Angels & Suicide?! "Chop Suey" Vocal ANALYSIS and a deep dive into Serj Tankian of System Of A Down
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2022
- I don't think I've been this excited for an artist since I heard Ronnie James Dio. Serj Tankian's vocals are so intriguing and have incredible depth that leaves me with absolute butterflies. "Chop Suey" was your next most recommended analysis, but I need more. I NEED MORE! Let me know down below which System Of A Down or Serj song I should check out next!
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to System Of A Down performing "Chop Suey" for the first time.
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Performed by System Of A Down - Words and Music by Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian
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I definitely recommend watching the original video without interruptions. Here's the link: • System Of A Down - Cho...
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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. Hai.. salam kenal, saya salah satu pengemar anda dari Indonesia 🇮🇩, jika anda mempunyai kesempatan saya ingin meminta anda untuk reaction Dir En Grey Vinuskha Live HD English sub
. Terima kasih 🙏
Those dark thoughts that you don't necessarily want to happen are called intrusive thoughts.
Hey.. U should make a reaction 'Hypnotize' song from SOAD..
Maybe I can't find it but have you done B.Y.O.B. or Prison Song yet? Both are a must listen!!
ua-cam.com/video/KAO7vs_Q9is/v-deo.html&feature=shares
Watching her listen for the first time is the closest feeling to actually HEARING it for the first time. Hearing someone accurately articulate WHY the song feels the way it does is awesome.
That. It's like I listened to the song for the first time again, and those emotions are back now, but its like it added something new to it as well.
this is actually the first time I've cried listening to this song. Hearing this as a teenager when it came out, I never really thought deeply about the lyrics. Now I'm 42, and this shit hits on all levels.
@@scumdog666 same for me with 30 now. As a teen is just loved the song but never thought about why.
@@scumdog666 yupp felt that. then caught myself, shocked at these new found feelings over the song. music is powerful stuff.
So true
Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian singing together is one of my favorite harmonies ive ever heard. They compliment each others voices like brothers.
Yeah, they're the metal version of Simon & Garfunkel. Which obviously isn't a bad thing lol.
One of the most beautiful things is they switch up who sings the higher lines and who sings the lower lines. In classical western theory, crossing different voices like that is shunned, but SOAD shows that it can be beautiful.
Yes!!, actually “Revenga” blows my mind.
Agreed
On par with the Layne Staley/Jerry Cantrell duet.
It’s so nice to see someone taking this music seriously and seeing the artistry and talent. I’m guessing that’s why so many metal heads watch this channel. Like, I am not really interested in the mechanics of singing, but I can’t stop watching just because she actually appreciates music that we’ve all been told is trash for decades.
Wait who told you soad was trash
@@DanKaschel Speaking generally about metal, not just SOAD.
If you claim to be a metal head and you say SOAD sucks...you're not a metal head in my book.
I can't stand some metal bands and I don't listen to them, but I can give credit where credit is due and I can appreciate the music that those bands make, people have this idea that if they don't like a band then they automatically suck and it's kinda sad TBH.
That is my definition of a true metal head.
SOAD is one of the best bands and they were pretty influential in the early 2000's.
@@hotbutterypopcorn9652 Yea this may be true, but the reality is when SOAD was starting out more metal heads hated them than liked them.
Well said.
It's been more than 20 years and I still can't listen to Serj Tankian's voice without getting emotional. That's how powerful a performer he's.
he is awsome
Such a shame we're been deprived of him at his best. A classic case of too much success.
Serj is a musical gift from the Heavens 😭
same brother, same... he truly is a gift from heaven sent to grace the destitute plains of the earth...
You can't end on a contraction my guy
SOAD has a unique ability to be simultaneously silly, serious, ugly, angry, sad, and beautiful. The end of this song is so beautiful.
Exactly, it flies from craziness to sheer melancholy to super heavy completely naturally. Heard every song hundreds of times, it still blows my mind.
This is the best description I have heard about Soad
Could apply it to them using the stages of grief in the songs the denial fanatic chaotic intro, anger focused or lashing, bargaining in a balanced but still energetic, depression in a sudden or slow snap back, and acceptance in a slow fade or resolution.
For real. Even the most ridiculous-sounding songs like 'Cigaro' are about heavy topics.
I've loved this song (and SOAD in general) since I was little, there's something magic in that "hauntingly-beautiful" ending of the song that instantly draw me to them. I think there's a lot I have to thank them for, I've come to understand music deeper and it's mostly because of SOAD
For more SOAD recommendations, "Question!" is a wild one. "Hypnotize" could be a good one for analysis as well since if gives both Serj and Daron solo vocal sections as well as combined sections.
"Question!" is one of my favorite System songs and would be a great one for Elizabeth to react to because of the odd time signatures and the vocal harmonies. I agree with "Hypnotize" too. But, honestly, you can't go wrong with any System song
Yes I agree nananananana
I second this!!
Yes, Question must be next
yep... quiestion is probably my favorite soad song. Soo good
Absolutely love her passion, the giggles and the laughs and the visible excitement - why she’s so so much better than all the other voice coaches on this platform
Music tickles her internally, and I see nothing wrong with that 😂
I love it. It’s actually insanely charismatic but it comes naturally to her 😍 you just wanna be her friend fr
Because she's onest, and really can live the feeling of the music. She's not just a musician and singer she goes beyond the songs and she has the sensitivity to let the music touches her inner feelings...
100%
Imagine hearing this song for the first time, 12 years old, with a ton of festering emotions. The song still hits me the same from the very first time.
