Hypnotize (album)

Hypnotize is the fifth studio album by 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
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 22, 2005
StudioThe Mansion
(Los Angeles, California)
Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre
Length39:40
LabelColumbia
Producer
System of a Down chronology
Mezmerize
(2005)
Hypnotize
(2005)
Singles from Hypnotize
  1. "Hypnotize"
    Released: October 11, 2005
  2. "Lonely Day"
    Released: April 17, 2006

Hypnotize is the band's most recent studio album as of 2020.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[7]
The Guardian[8]
Pitchfork7.9/10[9]
Playlouder[10]
PopMatters6/10[2]
Rolling Stone[3]
StylusC[11]
Sputnikmusic[12]
USA Today[4]

Hypnotize received generally positive reviews. 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.[13] 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

All lyrics written by Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian, except where noted. All music written by Malakian, except where noted.

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Attack"  3:06
2."Dreaming" Malakian, Shavo Odadjian3:59
3."Kill Rock 'n Roll"Malakian 2:27
4."Hypnotize"  3:09
5."Stealing Society"  2:58
6."Tentative"  3:36
7."U-Fig" Malakian, Odadjian2:55
8."Holy Mountains"  5:28
9."Vicinity of Obscenity"TankianTankian, Malakian2:51
10."She's Like Heroin"Malakian 2:44
11."Lonely Day"Malakian 2:47
12."Soldier Side"Malakian 3:40
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" (English translation: "Come on, shake!") after the first chorus. A funk/jazzy guitar instrumental, is then played after.

The Charade, originally titled "Charades", a song written and eventually released by Tankian in 2010, was being considered to appear on Mezmerize or Hypnotize, as footage of the band rehearsing it exists on YouTube.[14] The reasons it wasn't featured on neither Mezmerize nor Hypnotize remain unknown.

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 Pro Tools 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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