Hypnotize is the fifth and final studio album by 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. Both Mezmerize and Hypnotize debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making System of a Down one of four artists at the time, along with the Beatles, 2Pac and DMX to have two albums top the chart in the same year.
The album was positively received by critics, praised primarily for its songwriting.
Background
The album is a companion album with System of a Down's previous album, Mezmerize. After that album's release, the band went on an extensive tour, touring with the Mars Volta and Bad Acid Trip.
Both albums were recorded together, and their cover art, drawn by guitarist Daron Malakian's father, Vartan Malakian, was designed to connect the two separate album covers.
Release
The album was released on November 22, 2005, and was an immediate hit, topping the Billboard 200, selling 320,000 copies in its first week in the United States, and charting in the top 40 in over 20 countries. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005, and has also received various other sales certifications.
Reception
Hypnotize received generally positive reviews. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Tom Sinclair would write, "When it comes to freakazoid operatic metal, no one beats System of a Down." he continued by saying, "[T]hey're flaunting a heretofore underexplored sensitive side, offsetting their trademark stampeding riffology with flashes of delicate lyricism," ultimately rating the album a B+.
In a slightly less positive review, Rolling Stone rated the album a 3.5 out of 5, writing, "System of a Down nearly made the no-contest hard-rock album of 2005. Instead, they have released a double album, Mezmerize/Hypnotize, in six-month chunks -- two separate records that each fall shy of pulverizing perfection and appear to be conceptually bound by little more than speed, fuzz and nonstop bile."
Spin ranked the album No. 20 in their list of the best albums of 2005.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian, except where noted. All music written by Malakian, except where noted.
DualDisc edition – DVD side
- Entire album in enhanced stereo
- The Recording of Mezmerize / Hypnotize
- "B.Y.O.B." and "Question!" videos
Personnel
<!-- All personnel credits are listed in the official album booklet, unless otherwise cited. Please do not change any of them. -->
System of a Down
- Serj Tankian – vocals, keyboards
- Daron Malakian – vocals, guitars, bass (uncredited), keyboards (uncredited)
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+2005 year-end chart performance for Hypnotize
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2005)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)
|89
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
|58
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|124
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums (FIMI)
|100
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
|38
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
|172
|-
!scope="row"|Worldwide Albums (IFPI)
|42
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+2006 year-end chart performance for Hypnotize
|-
!scope="col"|Chart (2006)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
|64
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums (SNEP)
|156
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard 200
|41
|}