As their music has endured over the course of the two decades since their last studio album, System of a Down shows have remained a rare commodity — before this week, the band had played a grand total of three U.S. shows in the past three years. Yet for Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan, the ability to reunite sporadically, play a couple of packed-house shows and then wander off in separate directions is possible because of how fine-tuned their craft has become, full of easy instrumental virtuosity and effortless onstage chemistry.
If you were plopped into MetLife Stadium on Wednesday night (Aug. 27), unaware of the greater context of the performance, you’d think that System of a Down had been pummeling stadiums together ceaselessly for years, and that the East Rutherford, N.J. tour stop was one in a months-long string of headbanging balls. Instead, the Armenian-American metal quartet were kicking off a limited-edition stadium run — three cities, two stops each, one top-line rock act preceding each show (Korn was the over-qualified opener on Wednesday) — with the whole affair wrapped up by the end of next week, and who knows what’s to follow.
All of which is to say: System of a Down’s mercurial nature makes these stadium shows all the more special, and if you’re on the fence about trying to snag a ticket over the next week, make the extra effort. Amidst global tumult, the band’s political righteousness sounded especially pointed; in a performance full of screams, the group’s rapport and down-to-earth humor felt just as cathartic. “Chop Suey!,” “Aerials” and “Prison Song” all absolutely crushed. The fact that they weren’t among the very best moments of the evening tells you just how vital of a live act System of a Down remain, and will likely always be.
Here were the five best moments from System of a Down’s first MetLife Stadium show:
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“B.Y.O.B.” as Skull-Crushing Opener
Following a bit of “Soldier Side” as an introduction, the first full song that the band played was their blistering anti-war Mesmerize single, which would have blown the roof off MetLife were it to have one. Flashing lights, thundering guitars, all-encompassing mosh pits and graphics behind the band that read “Human Suffering – Now in 4k!” — “B.Y.O.B.” kicked off the show in singular, unforgettable fashion. -
“Radio/Video” as Dance Break
When System of a Down trotted out “Radio/Video” — following a breathless run of “Needles,” “Deer Dance” and “Darts” — the stomp-along centerpiece of Mesmerize offered a quick, grooving reprieve, with Tankian shuffling around the stage and the “la-la-la” bridge echoed throughout MetLife Stadium. “Radio/Video” should have been an oddball hit 20 years ago; now, at least, it’s a killer song to catch live. -
“Our Lips are Sealed” as Unexpected Intro
Before the band sunk into “Lonely Day,” Malakian preceded the song with one you wouldn’t expect to hear at a System of a Down show: the 1981 Go-Go’s pop-rock classic “Our Lips Are Sealed.” The band also busted out The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” as a teaser ahead of “Lost in Hollywood,” but “Lonely Day” seemed even more poignant with the misdirection that led into it. -
“Snowblind” as Ozzy Tribute
Before performing a faithful cover of Black Sabbath’s “Snowblind” (which System of a Down had actually recorded in 2002, but hadn’t played live in decades) as a tribute to the recently departed Ozzy Osbourne, Malakian told the crowd about how pivotal their early-‘00s stints on the Ozzfest bill had been in breaking System of a Down to U.S. audiences. “We want to thank Ozzy Osbourne!” Malakian bellowed, and was met with “OZ-ZY!” chants from the thousands in attendance. -
“Toxicity” and “Sugar” as Final One-Two Punch
Talk about a haymaker of a finale: the Toxicity title track leading into the highlight of the band’s 1998 self-titled debut sent the MetLife crowd home with their ears ringing. “Toxicity” and “Sugar’ have been closing out System of a Down shows for some time now — to which we say, why mess with perfection?
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