Hypnotize
Studio album by
System of a Down
ReleasedNovember 22, 2005 (2005-11-22)
StudioThe Mansion and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length39:40
Label
Producer
System of a Down chronology
Mezmerize
(2005) 		Hypnotize
(2005)
Singles from Hypnotize
  1. "Hypnotize"
    Released: October 11, 2005
  2. "Lonely Day"
    Released: April 17, 2006
  3. "Vicinity of Obscenity"
    Released: May 29, 2006

Hypnotize is the fifth and most recent studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of its companion album Mezmerize. Mezmerize and Hypnotize both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[8]
The Guardian[9]
Pitchfork7.9/10[10]
Playlouder[11]
PopMatters6/10[3]
Rolling Stone[4]
Stylus MagazineC[12]
Sputnikmusic[13]
USA Today[5]

Hypnotize received generally positive reviews. It opened at number one on the Billboard 200, with 320,000 copies sold in its first week. The album also debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 47,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005.[14] Since its release, Hypnotize has sold 8 million copies worldwide.[15]

Entertainment Weekly (No. 851, p. 100) - "[T]hey're flaunting a heretofore underexplored sensitive side, offsetting their trademark stampeding riffology with flashes of delicate lyricism." - Grade: B+

Rolling Stone (No. 988, p. 117) - 3.5 out of 5 stars - "Hell immediately runneth over in Malakian's scoured-staccato guitars and Dolmayan's furious hammering."

Spin (p. 62) - Ranked #20 in Spin's "40 Best Albums of 2005".

Uncut (p. 109) - 3 stars out of 5 - "System succeed through their skill at wielding complex, progressive heaviness in a pop context."

Track listing

All lyrics written by Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian, except where noted. All music written by Malakian, except where noted.

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Attack"  3:06
2."Dreaming" Malakian, Shavo Odadjian3:59
3."Kill Rock 'n Roll"Malakian 2:27
4."Hypnotize"  3:09
5."Stealing Society"  2:58
6."Tentative"  3:36
7."U-Fig" Malakian, Odadjian2:55
8."Holy Mountains"  5:28
9."Vicinity of Obscenity"TankianTankian, Malakian2:51
10."She's Like Heroin"Malakian 2:44
11."Lonely Day"Malakian 2:47
12."Soldier Side"Malakian 3:40
Total length:39:40

DualDisc edition – DVD side

Personnel

System of a Down

Vocal duties

Production

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[53] Gold 15,000*
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[54] Platinum 31,990[54]
Germany (BVMI)[55] Platinum 200,000‡
Ireland (IRMA)[56] Platinum 15,000^
Italy (FIMI)[57]
sales since 2009 		Gold 25,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Platinum 15,000^
Russia (NFPF)[59] Gold 10,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[60] Gold 20,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[61] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[14] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Ingold, Chris (November 21, 2005). "System Of A Down – Hypnotize". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014. I'll go even further – this is perhaps the finest, and most important heavy metal album of the twenty-first century so far.
  2. ^ Deniz (November 26, 2005). "System Of A Down - Hypnotize - Review". BurnYourEars (in German). Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Begrand, Adrien (November 21, 2005). "System of a Down: Hypnotize". PopMatters. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Fricke, David (November 17, 2005). "System of a Down: Hypnotize : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Gundersen, Edna (November 21, 2005). "System of a Down zooms way up with 'Hypnotize'". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  6. ^ "Hypnotize by System Of A Down Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  7. ^ Loftus, Johnny. "Hypnotize – System of a Down". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  8. ^ Sinclair, Tom (November 21, 2005). "Hypnotize Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  9. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (November 18, 2005). "System of a Down, Hypnotize". The Guardian. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  10. ^ Byrom, Cory D. (November 21, 2005). "System of a Down: Mezmerize / Hypnotize Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
  11. ^ Allen, Jeremy (November 18, 2005). "review - Hypnotize". Playlouder. Archived from the original on November 28, 2005. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  12. ^ Shipley, Al (December 14, 2005). "System of a Down - Hypnotize - Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
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