Imagine listening to SOAD early September 2001 with all their anti American sentiment and then September 11 happens, and you relisten to the album hearing about jet pilots flying over the bay and wondering what the hell js going on there..
i was 14 man i can feel ya :o
I was 18. It hits hard.
Same. Funny thing is I was on my way home from seeing the Nutcracker with my mom 😅
Her: "this is so deep, emotional and exciting at the same time, I am so moved"
Me: "drums go BRRRT"
😂
yes, drums do indeed go brrrrrt!
Is that you, Animal?
BRRRT?
@@williammatthews693 yea brrrrt? Noises made by drums and a-10's
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the passion and detail she puts in this videos?
yeah, she is very detail.. and repeat it again and again. thats awesome, she really pour her attention to every element of the song. sorry for my bad english.
@@anggeraprasetyo5616 Your English is better than some English people I know.
Moment taken. This is my new UA-cam obsession
I just discovered her a couple weeks ago with AIC "Down In A Hole" Unplugged.. I've been hooked ever since. I can't sing but she's very informative and her smile is absolutely contagious.
This is the only legitimate reaction channel. The rest just sit there and make one or two minor comments to get views.
This woman’s passion for music is beautiful and easily felt through the screen. People with such a passion for what they enjoy/love are almost always entertaining when you can feel the authenticity of their emotions
Just have to say thank you. I haven't been able to listen to this song in about 15 years. I was scared to listen to the music I loved because it was such a huge part of my severe depression and once I was stable, I feared how emptional it could make me. I'm finally in a place where I feel safe enough to feel emotions without them taking over and your video helped me feel safe. I know its ridiculous, but its true. So thanks❤
It's not ridiculous, makes total sense. Glad you could hear it again without that fear.
Thx for sharing. For me it went totally opposite, I wasn't able to listen to this kind of music when it was published as I had severe depression back then. Now, as this luckily has long been resolved, this music finally touches me without the fear of "cooking" things up that would have destroyed me in my bad days.
You expressed perfectly how I've felt until recently. Scared to listen to music that got me through a very dark period of my life. How irrational! But at the same time demonstrates the drive for self-preservation by our minds perfectly.
I feel this comment. These are helping me realize I can start listening to my favorite songs again and not be broken
Yeah the water is deep dark and scary... sometimes it's not even conscious avoidance and can sneak in. And you suddenly realise a favourite artist has been unplayed for years.
"Emotional deprivation schema" is the term my psychologist used when trying multi-modal treatment, and it it made so much sense. Starving myself of emotions, and even now after successfully getting the deprivation managed it relapses. That fear/avoidance runs so deap and seems to take priority over every other emotion.
"Mood Whiplash, the Song"
This song sounds how depression feels. The constant tension, only interrupted by either emotional outbursts or bouts of melancholy, switching unpredictably; self-blame ("You wanted to!") questioning existence itself ("Why have you forsaken me?"), feeling fundamentally misunderstood ("I don't think you trust...") and so much more... And they still manage to turn it into an "acceptable" outlet for those feelings...
That's really on point. Exactly how it feels.
This verse is actually totally random as SOAD did not have text for that part of the song so they just picked a book and sang the first thing they saw, its explained in one of Joe`s podcasts ua-cam.com/video/1P__qjVB9Tc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=VictimsOfADown
@@postfraction Love this, but the unpredictability and highs and lows were not on accident. Musical geniuses, and knowing that the bridge came from a book in Rick Rubin’s library makes it even better to me
@@postfraction
>Random book
No offense but, I think that "random book" is the bible because the lyrics "Father, Father, Father why have you forsaken me?" Is clearly inspired from Mark 15:34. Which is fitting because the whole song has "Self righteous suicide" and "Angels who deserves to die" lyrics line.
lol, although the interpretation is something that also fluctuates through personal ideas, this song cleary was written to describe the process of a soldier who grabs the equipments and is sent to die in the battlefront
"Lonely Day" is a great one for hearing more of Daron. The harmonization gives me chills every time. It has little more of a somber and restrained soft of feel to it.
And if you go, i wanna go with you .. and if you die, i wanna die with you ... taaaaake my hand and walk awayaaaaaaayy ....
Yeees
Roulette is a lot better, I think.
I'm not even emotional but I have to say this one had me like...damn dude. Stop it. Don't do this to me.
Ughhhh one of my favorites
imagine what we felt back in 2001 the first time we heard this band and song... damn. still hits like the first time
I was a very small kid. I was confused as hell. I had no idea why I loved this song so much.
And was released on 9/11
The impact was huge
This song still gives me goosebumps. Over 20 years later and it still holds up.
Well... some people think this music sucks... anyway! It's a fucking masterpiece! 🙌
Am I the only one who still shivers despite having listened to SOAD songs thousands of times?
Nope gives me chills everytime
Chills in a BAD way, I'm sure. Absolutely horrible.
@@robballinger9994 If you had any ear for music you would be able to appreciate this caliber of songwriting. You probably listen to country music. Politely screw off.
Absolutely amazing you mean ?
@@robballinger9994 .
This song mimics the highs and lows someone with depression feels. The moments of calm interspersed with the chaos of your thoughts.
Bpd
No one asked
@@bubbly1179 🤡
That makes sense, Soad always adds so much to their songs
Exactly this. So accurate.
It's funny how you can hear a song so many times over the years and yet all of a sudden find something in it you never realised previously. That's the beauty of fantastic music.
