10 Perfect Metal Albums With ZERO Flaws
8. Toxicity - System of a Down
At the time, nu metal seemed like a bold new reinvention for the metal genre. The blending of hip hop and metal was interesting at first, but for every band like Korn, there was a Limp Bizkit coming in to de-legitimize any good will the genre had. Nu metal needed to have more meaning behind it, and fans found out just what that meaning was on Toxicity.
Emerging from California, System of a Down were one of the most beautiful oddities of the 2000's metal scene. Though the band fit comfortably amid the other nu metal acts, their views on political problems and oppression felt much more honest than the more infantile complaints of other acts. Many bands were able to express their anger in a primal way, but no one else at the time had a song like "Chop Suey!" or "Aerials," whose lyrics spoke to the emotional habits of man.
In addition to the actual heavy music, the band injected some of their Armenian heritage into the song structures, which gave each track a unique Eastern texture. Nu metal albums were typically just an hours' worth of teen angst, but this was a political unleashing that could stick with you for an entire lifetime.