System of a Down (album)
1998 studio album by System of a Down
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System of a Down is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on June 30, 1998, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2000. After the success of the band's following album, Toxicity (2001), System of a Down was certified platinum and has since gone double platinum.[4][5]
| System of a Down | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 30, 1998 | |||
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| Length | 40:36 | |||
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| System of a Down chronology | ||||
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| Singles from System of a Down | ||||
In 2022, Eli Enis of Revolver included the song "Suite-Pee" in his list of the "10 Heaviest Nu-Metal Songs of All Time".[6] In 2025, Rae Lemeshow-Barooshian of Loudwire included the album in her list of "the top 50 nu-metal albums of all time", ranking it third.[7]
Music and lyrics
The album is generally considered nu metal[1][2] and alternative metal.[3] The song "Suite-Pee" is a criticism of pedophilia within the Catholic Church and religious extremism.[8] "Sugar" is about the world's population's over use and reliance on drugs and other substances, as well as the predatory state of media like the news, while "P.L.U.C.K" is about the Armenian genocide.[9]
Artwork
_-_The_Hand_Has_Five_Fingers_(5_Finger_hat_die_Hand)_1928.jpg)
The cover artwork is from a 1928 anti-fascist poster designed by visual artist John Heartfield for the Communist Party of Germany.[4] The text on the original poster translates as: "A hand has 5 fingers! With these 5 grab the enemy!"[10] This slogan inspired part of the text contained on the back of the album: "The hand has five fingers, capable and powerful, with the ability to destroy as well as create". Later, it is written in bold letters: "Open your eyes, open your mouths, close your hands and make a fist."[citation needed] Serj Tankian later reused the phrase in the song "Uneducated Democracy" from his 2012 album Harakiri.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 8/10[11] |
| Drowned in Sound | 10/10[12] |
| Kerrang! | [13] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[14] |
| Q | [15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
System of a Down received acclaim from music critics.[17] Q called it "an excellent starting point for this most curious band".[15]
The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[18] Loudwire included the album in its list of The Best Metal Debut Albums, at number 22.[19]
Track listing
Original release
All lyrics are written by Serj Tankian, except "CUBErt" co-written by Daron Malakian; all music is composed by Malakian, except where noted.[20]
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Suite-Pee" | 2:31 | |
| 2. | "Know" | Shavo Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Sugar" | Odadjian, Malakian | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Suggestions" | 2:44 | |
| 5. | "Spiders" | 3:35 | |
| 6. | "DDevil" | Odadjian, Malakian | 1:43 |
| 7. | "Soil" | 3:25 | |
| 8. | "War?" | 2:40 | |
| 9. | "Mind" | Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian | 6:16 |
| 10. | "Peephole" | 4:06 | |
| 11. | "CUBErt" | 1:50 | |
| 12. | "Darts" | 2:42 | |
| 13. | "P.L.U.C.K." (Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers) | 3:33 | |
| Total length: | 40:36 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Marmalade" | 3:02 |
| 15. | "Störagéd" | 1:19 |
| Total length: | 44:57 | |
Limited edition bonus CD
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sugar" (Live from Irving Plaza, New York, Jan 19, 1999) | Odadjian, Malakian | 2:27 |
| 2. | "War?" (Live from Irving Plaza, New York, Jan 19, 1999) | 2:48 | |
| 3. | "Suite-Pee" (Live from Irving Plaza, New York, Jan 19, 1999) | 2:58 | |
| 4. | "Know" (Live from Irving Plaza, New York, Jan 19, 1999) | Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian | 3:04 |
| Total length: | 13:17 | ||
Notes
Personnel
Personnel taken from System of a Down CD booklet.[20]
System of a Down
- Serj Tankian – lead vocals, keyboards, samples
- Daron Malakian – guitars, backing vocals
- Shavo Odadjian – bass
- John Dolmayan – drums
Production
- Produced by Rick Rubin with System of a Down
- Mixed by D. Sardy
- Engineered by Sylvia Massy
- Engineer/assistant engineer: Greg Fidelman
- Additional recording/finishing touches: D. Sardy
- Assistant engineers: Sam Storey, Nick Raskulinecz
- Assistant mixdown engineers: James Saez, Greg Gordon, Andy Haller
- Second assistant mixdown engineer: Bryan Davis
- Extra piano by Rick Rubin
- Photography: Anthony Artiaga
- Cover art: John Heartfield
- Art direction: Frank Harkins & System of a Down
- Recorded at Sound City, Van Nuys, California
- Vocals and additional recordings at Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Hollywood, California
- Mixed at Record Plant Studios, Hollywood, California & Hollywood Sound, California
- Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Studios, New York City
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[39] | Platinum | 40,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[40] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[41] sales since 2009 |
Gold | 25,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[5] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||