Literally the best musical breakdown ever put into ANY song, just flat out. Not only does this song demonstrate the vocal range and emotion of the angelic vocals of serj tankian, but also puts together and orchestrates an incredible resounding breakdown that literally makes me feel like im ascending with every single listen, an absolute piece of work and heart put into a less than 4 minute clip of audio.
The amount of joy I get when "trained professionals" actually listen to "hard/heavy" etc. type music and realize how talented they are. 🤘
As a fully trained symphonic orchestra violinist... My favorite genre is absolutely heavy metal. The amount of debates I've had with my professors on how metal music is actually very similar to baroque hahaha
@@rai1879 Metal guitar players like Malmsteen and many other are clrearly influenced by baroque and classical music in their style of play. Many metal bands have deep roots in classical music. Some are also adding orchestrations to their music too. And i am not just talking about only symphonic metal bands like nightwish but also about more extreme bands like Celtic Frost.
If you look at how easy it is to combine orchestra music with heavy metal, and how good it actually sounds to put the two together, you realize that they're more similar than most people think. The first time I heard them put together was when Metallica released S&M, where they redid their songs with a full symphony, and it sounded amazing. You can also see it in bands like nightwish too.
@@ananthropomorphictalkinggo6641 You beat me with Nightwish, you also have Evanescence that heavily leans on Classical music.
Honestly IMO Metal/Hardrock and Symphony together make the best fusion of any other genre of music as at their core they are giving off that Gothic essence that plays off each other, Game soundtracks like Guilty Gear, BlazBlu, Final Fantasy, Devil may Cry, and Anime have always explored a variety of musical styles and fusions of styles some hit or miss, as music tends to set a mood or pacing for the media.
Also taking it 1 step further, Metal Hellsinger and Bullets per Minute or BPM for short incorporate the beat and music into the actual gameplay itself.
People tend not to really give media its due when it comes to music production other than a few forms like TV and Movies.
@@nocturnal101ravenous6 I don't know if you ever played the game Quake back in the day, but Trent Reznor actually did the soundtrack for it. That's what made me realize that a lot of game soundtracks weren't just throwaway background noise, but actually a legitimate art. Halo 2 had the guitarist from incubus make a bunch of music for it too.
The strangest thing is, when you already love a song and then someone with the greatest insight goes through it, and you love the song even more. Thank you, Elizabeth! ❤
yea im really enjoying listening to my fav songs via reaction videos now....i watched a young guy called 'pope' listening to 'suppers ready' by genesis and it blew my mind watching him experience a 20 minute song , progressive rock for the first time...dunno if your a peter gabriel genesis fan but if you are then check it out.
If you liked this, highly recommend checking out 12tone's video on the song ua-cam.com/video/qQVZdnfJqlk/v-deo.html (Elizabeth, you should watch this too if you see this comment; he dives deep into the chords used and how they change at the end to emphasize that emotional swell you were talking about, and it's absolutely beautiful)
Oh yes. You are correct. I already love this song for 20 years. Now i love this song even more after watching this video.
Yep, definitely.
Same as when she did Korn - Freak On A Leash
@@silly_programme5061 Love me some 12 tones.
4.5 minutes into the video and you haven't gotten past 20 seconds of the song. You are appreciating EVERY moment of it, and I love that. This is by far my favorite band, and I'm glad you're giving them the appreciation they deserve for their artistic value. Again, thank you!
Thank you for this analysis. I’ve loved this song since it was released but I’ve never looked into the intended meaning behind the song. I lost my husband in 2020 to bowel cancer. A friend of mine lost her husband shortly after to suicide. Our grieving journeys have been so different because mine has been public and embraced by society. She has been largely alone and her husband has been judged. It has affected our children differently too. This song’s message is true. And it took this video for me to appreciate the lyrics fully. Thank you xx
I really hope you both are doing well
I'm sorry for your loss and I hope you are in a better place now. I just lost my father to cancer and the world seems to be a frightening and unforgiving place for me currently.
God bless to all of you
I still highly recommend Serj Tankians solo song “Empty walls” performed with the elect the dead symphony. Highlights his vocals amazingly
Yes this one is a good! Metal singer with a symphonic orchestra! That is something that she needs to see
Yes please this...
Ahem... The Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra supported him here. As a long time SOAD fan, I'm still kinda chuffed that here lives here in New Zealand now. It's an amazing performance.
I think my favorite from his solo stuff is "Sky is over"
And he sings that album live with am orchestra too, its beautiful
I’ve heard this song a million times, and the chorus still give me goosebumps every time.
Instant chills. Every. Single. Time. Yes!
That chorus had such an impact on me that the first time I heard it, the location I was in was absolutely seared into my memory. I completely disengaged from my physical surroundings because it just took me right out of the setting. I was totally unresponsive until the song ended. I spent the next three MONTHS trying to find the name of the song and the artist/band. (Bear in mind this was back before internet was so prominent. LOL)
Fell in love with SOAD's music on this song, and loved every single piece of theirs that I heard afterwards - and Serj's solo works, too.
Absolutely man. Makes we wanna drives fast alone on a summer night with the windows down. Takes me back
The bizarre part for me was that I always put the bridge "Father..." together with the chorus and assumed they were taking a shot at religion, but the reveal that it was actually about suicide makes it so much more poignant.
the piano at the end is so good.
@@Vergil394 yup. it's subtle, but those arpeggios are great.
The verses in Chop Suey are like a kids' clapping game. Absolutely love it. The best SOAD songs are a combination of emotional singing, energetic chanting, and pure rhythmic aggression.
