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Message in the Music: System of a Down Destroys the American War Machine
by Josh Mur | ANTIMEDIA
Though it is arguably the epitome of consumerism and the darker side of the “American dream,” Los Angeles has always been a source of new waves in the music scene. Some of America’s most iconic bands and musicians were picked up from the Los Angeles area, including Rage Against the Machine, N.W.A., Tool, The Doors, Sublime, Metallica, and many more.
Today, in part two of our “Message in the Music” series, we’re going to take a look at the popular Los Angeles natives who make up System of a Down.
System of a Down (SOAD) formed in 1994, originally as a project called Soil. After a very brief existence, Soil called it quits, and System of a Down was born from the remaining pieces. Throughout their career, SOAD has used their popular artist platform to spread political awareness and a very powerful anti-establishment narrative.
With lyrical themes that typically revolve around politics, drugs, and sex, SOAD supplies their audience with a diversified catalog of subject matter. Here, we will observe and discuss a few SOAD tunes that aptly capture the modern political world.
As a reader and a listener, please keep in mind that music and lyrics have many interpretations, and everything presented here is derived from personal understandings. It is encouraged that you engage yourself with the messages and formulate your own meanings.
“WAR”
“War” is a track from SOAD’s 1998 self-titled debut. Though not as successful as their follow-up release, “Toxicity,” the self-titled album introduced a fresh twist on the then-evolving genre of nu-metal. “War” is a high-energy track that discusses the justification of war by the bloodthirsty. An excerpt of the verses reads:
We must call upon our bright darkness
Beliefs, they’re the bullets of the wicked
One was written on the sword,
For you must enter a room to destroy it
International security, call of the righteous man
Needs a reason to kill a man
History teaches us so
The reason he must attain must be approved by his God
His child, partisan brother of war
…
We will fight the heathens
Philosophers stone – selected views from the boat http://philosophers-stone.co.uk
Source: http://www.philosophers-stone.co.uk/?p=13340
