System of a Down (album)
| System of a Down | ||||
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| Studio album by System of a Down | ||||
| Released | June 30, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | November 1997 - February 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 | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Q Magazine | |
| Sputnikmusic | |
| Ultimate Guitar |   |
| Drowned In Sound | |
System of a Down is the eponymous debut studio album by the Armenian-American metal band System of a Down, released on June 30, 1998 by American Recordings and Columbia Records. The album was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 2, 2000. Two years later, after the success of System of a Down's next album, Toxicity, the album was certified platinum.
The cover artwork is from an anti-fascist, World War II-era poster designed by the artist John Heartfield for the Communist Party of Germany, which was contemporary with and directly against the Third Reich. The text on the original poster is: "A hand has 5 fingers! With these 5 grab the enemy!" This slogan inspired part of the text contained on the back of the System of a Down 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" (used later by Serj Tankian in the song "Uneducated Democracy").
Q magazine (10/01, p. 152) - 4 stars out of 5 - "This remains an excellent starting point for this most curious band".
The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.Loudwire included the album in its list of The Best Metal Debut Albums, at number 22.
Before some of the lyrics in the booklet for the album, footnotes appear.
"Your thoughts, and dreams are no longer sacred, as they are exposed to a
weapon known as remote viewing and monitoring."
...
Wikipedia