I don't usually comment but this time I need to. When I chose this video I was hoping to find an analysis of Serj's vocals, which I find very captivating to hear,(I love his voice) but instead I ended up crying. I'm a spanish native so the truth is I never looked for the song meaning or neither the lyrics, and although I do understand english, it's hard to really understand them in this song just by hearing it. And when you explained the title of the song I was shocked, just right before that part "Father into your hands I commend my spirit" where I right away understood the whole song... I couldn't help to feel so emotional... I'm never going to hear this song the same way... Just thank you for this video.
After all these years that final chorus still gives me goosebumps.
you aren't alone there
Exactly 😬
Yeah, it just moves something inside of you. Your body can't ignore it.
Those vocal runs bring tears to my eyes
Every single time
“Spiders” would be My recommendation for a System of a Down song to check out next.
It has a pretty wide dynamic range and the vocal performance is pretty great as well.
as great as the first album was, this was the one that hooked me, and is still one of my favs
@@gravija666 I used to have the Scream 3 soundtrack years and years ago when I was a kid and that song was on it. I fell in love when I heard it and that’s what actually got me into SOAD.
I'm so disappointed that I had to scroll down so far to see someone suggest spiders.
Lol, I know right!
It’s just a great song but especially for a channel that really focuses on the vocals it doesn’t get much better imho.
Great song
I’ve just recently found your channel and boy do I wish I’d found it sooner. Watching you listen intently and be so affected by the instrumental parts, the swapping styles of singing, etc. It really is a joy to watch. You are incredible!
Whenever this song gets played in our local metal bar everyone sings along. When it gets towards the end (Father, Father etc) the passion everyone has given me goosebumps every time. There are a few metal songs that seem to connect to the metalhead spirit and this is definitely one of them.
"Lost in Hollywood" is such a multi-layered song that deserves your attention for sure.
Can't agree more. I was literally crying while Daron was singing it at the concert
The dreamy floaty ethereal bridge, the 'you're lost in the letters and look at all of them beg to stay' is so so so so so so so good. It's gone as quickly as it arrives but it's so gorgeous
ua-cam.com/video/E0XaAq80WDU/v-deo.html
Live in Rio in amazing
Could not agree more
The "why have You forsaken me?"... always gets me...bring tears to my eyes, the way he sings it as well as with the emotional breakdown into the half time.
Fun fact about that the man who helped serj write the lyrics gave home the idea for that part. Serj said he didn’t know what to sing there and the guy said pick up a random book flip to a random page and read the first thing you see and he did and that’s the lyrics came from for that part
Same
@@furyplanetk4448 The man who helped write this is Jesus for gods sake. 😅These are his last words being nailed to the cross. You can be sure that nothing about this is random.
@@VogMasu it is because the "random book" was the Bible. He grabbed it and just pointed at those exact words. Look up the video explaining it
@@lounasty69 None of us were there when they wrote it, but think about it: you are writing a song about suicide and dying angels and then you pull out the most famous quote from the most famous book in history which happens to fit perfectly to the rest of the song and all that happened by coincidence and you had now idea what you were looking for in that library? Really?
It was either Jesus himself who guided his hand on that day or he is trying to fabricate a myth about his songwriting. 😉
That last part gives me chills every time. What a masterpiece.
the harmony
A big part of the reason the ending feels the way it does has to do with the bassline and the guitar coming together. There’s a subtle dissonance between them throughout the entire song so when the guitar switches up at the end for the tail of the bridge and final chorus it creates a kind of sonic relief
I love the juxtaposition of someone who’s clearing extremely knowledgeable and talented musically, appreciating Chop Suey in a child like wonder. She can explain why this is such a schizophrenically beautiful song.
As a long-time musician and fan of metal, people who don't listen to it always ask me how I can listen to it, as to them it's just noise. I tell them that to the average consumer, bread is just bread; but to the baker, it's a series of ingredients: yeast, sugar, salt, etc. that come together to make something wonderful. Metal is the same way for me, and I think you portray it the same way in your analysis of music, and I can really appreciate that. Some people think that Mozart or Bach or Chopin would be appalled if they could come back and hear what music has become today, but I'm not so sure. I think they would analyze it in much the same way, and really see the goodness in the way the ingredients all come together.
Culturally some are quiet ones like Indians plus in India music is only melody, since melody in a pop song is simpler hence the ragas came to be. Indians music is about soft expression mostly and serious topics are also covered but again in a melodious way.
This music is like you really are disturbed like "father why have you forsaken me in your thoughts etc" and emotions come across real because of high energy in vocals. Since the song start with higher energy for impact areas to have bigger impact for contrast there needs to be screaming, most people will not like it.
I have been a SOAD and A7X fan since college and I remember I used to sing this with door closed on high volumes. Ah! those times!
Well said
agreed, they would be impressed by some of what metal has accomplished
I really can imagine Bach listening to that wonderful piece of music and start jamming with the rest of the band.
Beethoven was a metal head before metal existed. Guy wrote some badass songs
I'd like to recommend "Forest" for its delicious vocals, "Psycho" for it's dark tone that'll probably have you close to tears, and "Deer Dance" the very Serj vocals mocking the absurdity of the modern evils that the song is shining a light upon.
Or just pick literally any other song from the Toxicity album because the entire album is golden.
And after every song from Toxicity do every song from every other album because they're all golden.
Spiders is an amazing one as well!! It was written by Serj, and it allow him to do a bunch of interesting things with this voice
Forest is definitely my favorite SOAD song.
