| Steal This Album! | ||||
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| Released | November 26, 2002 | |||
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| Studio | Cello (Hollywood) | |||
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| Length | 43:22 | |||
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| System of a Down chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Steal This Album! | ||||
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Steal This Album! is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on November 26, 2002, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian, it peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard 200. [4]
In early 2002, medium-quality MP3s of the album were released on the internet under the name Toxicity II. The band issued a statement expressing disappointment that fans were hearing material that was unfinished, and they worked to release a completed, better quality version of the album, which became Steal This Album!. [5]
Though often reported in the media as being a collection of B-sides and outtakes, the band insisted that the Steal This Album! material is of the same quality as the tracks which made it onto Toxicity. Vocalist Serj Tankian has said that the songs were left out of Toxicity "because they did not fit the overall continuity of the album". In May 2009, drummer John Dolmayan revealed that the album is his favorite System of a Down release. [6] Similarly, Tankian also called the album his favorite System of a Down album in a 2012 AMA on reddit. [7]
A first version of "Streamline" was used in The Scorpion King soundtrack, which was released in early 2002, and as a B-side on the CD2 edition of "Aerials".
Multi-instrumentalist Arto Tunçboyacıyan sings on the song "Bubbles", making his third appearance with System of a Down (having appeared on two songs on Toxicity ).
Commenting on the track "I-E-A-I-A-I-O", drummer John Dolmayan said it was inspired by an encounter he had with actor David Hasselhoff in a liquor store in Los Angeles when he was around 12: [8]
He was getting a drink, not an alcoholic beverage, a soda or something. He was walking out and I couldn't believe it! Here was Knight Rider in front of me! And I said, 'Knight Rider!' I must have been 12. He looked at me and he goes, 'Hey kid,' and he kind of pointed the finger [at me] cowboy style. I told Serj the story, so the lyrics, 'Meeting John at Dale's Jr. / Winked an eye and point a finger.' 'Dale's Jr.' was the liquor store. There's a little insight.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [9] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Alternative Press |  [11] |
| E! Online | B+ [12] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [13] |
| Kludge | 7/10 [14] |
| NME | [15] |
| Playlouder | [16] |
| Slant Magazine | [17] |
| Spin | [18] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [19] |
The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics scoring 77 out of 100 on aggregate website Metacritic . [20] Giving the album 4 stars out of 5 in his review for AllMusic Chris True noted "If System proved anything with 2001's Toxicity , it's that they're one of the few breaths of fresh air out there in mainstream metal land. This collection is no different, and with its amazing pacing, it's hard to not be moved by what this band can do". [21] "Steal This Album stands head-and-tattooed shoulders above its competition in the hard-rock genre" said Entertainment Weekly in a mutually glowing review, awarding the album a B+ rating. [22]
Rolling Stone called Steal This Album "An absurdist blast of political rage, silly theater and shattered math metal." [19] Jeremy Gladstone of Kludge gave the album a score of 7 out of 10 in his review and both praised and criticized the album writing "Love them or hate them, System is here to stay. The writing is consistent and the music is as tight as we have been accustomed to, perhaps a degree more so at times on the album. Steal This Album is guaranteed to satisfy every System of a Down fan listening. However, from song eight to twelve on the album, the material is a little too similar to really stand out compared to the more intense tracks. Unreleased material can sometimes be good, and sometimes it still doesn't work out". [23]
Victoria Segal, writing for NME , gave Steal This Album! 3.5 stars out of 5 in a less flattering review, stating "System Of A Down's concerns may be no laughing matter, but unfortunately, their music often is. Guitarist Daron Malakian describes this record as 'a bridge between Toxicity and our next record,' which only indicates troubled waters ahead". She did however end her review with "Yes, System Of A Down are insane, ridiculous, a brain-pan pizza with extra mushrooms. But how can something this righteous ever be wrong?" [24]
There are four limited-edition alternate CD designs, each designed and drawn by a member of the band. Tankian's is blue with a poem in white spiraling into its center, Odadjian's is red with psychedelic flames, Dolmayan's is black with a gray skull incorporating the album's title into its teeth, and Malakian's is white with the legs of a man (in jeans) and woman (in red stockings). [25] The vinyl edition of the album was released as a double picture disc with each side featuring one of these designs.
In Europe and the UK, the standard version includes a one-sided front insert, the reason for this being that most CDs in the UK are not sold sealed so it might appear that the cover had been stolen had it been shipped without it. It is all white with the album title in black, similar to the original CD cover. The insert contains minimal information and contains a link to the official website for more track information.
All lyrics written by Serj Tankian, except where noted. All music written by Daron Malakian, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Chic 'n' Stu" | Tankian, Malakian | 2:23 | |
| 2. | "Innervision" | 2:33 | ||
| 3. | "Bubbles" | 1:56 | ||
| 4. | "Boom!" | Tankian, Malakian | Malakian, Shavo Odadjian | 2:14 |
| 5. | "Nüguns" | 2:30 | ||
| 6. | "A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)" | Tankian, Malakian | 3:17 | |
| 7. | "Mr. Jack" | Tankian, Malakian | Malakian, Tankian | 4:09 |
| 8. | "I-E-A-I-A-I-O" | Tankian, John Dolmayan | Malakian, Odadjian | 3:08 |
| 9. | "36" | 0:46 | ||
| 10. | "Pictures" | 2:06 | ||
| 11. | "Highway Song" | 3:13 | ||
| 12. | "Fuck the System" | Tankian, Malakian | 2:12 | |
| 13. | "Ego Brain" | Malakian, Tankian | 3:21 | |
| 14. | "Thetawaves" | Malakian, Tankian | 2:36 | |
| 15. | "Roulette" | Tankian, Malakian | 3:21 | |
| 16. | "Streamline" | Malakian, Tankian | 3:37 | |
| Total length: | 43:22 | |||
System of a Down
Additional musicians
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Singles
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [48] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [49] | Gold | 15,886 [49] |
| Germany (BVMI) [50] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI) [51] sales since 2009 | Gold | 25,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) [52] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [53] | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) [54] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of founding members Serj Tankian ; Daron Malakian ; Shavo Odadjian ; along with John Dolmayan (drums), who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian.
