System of a Down Get Dark

System of a Down

Dark rockers set to bow second half of "Mezmerize"/"Hypnotize" opus On November 22nd System of a Down will release Hypnotize, the companion album to Mezmerize, which stormed to the top of the chart in May. "We don't look at them as two records, we look at them as one record," says guitarist and songwriter Daron Malakian. "It feels like people haven't heard the whole album yet."

Hypnotize is essentially the missing half of the last album, completing it both musically and artistically with unifying artwork and tracks. Hypnotize's closer, "Soldier Side," for instance, finishes "Soldier Side Intro," Mezmerize's opener. The two combined make for a brooding, politically charged opus. System recorded Hypnotize at the same time as Mezmerize and, like its predecessor, it's full of apocalyptic anti-war lyrics paired with guided-missile guitar riffs and exotic melodies.

"I can't say I sat down and tried to make a dark record," says Malakian. "I guess you could say it's a reflection of the times."

But in the spirit of Mezmerize's "B.Y.O.B.," the band's catchiest song ever, there are some surprisingly pop-friendly moments, including the heart-baring ballad "Lonely Day." "I used to be more focused on 'Let's get it heavy,'" says Malakian. "Now I'm more focused on 'Let's get some emotion out.'"

System of a Down -- who just finished their late fall tour with openers the Mars Volta -- are set to perform next at the MTV Europe Awards on November 3rd in Lisbon, Portugal. The video for the title track and first single off Hypnotize will air on both the band's Web site and MTV beginning November 1st.

source: rollingstone