Gotta do Soldier Side for sureeee
Forest is my personal favorite
This song was played on repeat at my buddies wake with a video of him... one of the niceset and coolest people I've had the pleasure of knowing. RIP Jason
Even though I have heard this song an uncountable number of times since it first was released, I want to give you so much credit to the passion you put into reviewing this song and effectively recharging it in my mind. At about 17:15, you had helped to build up so much emphasis on the meanings and nuances, that when the band hit that powerful harmony I actually nearly teared up. Well done. You are good at this 🙂
No matter how many times I hear, " Father into your hands I commned my spirit. Father into your hands, why have you forsaken me? In your eyes forsaken me? In your thoughts forsaken me? In your heart forsaken me?"
It makes me shed a tear, not as much as the first time... but a tear shed none the less.
It's all a mockery of Jesus death on the cross.
They are calling it a self-righteous s....de because the Bible teaches that Jesus himself came to earth and voluntarily took the death penalty upon himself in our place so God doesn't have to judge us for our sin, because the Bible says that the wages of sin is death.
The bible also teaches that Jesus died only for mankind, because we were tricked into the fall out of ignorance, but not for Satan and his angels because they understood the full consequence of rebelling against God. (They are the angels who deserve to die).
I used to listen to this song quite often when I was young, but to be honest, today the whole lyrics disgust me, because I understand what Price Jesus paid for my sins and how these people blaspheme him.
Most interesting part is where that line comes from. Serg was stuck writing and asked Rick Ruben for help - they flipped a book open, randomly pointed to a line, and used it. Ruben talked about it on JRE recently
@@hakimmohamad6216 Amen.
Luke 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
It apparently has no meaning.
@@Isaac-eh6uu Yeah when they were recording with Rick Ross (i think it was him) they were struggling to find words for that portion of the song. So Rick said "go to my library, pick a random book and see if anything comes to mind" so Serj goes and choses a random book and see's the words and thought they sounded call and appropriate
Ive heard this song so many times over the years that ive grown numb to the emotional aspect of it and seeing you experience it for the first time makes me remember all the feelings i had the first time too. I almost teared up 🥹
Honestly I am halfway through the video and fought back tears so many times already
@@carinaisstillhere5474 its beautiful lol
I feel you there.
Same.
I have cried during every single one of her vidoes on SOAD songs for that exact reason. It is unreal how well she articulates the emotion but how well they convey it in the first place.
This is a beautiful video. Your reaction, your facial expressions...im literally tearing up here. Youre amazing!
Seeing someone indulge in the analysis of music with this pure enjoyment and fascination is such a joyful thing. I love your channel, it's so cool seeing so many pieces of music dissected through someone else's perspective... The different things that jump out at you, the things we both noticed, it's just really neat seeing someone who obviously has a deep love for and familiarity with music making these discoveries.
Also you're just a treat to listen to in general. Charismatic indeed.
One of my favorites by them is "Spiders" from their early days and they do an awesome live performance on Conan O'Brien's Late night show.
Completely agree on Spiders. Amazing song
YEEEEES my fav!!!!!!
Spiders is the first song i learned on bass guitar. Great song
Yes! Spiders next.
YESSSS
Another amazing song by Serj is "Empty Walls". I would love to here your breakdown of this fantastic song. Serj puts so much emotion into it. It's an absolute masterpiece.
Empty walls with elect the dead symphony is soo good!
yessssss
Lie Lie Lie would be even better, his vocal range in that song is amazing.
Came here to vote for Empty Walls
It is so fun to watch someone who knows what they are talking about explain to me why I fell in love with the stuff I did when I was forming my music taste.
I’ve always loved how they beautifully pulled in the beauty and emotion of the musical traditions of their culture. There’s such a deep respect in their music…
Daron and Serj's vocal arrangements are interesting and perfect for their songs.
Daron doesn't get enough cred for his vocals and guitar work. Amazing guitar tone.
Yep,he has an amazing and nice voice too
The video actually makes it pretty clear when both are singing. Darons vocals are really prominent in the song. You can clearly here them both a lot of the time.
Daron's vocal is definitely underrated, he's amazing especially on hypnotize
During some of the really smoothly soft spoken moments, that's when Daron seems to be doing the heavy lifting in particular from what I could pick up.
Edit: Oh, just found out that Daron is the lead vocalist on "Lonely Day", I never paid enough attention to notice that lol (was quite a while ago when I'd hear it). So that's all making sense with what I said at the start.
His solo work is awesome too. I love his voice just as much.
I’ll always appreciate Elizabeth for making me not feel like a fool for getting emotional during massive moments in metal songs. I love this channel so much, please never stop!
Same
No shame. I cry when I hear this song everytime.
Never regret feeling emotional in any situation ever. Metal and rock music is beautiful, powerful and passionate, is very logical that we get touched by it.
She is genuine
I’m a classically trained musician/singer but I’ve always loved metal. To me both genres have always been filled with so much passion, so much drama, so much emotion.
When I sing the classical stuff I’m always so emotionally wiped out. Very similar to doing metal vocals.
Then there’s the absolute musicianship that both genres have. Love this channel.
It's so awesome to see your genuine excitement and amazement listening to this song. Your smile makes me smile. We all reacted the same way the first time we heard this song. Maybe not with your level of musical understanding but no less appreciation for it.
