nu-metal?
And no, i don't only listen to Nu-metal.
You have such a nack for making existing fans have an even deeper understanding of long-loved songs.
Thank you so much.
Love the use of empty space in this song.
This is the best explanation of the song I've ever heard, and as someone who's been listening to SOAD since childhood, your first listen to it made me understand the song even better than I had previously.
Thank you Doug! I enjoy your analyse! Please do more of their musics.
And another thing that is interesting is the Armenian touch and melodies in their songs. I'm from Iran and can relate very well.
Never watched you channel until now. I do appreciate your ability to break this down.
There are so many great tunes, you can check out from soad, Doug.
Spiders, Science (only live version), Question, Holy Mountains just to name a few
Genius, Doug! Thanks for sharing your view with us
Man, I just adore this song. I can listen to it over and over again and it still moves me like it did back in 2001. Especially when the keys come in towards the end. You are right, Doug, it is political speech in the broader sense, because it deals with certain societal taboos that people are not comfortable engaging with and throws it in everybody's face. It almost demands thinking about the subject matter it's covering and demands answers to the questions it's raising. Lots of love to you!
Me and my best friend used to listen to this riding our bikes to middle school. It still gives me chills
This is also not my usual cup of tea, Doug, but I really loved how you dug into the lyrics and meaning and gave me a much better appreciation of this song.
I've been watching reactions for a long time. It's often about music I listen to but are not very well known by the general public (whatever that means). You sir have given me repeatedly new insight and perspective for songs I've listened for years, decades, and can now come back to and enjoy with new thoughts and inspiration. As I come older it seems to be less and less frequent I get to find something new to get excited about, so I'm glad you bring me back to something familiar with the same excited feeling of first discovering it. Anyways, here's a like and a new subscriber. I don't do this often to reaction channels ;)
Other explanation...
Depression, living just becouse of daily routine, for show (creating a fable), without hope and joy...
Yet seeking empathy, not being judged...
Loved your analysis of this. Amazing video. Speaking about songs like how you did motivates me to continue making music and writing. I personally would say that this song is poetry, I remember listening to it for the first time on guitar hero and I had no idea what it was about apart from me picking up on the religious aspect of it however, now I'm older and hear the song, this is a work of art which just becomes more and more relevant as the years go on. Keep it up! love the content.
5:39 The feeling when you're trying to use theory to break down a composition and the breakdown grabs you.
Bang you got this song's meaning so fast. I riddled this out only after having come across it numerous times over maybe 10 years. Nice job.
Radio/Video is my favorite SOAD jam. I will attempt to request it through the proper channels. Keep up the good work Doug!
It’s one of my favourites too, particularly for Daron and Serj’s harmonising, yet I haven’t got a clue what any of the lyrics mean, if they actually mean anything at all.
This song and band really started my journey to new area of music. Back in the days. This song still is my favourite song from this band.
Being a New Yorker I get emotional when I hear this song.I relate it to 9/11. Unknowingly people started their day,then terrorist crashed passenger jets for a self-righteous fable,made innocent victims, Angels to pay the ultimate price...This came out during that time..Psychic really.SOAD so in touch with the times..practicing Buddhism for 48 years,Life is the most precious thing we own.
You could also relate it to the drone attacks still being committed by the US today haha
I saw SOAD and slipknot on the pledge your allegiance tour just a few weeks if not days after 9/11 happened and it always reminds me of that period in time as well.
I like how he moves his head with the whispered "wake up" at 3:49 lol
Hi Doug I have a band you should check out called The Warning. 3 sisters from Monterey Mexico that started out playing classical piano and their parents got them the game rock band. They fell in love and started doing covers and did a cover of Enter Sandman when they were ages 9,12,14 that went viral with over 28 million views. They have 2 EPs and 2 full length albums and releasing their 3rd album on the 24th of June.
a comparison/analysis of their original cover versus the reimagined version from the Blacklist album
Love your extensive analysis of this relatively short but very complex song, especially with you doing the extremely rare thing of playing it twice in order to analyze it fully. 👏🏻 Brilliant and spot-on analysis you give this unique and amazing song. 👍🏻
Good analysis, I've certainly viewed the song in the same light- don't judge people for the choices they make if you don't know the options they had.
Fantastic analysis Doug. Such a powerful song... you nailed it my friend 👏 Having met and spoken to Serj, I know their lyrics always mean something. He's a very deep thinker.
"Why have you forsaken me?" is a direct quote from the Bible. Jesus on the cross turns to his father and asks the question. It's a powerful connection between faith and emotion.
The line from the song is, "father, why have you forsaken me."
Does that answer your question? However, I believe Rick Rubin spoke on this on the Joe Rogan podcast and said it was just random how they added it and had no larger meaning. Like literally flipped to a random page of the bible as a joke or something like that.
A classic System of a Down song and a great analysis. Loving these videos as always, and having a great time making my way through the archive!
This literally made me weep. Especially the second time. Right when you said the name "Jesus"...I lost it. Much love and thank you covering one of the best songs in existence...twice. I won't get into the Biblical connotations here, but you were on point. God bless 🙌
doug, the more i watch your videos, the more i have respect for you - plz keep on posting!
"The day that never comes " by metallica is a must listen with a deep message
Yeah - a great song that I haven't played in far too long. Thanks for the reminder!
I'm amazed how fast you pick up everything! New subscriber!
Chop Suey. Good choice!
20 years later and this song still in my playlists and its been my savior in one way. Remember when I was in a very dark place as a teenager, and how It helped me to just blast this tune on repeat. Today im in a happy place. But this song is a constant reminder that i've made it through those tough years. Music is amazing. And thanks for this amazing channel Doug 🙌