Hypnotize (album)

Hypnotize
Studio album by System of a Down
Released November 22, 2005
Recorded 2004–2005
Studio The Mansion
(Los Angeles, California)
Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length 39:40
Label Columbia
Producer
System of a Down chronology
Mezmerize
(2005)Mezmerize2005
Hypnotize
(2005)
Singles from Hypnotize
  1. "Hypnotize"
    Released: October 11, 2005
  2. "Lonely Day"
    Released: April 17, 2006

Hypnotize is the fifth studio album by Armenian 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 #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making the band one of the few to achieve this with two albums in the same year. Hypnotize was System of a Down's last studio album before their four-year hiatus from August 2006 to November 2010 and is still their most recent album.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk(91%)[6]
AllMusic[7]
E! Online(B)
Entertainment Weekly(B+)[8]
Pitchfork Media(7.9/10)[9]
PopMatters[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
Stylus Magazine(C)[10]
Sputnikmusic[11]
USA Today[4]

Hypnotize opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 320,000 copies the first week. The album debuted at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 47,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005.[12] Since its release, Hypnotize has sold 8 million copies worldwide.

Entertainment Weekly (No. 851, p. 100) - "[T]hey're flaunting a heretofore underexplored sensitive side, offsetting their trademark stampeding riffology with flashes of delicate lyricism." - Grade: B+

Rolling Stone (No. 988, p. 117) - 3.5 out of 5 stars - "Hell immediately runneth over on Malakian's scoured-staccato guitars and Dolmayan's furious hammering."

Spin (p. 62) - Ranked #20 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of 2005".

Uncut (p. 109) - 3 stars out of 5 - "System succeed through their skill at wielding complex, progressive heaviness in a pop context."

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Attack"Daron Malakian, Serj TankianMalakian3:06
2."Dreaming"Malakian, TankianMalakian, Shavo Odadjian3:59
3."Kill Rock 'n Roll"MalakianMalakian2:27
4."Hypnotize"Malakian, TankianMalakian3:09
5."Stealing Society"Malakian, TankianMalakian2:58
6."Tentative"Malakian, TankianMalakian3:36
7."U-Fig"Malakian, TankianMalakian, Odadjian2:55
8."Holy Mountains"Malakian, TankianMalakian5:28
9."Vicinity of Obscenity"TankianTankian, Malakian2:51
10."She's Like Heroin"MalakianMalakian2:44
11."Lonely Day"MalakianMalakian2:47
12."Soldier Side"MalakianMalakian3:40
Total length:39:40

The album was initially going to start with a Middle Eastern style instrumental track entitled "Hezze", which Malakian stated was one of his favorite songs on the record prior to its release. It was dropped at the last minute because the group wanted to open the album with a heavy song, and because the band felt it was incongruous with the other songs on the album. However, during live performances of "Mr. Jack", Malakian would yell "Yalla hezze" after the first chorus. A funk/jazzy guitar instrumental, believed to be "Hezze" is then played after.

DualDisc edition — DVD side

Personnel

System of a Down

Vocal duties:

  • Attack: Serj Tankian (main), Daron Malakian (second voice)
  • Dreaming: Tankian and Malakian (both main)
  • Kill Rock 'n Roll: Tankian and Malakian (both main)
  • Hypnotize: Tankian and Malakian (both main)
  • Stealing Society: Tankian and Malakian (both main)
  • Tentative: Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
  • U-Fig: Tankian (main - verses & chorus) Malakian (main - chorus)
  • Holy Mountains: Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
  • Vicinity of Obscenity: Tankian
  • She's Like Heroin: Malakian (main), Tankian (second voice)
  • Lonely Day: Malakian (main), Tankian (second voice)
  • Soldier Side: Tankian and Malakian (both main)
Production
  • Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian
  • Mixed by Andy Wallace
  • Engineered by David Schiffman
  • Editing by Jason Lader and Dana Neilsen
  • Assistant engineer: Phillip Broussard
  • All artwork by Vartan Malakian
  • Design: System of a Down and Brandy Flower
  • String arrangement: Serj Tankian and Marc Mann
  • Worldwide representation: Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group
  • Mix ProTools engineer: John O'Mahony
  • Mix assistant engineers: Steve Sisco (Soundtrack) & Joe Peluso (Enterprise)
  • Album production coordinator: Lindsay Chase / Braden Asher
  • Recording location: The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, CA and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles, CA
  • Mixed at Soundtrack Studios, New York, NY And Enterprise Studios, Los Angeles, CA
  • Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studios, New York, NY

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

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