My first vid from you and I'll likely watch more. Really enjoy your take
Your reactions at the end of the song brought me to tears, exactly how I felt when I heard this for the first time in August, 2001; the same month/year my first daughter was born. Thank you for taking me back to a time I never thought I’d be able to reimagine
I’ll keep saying it. You listen to music the way it should be. Appreciate the technical ability, but really endive into the emotion to feel the song. The nuances you hear make me realize how much I miss when I listen. I have heard this song 1000 times and never thought so deeply about it. I cried.
True. Though the many many pauses kill the momentum imo. Still interesting, but it's bothering me a little.
@@Unherist i mean it is analysis, no? Just go listen to tge real song like wtf lol. The more she pauses the better, as a musician i found her commentary and the things she points out - pure gold
best comment
@@iconofsin1043
It is really interesting, I said it. And of course I'm not watching her videos just to listen to the songs, it'd be stupid, I'm here for the analysis. But still, I'd like to be able to enjoy the songs along with her, but maybe that's just me. And it's no big deal.
@@Unherist i get your point, but in a context of "rapper reacts to pantera" and then pauses in middle of solo etc..
The part where he’s saying “father why have you forsaken me” is actually the words that Jesus spoke in Hebrew on the cross before he died. The context that Serj used in the song makes it that much more powerful and moving. Such a brilliant song!!
👍👍
He said that in Aramaic, not Hebrew.
Also, if I remember correctly I read that Serj was having trouble finding that piece to finish the song. He went to a friend's house that had a big library, his friend told him to pick any book and open it up for inspiration and that was the first he came across in the Bible. Perfection
@@silentglacierfang was it Aramaic? My mistake. In the movie they did Hebrew
@@salty8058 Yes. Aramaic. He was quoting Psalm 22:1, which was in Hebrew, but he said it in Aramaic.
I've watched the SOAD reactions each probably 20 times. I would LOVE to see an interview with Elizabeth and Serj. I've seen a LOT of SOAD reactions, but this is by far the best. I love the way she unpacks the meaning of the lyrics as well as the vocal analysis.
Oh my G!! Seeing you hear this for the first time and analyzing it the way you did, WHEW!! You made me re- LOVE this again!! AND, I just saw them perform 2 weeks ago in Vegas!! I felt EVERY emotion you did!!!
I'm so glad you've been enjoying your journey into System of a Down so much. People always talk about how wacky they are, which is one of the reasons I love them, but not enough people acknowledge their incredible musical ability. As for recommendations, you can't really go wrong with any System song, but I recommend "Question!" or "Spiders."
Just wacky doesn't work usually. You need to be wacky and talented.
Was just about to say spiders or war.
Spiders - ua-cam.com/video/SqZNMvIEHhs/v-deo.html
Lonely Day (Daron main singing) - ua-cam.com/video/DnGdoEa1tPg/v-deo.html
I've never heard them referred to as "Wacky"
Questions! second!!!!
I would recommend “Soldier Side”. When my brother went off to Iraq in the late 00’s, that song resonated with me because of it’s gut-wrenching lyrics, beauty, and harmonies. Luckily, he returned home with only a broken back.
I'm happy for your brother, but thisnsong was exactly about those nasty interventions the US and it's allies did back in those days ...
Tell ur brother thank you for his service and welcome back. Hope him the best!!!
Such an underrated song by them, I honestly can say it’s my favorite song with Hollywood being a very close second
As a veteran of the Afghan war it has a special place for me as well. Great song.
@@zlobaplays that maybe but for those of us who served or had loved ones serve during the Iraq Afghan wars this song is special to us. It encapsulates a lot of the emotions that we feel.
That outro vocals at the end of the song gives me goosebumps every time! That melody is absolutley mezmerysing! Love it!
i love this channel because her reactions remind me of how music makes me feel personally while also adding music theory knowledge along the way, and i love her personal interpretations of different trains of thought of the song
I absolutely love the fact that you keep covering SOAD. I would love to see you do Lost in Hollywood just because the roles are a little bit reversed in that song, Daron takes the lead singing and Serj is doing amazing background singing. Same with Lonely day. Keep up the good work! :)
Please! Some of the best vocals SOAD have ever done!
Lonely Day too
Lonely day is one of my absolute favorites of all time
@@typicalswine7779 Same! I love everything SOAD did, but Lonely Day always gives me chills when the harmonization kicks in.
I’ve been listening to this song for 21 years and I never knew Chop Suey was ‘Chopped Suicide’. That’s crazy. Great video!
Right? I was like wtf?
They've got it slightly wrong I think from what I've read - in interviews it's been said that the original cut of the album came back from the record execs with the instruction to "chop sui!" (perhaps even written on a post it) as they didn't want a song with that title and the new title was born!
Mind blown all the same; holy shit! 🤯😂
I think the working version was called just "Suicide" but I might be wrong. I think there's an interview about the making of the song with SOAD's producer at the time - the legend Rick Rubin.
wtf? Im 41 years old and also listened to this song for decades. Chopped Suicide? WTF
I’ve been listening to this song for years and your breakdown, interpretation and explanation of it have put it into a different light for me. It has given it a new meaning and given me a new appreciation for it. Thank you so much for your work!
Listening to you talk about a band that shaped my teenage years the way you do gives me goosebumps. It's a completely new way for me to look at them outside of what we would talk about amongst friends. Thank you!
Now you understand why we are waiting all these years for one more album.These guys spoke inside you so deep...
there will be no album. Serj is not going to record any.
AMEN!
I simply CANNOT wait for you to cover "Question", "Hypnotize", and "Holy Mountain" these are just such visceral songs from SOAD!
