10 Greatest Hard Rock Closing Tracks

System of a Down's 2001 album Toxicity was a new turn in metal, as it incorporated nu metal influences while also grabbing bits and pieces from Eastern music. From track to track, songwriters Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian wrote songs about difficult subjects from suicidal tendencies to politics to the practices of Charles Manson.

To cap off these thoughtful ragers, "Aerials" opens with a downtuned guitar that sounds almost like an Eastern percussion instrument. Once Tankian starts to sing, the lyrics are a grim depiction of man's outlook on existence, as the life cycle is compared to a waterfall where everything is connected.

As we delve further into the track, Tankian talks about despite being connected, some men just want to see everything crumble around them even if they aren't aware of the impact these actions have on themselves. These blunt lyrics give him way to crushing chords from the band before the song fades out with the intro guitar part, bringing the song full circle. By repeating the intro riff, they re-contextualize the music as something of a cautionary message rather than a soothing interlude. Up until the very end, System of a Down never skimped out on giving fans thought-provoking tunes.