10 Classic Music Albums That Will Make You Love Nu Metal
5. Toxicity - System of a Down
The common misconception was that most of the bands in the nu metal scene could scream loud but didn't have much to say underneath. The minute that you got past all of the rage behind the music, all you were left with were songs who's main idea was just "I'm hurting." In an era when the complaining seemed to be pretty shallow, System of a Down gave us all a reason to pay attention again.
Sprinkling in bits and pieces of their Armenian heritage into the music, System's magnum opus Toxicity was looking to cover stuff that was a lot more potent than what was happening at home, whether it was the prison epidemic going on in the US in Prison Song or watching the Earth wither and die beneath our feet with songs like ATWA or Science. Compared to the likes of Korn, there was a lot more concern about our fellow man as well, with Chop Suey and Aerials condemning those who are quick to judge and ask questions later.
Though there are a lot of questions here, there aren't many answers in between the more outlandish songs like Bounce. If anything, this serves as more of a cautionary tale that System put to music for the next few years. And with most of these songs still resonating today, we have either not been listening or haven't come nearly as far as we should have.