SOAD cd collection n fun facts :)))

Finally after years of searching I got my hands on all the cd albums released by SOAD n I couldn't be happier. My gf gave me the debut album (luv u) as an anniversary gift n now after a little trip I had w her a few days ago I found the rest of their discography ¿;
And so I wanna share some fun facts I know ab some of the songs and albums.

So straight to the point:

System of A Down, debut album of the band released on 1998. The hand on the cover is from a German communist poster by John Heartfield from world war II. The original poster has the slogan "The hand has 5 fingers. With 5 you can grab the enemy!" which inspired part of the text on the back cover of the album that reads "The hand has five fingers, capable and powerful with the ability to destroy as well as create."

• They opened for Slayer at a concert with this album. Though they weren't well received by Slayer fans at all, thanks to this they got more recognition. Surprisingly, they aren't the only band who got popular after being badly received as openers for Slayer.

  
  

also, it's an og 1998 pressing from Argentina

Toxicity was released a few days before the 9/11 attacks (4th sept 2001) which provoked a lot of controversy because of the way system approaches their music, leading to it getting banned on public radio along with many other bands at the time. 

On the day of the attacks, Shavo's mom called him urgently to tell him to turn the tv on, followed by another call from their agent telling the great news that the album has reached top 1 on the charts (n also keep in mind that they were on tour at the time this happened).

A few days later, Serj uploaded an essay on the band's page titled Understanding Oil that basically called people to ask themselves "why did this happened?", proceeding to explain that it was a reaction from the Middle East by the decades of interventionism, coups and the exploitation of oil reserves that they suffered at the hand of the USA. (ofc this wasn't to excuse the genocide provoked but to encourage people to reflect on what's going on)

• According to Daron Malakian on an interview at Download Festival 2005, the song Toxicity talks about ADHD and how it is looked down upon by society. The quick rhythm changes and melodic vocals abruptly interrupted by harsh screams portray the unquiet minds that jump from one thing to another nonstop.
  From the lyrics, I found two interpretations of the verse, "eating seeds as a past time activity" from the pov of someone with ADHD: First one I saw was about presenting said "seeds" as medication, that at the time, was overprescribed for those kids who would "act out" to control their behavior and basically numb them out of it. And the second one (that I must say is my fave by how clever it is) says that those in the 2000s spent most of their time on their computers so downloading "seeds" was mostly what they would do, since that's how they called the files to download or share pc programs of any kind. 

Steal This Album! was known before as "Toxicity II" by leaked mp3 files of demo and unreleased songs from toxicity, that were shared among fans. The band got upset that their fanbase had to listen to bad quality stuff so they announced Steal This Album! with the same songs (and a few new ones as Fuck The System, Innervision, Ego Brain) but polished n' high quality :)

• Also, the title is a reference to the book "Steal This Book" by the social activist Abbie Hoffman in 1971. 

Hypnotize and Mezmerize, co-albums realized on 2005. The paintings used for both albums were made by Vartan Malakian, Daron Malakian's father. Some time ago I read someone saying that they represented the stages of hypnosis, where Mezmerize's cover represents the first stage where you're being hypnotized but still conscious and Hypnotize (a bit obvious given by the name) being where you can see a main head above all, representing a big presence leading all the individuals under their control.
By relating it to the music, it could mostly represent how the media and big corporations are controlling us all with their influence as hollywood is mentioned many times and how they use obscenity and addictions to move the masses.

• Side note: It kinda upsets me that most people see Vicinity Of Obscenity as "haha funny song terracota pie" and nothing else instead of seeing past it's presentation.
  Terracotta pie has been used as a sexual term many years ago (from what I've searched circa 2006/2009), it is described as a way to call an asian female's genitalia, and also a way to refer the aftermath of anal sex (where semen n excrement are mixed up,,, ik, gross). Where again, we go back to how this kind of media is used to control society, that's with the title Vicinity Of Obscenity.
  
  In the vicinity of obscenitys. straight up "terracotta pie-ing my banan". and by "banan", haha, well. let's justr say. My peanits (sorry i'm unemployed)

But anyways, when both cd's are open you can connect the inside sleeves to complete a piece by Vartan Malakian. Which surprises me that I've haven't seen someone mention it before.

(The other disc isn't there bc I was listening to it when I took the pic lolz)

That's all w my yapping session. If anypony knows more funfacts ab system or their albums pls leave a comment, ty :)