Your Verdict: Quillford Essentials - Week Eight

[Quillford]

Tell me fortress in a time where the UK charts feature Elbow, Trey Songz ad Emeli Sande would you like some light at the end of the tunnel. If yes is your answer then I am here with pleasant news – Kate Bush is alongside them with Running Up That Hill. Awesome. But with that I bring you Week 8 of Quillford Essentials! If your answer is ‘no’ question yourself why are you really still reading and then go and eat a soldering iron.

Do you like being DOWN? How about, being part of a SYSTEM that is DOWN? Give your selves a hearty nod – IT’S SYSTEM OF A DOWN. These have five albums and lead singer Serj Tankian has even had a slight solo career. Lyrics that feature...
“I, cry, when angels deserve to die”
Is surely worth a listen right? CORRECT. Because I find this heavy rock band, are just what the doctor ordered for my ears. Intelligent lyrics that are quite often aimed at the US government (Sorry TCM) and a soul shaking sound to accompany. This is a band where I enjoy EVERY, SINGLE album on it’s own merit and it needs no backing up from previous works. My favourite album is their biggest, “Toxicity” featuring some amazing track such as “Chop Suey” “Aerials” “Deer Dance” “Shimmy” and “Bounce”. All brilliant. Heavy, fast, head banging GLORY. These people would be amazing live! However today’s track is NOT off my favourite album. I think it would be prudent to suggest a track with some offensive lyrics and a big screw you to today’s adult industry and society.

Off their “Mezmerize” album (also featuring countless awesome classics) this song sticks to the mould of giving an important message while leading a bunch of clueless teenagers into a mosh pit. What more could you want from heavy rock?
What’s more is every member of this band is no word of a lie a fucking genius. They should all have doctorates or something. Listen to these people talk and you will see. Serj has fronted the bands views breaking into some heavy topics politically many times and quite honestly I could see me having a decent debate with them. In the end what are you left with? Some awesome music that manages to get stuck in your head for years at a time. Quill guy OUT.

[lemex]

I got to be honest, I don't like System of a Down. They are fine, but really overrated in my opinion. The guitarist in the band (don't know his name) is actually amazing, but i never found the lyrics all that good - I can think of a number of song writers I think are better personally. I don't know, for some reason System of a Down and I just do not get on well.

[trashcanman]

I've loved these guys since "Sugar". Also, Quillguy, I seek bands out who are anti-establishment so don't apologize. I am IMMENSELY critical of the US government and every wretched aspect of it, and I love that these guys criticize it and often do so in a way that flies over the heads of idiots. Ever ran into people who think BYOB is actually about partying? Awkwaaaaard. Anyways, not my favorite song off that album by a mile, but the reaction it's gotten when it's played at work is priceless. I actually had a coworker melt down when she heard the lyric you mentioned "angels deserve to die" too. It was hilarious. I could have explained to her that it can be viewed as a metaphor for terrorists killing the innocent for their cause -although Malakian has a less specific interpretation, it's hard for me to disassociate this song from 9-11 since it came out the same week- but I realize that some people are too stupid for non-literal lyrics so I just let it be.

It's kind of odd that you think the guitarist is amazing and don't enjoy the band as a whole, Lemex, because Malakian's riffs are actually immensely simple; he just plays them really fast. You could, however do serious harm to yourself trying to play the riff to Chop Suey properly, simple or not. That thing seems like it was designed as some kind of torture device for new guitarists.

[lemex]

I do think the guitarist is amazing, his phrasing and timing is near-perfect, and I will say I do think they are a good band. It's just I don't like them very much. I don't honestly know why, and I really wish I could explain it but I just ... don't like them.

[trashcanman]

Well, they are weird and off-putting. That's part of what attracts me to them, but I'm actually immensely shocked that these guys hit the mainstream. It's like Primus all over again. Every now and then an utterly bizarre niche band just breaks out somehow and basks in the glow of commercial success for a while. But yeah, as simplistic as Malakian's guitar parts are, he plays them amazingly and with a unique style. I'm a fan. But usually when people talk about amazing guitar they mean technical stuff like Malmsteen or Dragonforce so it was kind of a surprising comment from a non-fan.

[lemex]

Malmsteen is amazing, and very technical in his playing. For me personally I don't think Amazing = technical sweep-picking. I really respect Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Satch, guys like that. Dragonforce? Yeah. They are quick alright, but I don't get much else from them. When I listen to their music I just don't feel anything, and to me speed by itself isn't terribly impressive.

One of my favorite players, Eric Johnson, is amazingly technical and amazingly tasteful in his playing. Kurt Cobain wasn't technical at all, but he made me really feel the song. The ability to make the listener feel something is obviously more important than how you do it, and Malakian's playing does make me feel the song - again, I do think they are a good band, they just seem to be not for me.

[trashcanman]

You're correct on all counts, of course. I do love Dragonforce, though, but I have a weakness for power metal. Their music is pretty samey after a while so I'm unlikely to buy another of their albums, but I do love Inhuman Rampage.