System Of A Down: Serj Tankian (vocals, keyboards): Daron Malakian (guitar, background vocals); Shavo Odadjian (bass); John Dolmayan (drums).
Additional personnel: Rick Rubin (piano); Arto Tuncboyaciyan (background vocals).
Producers: David Schiffman, Greg Collins, Darren Morr.
Engineers: Rick Rubin, Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian.
Recorded at Cello Studios, Hollywood, California.
"Chop Suey!" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
"Aerials" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (9/27/01, p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Both manic and schizoid, Tankian veers easily from sing-rap rhythm to Korn-ish hysterics to demonic baritone growl to doomily ruminative....the music insists on forward motion without trapping itself in a thrashy lock-step rut..."
Spin (1/02, p.76) - Ranked #1 in Spin's "Albums of the Year 2001".
Spin (p.89) - "System have an undeniable nerd-prog charm..."
Entertainment Weekly (9/7/01, pp.161-2) - "...Strange and engaging....It all adds up to bizarro type of meta; that has a warped majesty and strength..." - Rating: B-
Q (9/01, p.121) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s..."
Alternative Press (2/02, p.64) - Ranked #9 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001".
Alternative Press (10/01, p.102) - 9 out of 10 - "...This is not pop music - this is psychic wreckage."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.54) - Ranked #93 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[T]he world's most darkly hilarious noise band had come of age."
