Hypnotize (album) explained

Hypnotize
Type:	studio
Artist:	System of a Down
Cover:	System Of A Down-Hypnotize.jpg
Studio:	The Mansion and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research (Los Angeles)
Genre:	Heavy metal^[1] alternative metal^[2] hard rock
Length:	39:40
Label:	American Columbia
Producer:	Rick Rubin Daron Malakian
Prev Title:	Mezmerize
Prev Year:	2005

Hypnotize is the fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of its companion album Mezmerize. Mezmerize and Hypnotize both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Reception

Hypnotize received generally positive reviews. It opened at number one on the Billboard 200, with 320,000 copies sold in its first week. The album also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 47,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005. Since its release, Hypnotize has sold 8 million copies worldwide.^[3]

Entertainment Weekly (No. 851, p. 100) - "[T]hey're flaunting a heretofore underexplored sensitive side, offsetting their trademark stampeding riffology with flashes of delicate lyricism." - Grade: B+

Rolling Stone (No. 988, p. 117) - 3.5 out of 5 stars - "Hell immediately runneth over in Malakian's scoured-staccato guitars and Dolmayan's furious hammering."

Spin (p. 62) - Ranked #20 in Spins "40 Best Albums of 2005".

Uncut (p. 109) - 3 stars out of 5 - "System succeed through their skill at wielding complex, progressive heaviness in a pop context."

Track listing

All lyrics written by Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian, except where noted. All music written by Malakian, except where noted.

DualDisc edition – DVD side

• Entire album in enhanced stereo
• The Recording of Mezmerize / Hypnotize
• "B.Y.O.B." and "Question!" videos

Personnel

System of a Down

• Serj Tankian – vocals, keyboards
• Daron Malakian – vocals, guitars, bass (uncredited),^{[4] [5]} keyboards (uncredited)^[4]
• Shavo Odadjian – bass
• John Dolmayan – drums

Vocal duties

• "Attack": Serj Tankian (main), Daron Malakian (second voice)
• "Dreaming": Tankian (main - verses) Malakian (main - bridge)
• "Kill Rock 'n Roll": Tankian and Malakian (both main)
• "Hypnotize": Tankian and Malakian (both main)
• "Stealing Society": Tankian (main - verses) Malakian (main - bridge)
• "Tentative": Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
• "U-Fig": Tankian (main - verses & chorus) Malakian (main - chorus)
• "Holy Mountains": Tankian (main), Malakian (second voice)
• "Vicinity of Obscenity": Tankian
• "She's Like Heroin": Malakian (main), Tankian (second voice)
• "Lonely Day": Malakian (main), Tankian (second voice)
• "Soldier Side": Tankian and Malakian (both main)

Production

• Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian
• Mixed by Andy Wallace
• Engineered by David Schiffman
• Editing by Jason Lader and Dana Nielsen
• Assistant engineer: Phillip Broussard
• All artwork by Vartan Malakian
• Design: System of a Down and Brandy Flower
• String arrangement: Serj Tankian and Marc Mann
• Mix Pro Tools engineer: John O'Mahony
• Mix assistant engineers: Steve Sisco (Soundtrack) and Joe Peluso (Enterprise)
• Album production coordination: Lindsay Chase and Braden Asher
• Recording location: The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles
• Mixed at Soundtrack Studios, New York City and Enterprise Studios, Los Angeles
• Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studios, New York City

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2005)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[7]	89
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[8]	58
French Albums (SNEP)^[9]	124
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[10]	100
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[11]	38
UK Albums (OCC)^[12]	172
Worldwide Albums (IFPI)^[13]	42

Chart (2006)	Position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[14]	64
French Albums (SNEP)^[15]	156
US Billboard 200^[16]	41

Notes and References

1. Web site: System Of A Down – Hypnotize. Ingold. Chris. MusicOMH. November 21, 2005. March 31, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140331192640/http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/system-of-a-down-hypnotize. March 31, 2014. live. I'll go even further – this is perhaps the finest, and most important heavy metal album of the twenty-first century so far..
2. Web site: System Of A Down - Hypnotize - Review. Deniz. BurnYourEars. November 26, 2005. February 3, 2024. de.
3. Web site: What You Didn't Know About System OF A Down's 'Mezmerize' and 'Hypnotize'. Beneath the Surface. November 22, 2020. February 2, 2024.
4. Web site: Daron Malakian: 21st Century Schizoid Man. di Perna. Alan. Guitar World. September 29, 2008. August 30, 2019.
5. Web site: Shavo Odadjian: "System of a Down nunca va a morir". Pedrotti. Fabrizio. Fabrizio Pedrotti. July 18, 2019. August 30, 2019.
6. M&D: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. June 18, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Hypnotize".
7. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2005. Australian Recording Industry Association. June 21, 2021.
8. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 2005. Austrian Charts. de. June 21, 2021.
9. Web site: Tops de l'Année – Top Albums 2005. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. fr. June 21, 2021.
10. Web site: Classifica annuale 2005 (dal 03.01.2005 al 01.01.2006) – Album & Compilation. Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. it. July 5, 2021.
11. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 2005. Recorded Music NZ. June 21, 2021.
12. Web site: The Top 200 Artist Albums of 2005. Chartwatch: 2005 Chart Booklet. Zobbel.de. 39–40. June 29, 2021.
13. Web site: Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2005. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. June 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20081117003309/http://www.ifpi.org/content/library/top50-2005.pdf. November 17, 2008. dead.
14. Web site: Jahreshitparade Alben 2006. Austrian Charts. de. June 21, 2021.
15. Web site: Tops de l'Année – Top Albums 2006. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. fr. June 21, 2021.
16. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2006. Billboard. June 21, 2021.