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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 5099751024828 Label: Columbia Manufacturer: Columbia Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Columbia Release Date: November 25, 2002 Studio: Columbia Sales Rank: 5142
Amazon.co.uk Review: With a title to strike fear into humble record-shop managers the world over, Steal This Album finds the anti-establishment edge of crazed American-Armenian metal dissidents System of a Down as finely honed as ever.
Although the album consists mainly of offcuts from the quartet's previous album, 2001's Toxicity, it seems that System are categorically incapable of writing sub-standard material: "Innervision" and "Streamline" bristle with death-metal heaviness and thrash virtuosity, while the mighty "Boom!" proves System's doom-laden message lies at the heart of their musical agenda, spoken-word snippets about Third World starvation and nuclear paranoia sticking up like razor-sharp shards between the broiling choruses.
What makes System of a Down truly peerless, however, is their skill at flipping genres in the blink of an eye. "Nuguns" boasts a solo that appears to be played on some archaic Eastern European stringed instrument, while the oddly touching "Roulette" finds vocalist Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian performing a vocal duet backed by acoustic guitar and keening violin.
Too good to be dismissed as a mere rarities compilation, Steal This Album should be considered a sister record to Toxicity, or at least an excellent stop-gap before the band's next hotly-anticipated instalment --Louis Pattison
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Steal This Album
Although less coherent than their other albums dues to it's 'unplanned' and outtakes nature, this is still a powerful album from an outstanding band. You still get the raw riffs and lyrics, all packaged in SOAD unique style. I love this album, as I do all their music, and would say it is worth it for 'Boom' alone, just listen to the lyrics on it and be blown away. An intelligent, rockin' band, with a lot to say in as fun a way as possible. Highly recommended.
Rating: - This is definitely not a collection of outtakes
Firstly, what a fantastic marketing ploy! Advertise this album as a collection of outtakes that weren't good enough for Toxicity. My expectations of this album weren't great when I bought it based on the marketing speal. But boy when I got it was I surprised. Firstly the songs chop and change in style which to me is fantastic as you never know what to expect. How could this be marketed as outtakes, some of the tracks are classic SOAD. You have something for all SOAD fans here, you have 'Chic ... Read More
Rating: - B-sides, though some are amazing
I've now had this album for 6 months and have had mixed feelings over it, just like the mixed reviews that have come before mine.
I thought of this album as a "didn't make it" album from the day I bought it, no lyrics book and a cheap-ass front cover. This album really did feel like a B-side album way before I found out the truth (it sort of was).
But don't be mistaken, this has some awesome tracks on it; notably, and one of S.O.A.D's best ever tracks "Innervision" and "Nuguns" ... Read More
Rating: - jumbled up affair of songs that are good and bad
i have never bought into lead singer serj tankians statement that this is system of a downs third album proper,never,this is a collection of songs spanning over 6 years so its hardly like they wrote these songs for what would become steal this album,because it is a collection of outtakes and such like it could never better the self titled debut and the stunning toxicity,but that aint the complaint here,what we have are some songs that could easily grace the afformentioned albums and some that just dont work ... Read More
Rating: - Original quircky masterpiece
They're not doing it to appear original or eccentric, these guys genuinely are doing their own thing and doing it well.
This is more punk influenced that their other albums, it's a lesser-known collection of session recordings and discarded album tracks. Short tracks with an explosive guitar and less polished vocals than 'Toxicity', and a great variety of tempos and moods fill this album. There's slow and touching like 'Streamline' and 'Mr Jack', and there's the high energy outbursts - like 'F**k ... Read More
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