Holy Mountain!!!!
@@mafgirao holy mountain underrated af
The way you describe everything gives me goosebumps! Beautiful!!
I appreciate this channel so much because I love metal but also was heavily involved in choir and was classically trained in a lot of ways. I always thought I was alone and its nice to see another classically trained vocalist appreciate metal the way i do.
Serj is an amazing vocalist, but Daron complements him perfectly despite how different they sound.
Toxicity was probably one of the most played albums of my teenage years, and i still love to listen to it, top to bottom
It’s as good of an album as I’ve ever owned. Literally not a bad song on the whole CD, which was how I bought it.
Toxicity is one of like 3-4 albums ive ever owned where i would regularly listen to every track on the album and each track was a banger with multiple of them being all time classics.
I'd put it up with the greatest albums of all time. Groundbreaking, no skips, powerful...
15+ Yrs later for me and still kicks ass from song 1 all the way through the last song. One of the best rock albums of all time IMO. 👌🏼
So very much this.
So glad you finally reached this masterpiece. 1 billion views is not a joke.
More than. More than 2, if im not wrong
I bet 1/4 of those views came from me 😂
watching someone get so surprised and excited about soad (watched a couple other reactions too) just made my day. Great videos!
When you were talking about the diminished chords used in the song you described them as holding a lot of tension which is also a word that could be used to describe the entire song’s sound.
You also touched on the feeling of both hope and relief that the prechorus gives off-which I also agree with-and I particularly love how that feeling of momentary solace is suddenly ripped away. It thrusts you into the chaotic, almost violent sound and lyrics of the chorus and it’s this incredible back-and-forth that mimics how one can feel struggling with their mental health.
Absolutely brilliant song from start to finish and it can easily bring you to tears.
“Lonely Day” is a must for SOAD!! It has Daron (the guitarist) as the main vocalist and Serj is harmonizing with him. It’s hauntingly beautiful:)
I’d also recommend “Suite-Pee” if ur looking for more harsh vocals.
imo the best songs with Daron as lead are Dreaming and Soldier Side...and I feel like I'm the only one but I think Daron's vocals in Chop Suey are better than Serj's. He sounds downright angelic, especially in the last chorus.
There's a version on YT of only Daron's parts from this song and while the quality kinda sucks it still really demonstrates how beautiful his voice can sound. As far as I recall there's no other song where he sings in this particular style, it's much softer than his usual voice and if you ever tried it: it's really not easy to belt this softly
Lonely Day got me connecting to SOAD on a whole different level
"Holy Mountains" is a great song and so is "Dreaming" from the hypnotize album. "B.Y.O.B." and "Revenga" are good from hypnotize album. Really every song on both of those albums are good.
It's crazy how Holy Mountains is a general overture of the Armenian Genocide, which many people to this day deny even happened; and S.O.A.D put it in such an amazing song.
revenga is a great song
@@tdwz1652 Definitely Revenga and Holy Mountain. Both extra amazing. This and Spiders, and those I think are my favorites.
God a video on Dreaming would be 2 hours
Yes Holy Mountains and BYOB plz!!!
I just LOVE how you get involved with the songs, lyrics and everything! I get to learn a lot from you at the same time I enjoy the passion you have for what you do!
eu estou chorando muito com esse vídeo. Essa musica é linda, eu a ouço todo dia, é exatamente como você conseguiu interpretar e sentir toda essa emoção que o Serj põe em suas letras. Você é incrível! adorei te conhecer. já estou inscrita!
System of a Down is one of my favorite groups and I feel like people don’t talk about their vocal abilities enough. The song Attack has some gorgeous harmonies in it.
Right!? I love them! Serj Tankian's voice is so unique. His voice matches Daron's voice very well. And of course their crazy/genius lyrics. Pure talent.
In total agreement. "Attack" is one of the best SOAD deep-cuts... gorgeous harmonies _and_ pummeling riffs! They're a top 5 all-time band for me.
Attack was a great song to lead off that album, and that whole album is chock full of gorgeous harmonies.
one of the best songs I know
Serj and Daron’s voices were made to go together…so beautiful
I always say that SOAD's genre is Chaos rock. You never know where the song is going when you listen to it for the first time
Perfect description for sure
I love this classification of their music!
Wowowowoow! Such a great new way to appreciate this classic. I enjoy seeing you enjoy it ✨☺️👏🏽
I LOVE this so much. Seeing you discover one of the best metal songs ever recorded is breath taking. You’re beautiful
Try "Lonely Day". It's such a beaut from these chaps. I could spend all day recommending their songs, but they're all so good I'd say them all. I would say as a SOAD newbie you won't be quite ready for their first album though. 🤣
That song is featured in a movie called "Disturbia". It's a pretty good movie, yet forgotten.
lonely day is easily top 5 by soad. 100P recommended
Perhaps spiders would be a more accessible song from the first album and maybe worth analysing.
I'd have to recommend Serj's solo album, particularly his song "Sky is Over" for another wonderful delve into his voice!
Im surprised i haven't seen anyone else mention this but i think it's a cool fact. There was a point in the song writing process where Serj went to a producer friend's house and explained how he hit a point where he didn't know what to write next, so his friend pointed to a bookshelf and said "pick a book, flip to a page, and sing the first line you see." So he did and thats where he got the line: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit..." and so on.
That producer friend was actually music producer Rick Rubin
You are so awesome, makes me cry watching you react the way you can break it down, truly a gift
What you do here is wonderful. This genre of music is often regarded In a negative light, such as being summarized as shallow teenage anger, etc.