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of System of a Down, which was formed in 1994.
John Dolmayan is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American musician, best known as the drummer of System of a Down. He is also the drummer for the band Indicator and former drummer for Scars on Broadway. Dolmayan ranked number 33 on Loudwire's list of Top 200 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time.
Toxicity is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on September 4, 2001, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Expanding on their 1998 eponymous debut album, Toxicity incorporates more melody, harmonies, and singing than the band's first album. Categorized primarily as alternative metal and nu metal, the album features elements of multiple genres, including folk, progressive rock, jazz, and Armenian and Greek music, including prominent use of instruments like the sitar, banjo, keyboards, and piano. It contains a wide array of political and non-political themes, such as mass incarceration, the CIA, the environment, police brutality, drug addiction, scientific reductionism, and groupies.
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.
Daron Malakian is an Armenian-American musician. He is the guitarist, songwriter, and second vocalist of the metal band System of a Down, and the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter of Scars on Broadway.
"Chop Suey!" is a song by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on August 13, 2001, as the first single from their second album, Toxicity (2001). The single earned the band its first Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Metal Performance. "Chop Suey!" is often considered the band's signature song, and has reached one billion views on YouTube.
Hypnotize is the fifth and most recent studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of its companion album Mezmerize. Mezmerize and Hypnotize both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Mezmerize is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on May 17, 2005, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Upon its release, the album received acclaim from critics. The album sold over 450,000 copies in its first week, and immediately topped the Billboard 200.
"B.Y.O.B." is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in March 2005 as the lead single from their fourth album Mezmerize. Like their earlier song "Boom!", it was written in protest against the Iraq War. The song reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the band's highest peak to date on the chart.
"Toxicity" is a single by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released in 2002. It was originally released on the album of the same name. The writing credits for the song are Malakian, Odadjian, Tankian and Dolmayan. It is known for its dynamic chorus, aggressive vocals, and prominent drum beat. The song is predominantly in triple meter, alternating between 6
4, 12
8 and 4
4 time. The guitar during the verse plays in 6
4 using a 2+2+2 phrasing while the heavy part makes use of a hemiola with the guitar switching to a 3+3+3+3 pattern while the drums remain in compound duple meter until the bridge. The song was ranked number 14 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs, and was called a nu metal classic by Stylus Magazine.
"Innervision" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down, released as a promotional single from their third studio album, Steal This Album! (2002).
"Sugar" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as the band's first ever single on May 24, 1998, and as an EP on May 26, 1999. The song was taken from their debut studio album, System of a Down (1998).
"Lonely Day" is a song by Armenian-American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released in 2006 as the second single from their fifth album Hypnotize (2005), and written by guitarist Daron Malakian, who also provides lead vocals on this track. The song received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.
System of a Down is an American heavy metal band formed by vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan in the mid-1990s. They have released five studio albums, nineteen singles, and thirteen music videos. By the end of 1997, the group had signed to American Recordings, then distributed as Columbia Records. The following year, they released their eponymous debut album, which peaked at number 124 on the United States' Billboard 200 and number 103 on the United Kingdom's UK Albums Chart; it was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and gold by Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). Their eponymous debut album produced a single for the song "Sugar", which reached the top 30 on the Billboard mainstream rock songs and alternative songs charts. Their follow-up album, Toxicity (2001), topped the US and Canadian charts, and also reached the top 10 in Australia, Finland, and New Zealand. The album was certified triple platinum in its home country, and triple platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), as well as double platinum by Music Canada. Toxicity produced singles for the title track, "Chop Suey!", and "Aerials". The last of these peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts.
Elect the Dead is the debut album by rock musician Serj Tankian, lead singer and founding member of Armenian-American metal band System of a Down. It was released on October 22, 2007. Alongside Tankian appears Armenian-American coloratura Ani Maldjian, drummers John Dolmayan and Brain, Dan Monti on guitars, as well as a string section featuring Antonio Pontarelli.
Scars on Broadway is the debut studio album by Scars on Broadway, a band consisting of System of a Down members Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan. The album contains 15 tracks, all written by Malakian.
Imperfect Harmonies is the second studio album by Armenian-American singer Serj Tankian. The album was released on September 21, 2010 through Reprise Records and Serjical Strike Records.
"Boom!" is a song by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as a promotional single from their third studio album, Steal This Album! (2002).
"Protect the Land" is a song recorded by American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released as a double A-side single with "Genocidal Humanoidz" on November 6, 2020, through American Recordings and Columbia Records, to raise awareness and funds for Armenia and the unrecognised Republic of Artsakh amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. It is the band's first release in 15 years since their fifth studio album Hypnotize (2005), their first single in 14 years since "Vicinity of Obscenity" (2006), and their first two singles to not feature their long-time producer Rick Rubin. The two singles have raised over $600,000 that was donated to the Armenia Fund to help those who have been affected by the war.
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