I’ll be honest. I didn’t want to like this album. When Toxicity came out in 2001, I was quickly sold on it. It was intense, dynamic and creative and a breath of fresh air for heavy music that was being crushed under the weight of scores of half-baked alt metal acts. But when Steal This Album came out, it raised serious doubts about the band’s integrity. The music was solid, but the package was designed to look like a burned CD (playing on the fact that it was easily available on many peer-to-peers at the time). It lacked all album art and inserts, yet it was a full-price CD. If they wanted to turn it into an official release to guarantee the quality and integrity of the music, at least they could have sold it for like $5 or $6. That release made me wonder if they were for real or if they were just paying lip service to activism while lining their pockets like Rage Against the Machine. But it didn’t make me question the music. I had to wait for Mezmerize to do that.
Don’t get me wrong, Mezmerize isn’t a bad album. It’s just not up to the standard that SOAD set with Toxicity. Serj Tankian’s quick, jumpy vocals still make things interesting, but the music that supports him is only interesting in a few places, such as the ska-tinged “Radio/Video” or the breakneck “This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I’m on This Song.” Other tracks, such as “Sad Statue” back off the heaviness and allow Tankian’s voice to do more than just deliver the words. When he becomes both rhythm and melody is when Mezmerize is at its best. But most of the time, it’s just slighty above-average, chunky alt metal. After the strength of Toxicity and the musical strength of Steal This Album (especially considering it’s essentially like an album of b-sides), Mezmerize is a step backwards.
Perhaps Mezmerize is just a set-up for the next album due this Fall. If so, it’s a clever trick. If not, it’s just a shame.
Rating: 5/10