After just a little bit of critical analysis into it and most people see how deep and thought provoking much of it is. Real existential meaning of life types of questions are posed and stories told.
💯facts
Going through suicidal ideation for a long time now, this song does bring a lot of comfort during my darkest moments. It's the perfect combination of screaming out your anger and voicing your sadness, insecurity, shame and despair.
Thanks for sharing. You aren’t alone, even when it feels that way. I hope you have the support and help you deserve. ❤️🩹
❤
thanks for being alive I love your reviews.
You by far have the best analisis of this song. Your facial expressions is how i felt amd still feel hearing chop suey
Serg is a special talent. He throws around his voice in so many impactful and creative ways. His vocal choices are really interesting and superbly executed.
The original name of the song was "Suicide," but Columbia Records made them change it to make it radio friendly. In the beginning of the song, you hear lead singer Serj Tankian say "we're rolling suicide." The title is a bit of a play on words - "Suey-cide."
Guitarist Daron Malakian, who wrote it with lead singer Serj Tankian, explained: "The song is about how when people die, they will be regarded differently depending on the way they pass. Like, if I were to die from a drug overdose, everyone would say I deserved it because I abused drugs, hence the line 'Angels deserve to die.'"
Rick Rubin, who had worked with Slayer, Beastie Boys and LL Cool J, produced the Toxicity album. Speaking with Rolling Stone about "Chop Suey," he said: "It's an unusual song because the verse is so frantic. The style is so broken up and unusual. It's both difficult to sing and arguably difficult to listen to, but then the chorus is this big, soaring, emotional, surging, beautiful thing. And then it's got this incredible bridge: Father, father, father, do you commend my spirit? Father, why have you forsaken me?
It's just real heavy, biblical and grand. It's so unusual that it goes between these crazy rhythmic explosive verses into this emotional, anthemic ending."
Source: Songfacts
I'm aware you most probably mean well, but you do realize most of this was said in the video, right??
Also if you “chop” suicide you get suey.
Who comments before watching the video? Lol
@@nthsum5509 more than half of the people who comment
@@TomasLKarlik You might want to realize that this was posted BEFORE the full video was played, right?
This is one of my absolute favorite songs EVER and I could literally listen to it all day.
Also I am pretty sure that I never sang a song so many time during driving (alone 😅) in my car.
The variations in this song is so incredible and the lyrics are so damn intense JUST WOOW!
Pure Love to this masterpiece!
Hi there,
What you are doing with this is amazing.
There are so many songs that I loved from my teen years that really helped, that I knew were amazing pieces of art, but were dismissed on face value for being noise.
Your ability to give words to my emotions is chilling.
You are so good at what you do.
Thanks so much.
It's a joy to see someone get to experience SOAD for the first time.
Recommendations:
BOYB, high energy track, probably the other big song of theirs at least here in Aus.
Spiders is a beautiful track, much more melancholic.
Hypnotize would be very interesting to see, since other commenters have mentioned, Serj and Daron both sing prominently in it.
Soldier Side is one that was more of a B-side track, beautiful harmonies, personal favourite of mine
So excited to see you do more SOAD vids.
(also another term for 'toilet bowl thoughts' would be 'intrusive thoughts')
You get my vote on spiders. If you haven't done that one yet its definately worth a look.
Spiders is a great shout.
I'm pretty sure it's B.Y.O.B
It's easy to remember because colloquially it famously means Bring Your Own Booze however in terms of this song they are talking about Bring Your Own Bombs because it's making a statement about the effects of war.
BYOBs live version (the mtv one with 10m+ views) is highly underrated...imo better than the studio version and I rarely think that. Top notch performance and mixing but Daron's vocals are what put it over the studio version for me.
Serj+Daron > Serj+Serj
BYOB best cos is awsome and both serj and daron have solo vocals.
It is such a delight to hear someone this knowledgeable speak with so much passion about the songs we love yet obviously usually remain largely oblivious as to why they get us.
I love how much research you did before reacting and analysing the song, my face lit up when you talked aboht the origin of the name chop suey since most reviewers usually think its just a random name
I’ve known this song for so… so long, but had absolutely no idea how beautiful it was until you analyzed it. It’s SO powerful and emotional.
"it's almost feels schizophrenic" hit the nail on the head! Their 1st album and the Toxicity album, I always thought of as schizophrenic rock/metal
Another song that portrays schizophrenia well is " I Caught Crazy" by Tech N9ne. Coincidentally him and Serj have a song together called "Straight Out The Gate" also a great song/video.
This was released Aug 13, 2001 and hit hard after 9/11. It was number one in the local evening top ten for over three months. The lyrics hit. The anger hit. The confusion hit.
If you are too young to remember 9/11 listening to this song through that lens is a whole ‘nother thing.
It definitely is. I was born in 2004 and never really had thought of it in that light. That being said, I can entirely understand that feeling. My grandfather passed within the past few years and when he passed, the anger and confusion of it all is the only way I believe I could even remotely understand how living through the attacks felt. Thank you for the insight, it brings my view on the attacks just ever so slightly further into the scope of one who truly lived through those events.
BYOB even more so, imo
I remember the radio stations banning it because they thought it was about the attacks.
@@Xrafice true true
I never looked at it that way, I never even knew that honestly, thank you for that
You’re so beautiful to watch.
Your childlike wonder and appreciation. Your knowledge and understanding…
I love these.