Removing One Song From Every SYSTEM OF A DOWN Album

A new golden era of System of a Down may be approaching, as the iconic nü-metal band has booked more than a dozen concerts for 2025. We’ve chosen to celebrate in a fittingly weird way, by playing that “gun to your head” game of having to choose one song to erase from every SOAD album.

We already played this game with Slipknot, and you all had plenty to say about our picks. Keep your voices going by telling us what you think about this list!

The pain of removing even a single song from this near-flawless album… sigh. System of a Down‘s debut was so beyond what nü-metal (and even metal itself) was allowed to be in the ’90s. This was no “tough guy” shit, no ode to self-loathing or proto butt rock. System of a Down was absolute, uncompromised originality. That being said, “CUBErt” is one of the only songs on this album without a gigantic riff or chorus. The synchronicity between the drumming, guitar and bass is insane, but when compared to the rest of the album, “CUBErt” is a little less memorable.

This is a serious “gun to your head” situation. There’s zero wasted space on SOAD‘s iconic Toxicity… just straight fire for 44 minutes that ultimately results in one of the greatest heavy albums of all time. There’s only one way to possibly sacrifice a song on Toxicity — choose the track with the shortest run time. Just four seconds come between “Bounce” (1:54) and “Shimmy” (1:50) and there’s no way we’re ditching “pogo pogo pogo pogo pogo pogo pogo.”

Phew, finally an easy choice. Picking out a track from Steal This Album! doesn’t feel like messing with perfection, though System‘s third album has held up spectacularly well despite sometimes being mistaken for a b-sides release. “36” is a fine addition to Steal This Album!, but it’s the first “just okay” song after a monster eight-track run from “Chic ‘n’ Stu” to “I-E-A-I-A-I-O.” Also, it’s only forty-six seconds long. 

Perhaps you forgot how solid an album Mezmerize is. You think the very best has passed after the first half, then you run into “Old School Hollywood” and “Lost in Hollywood” and wow… Daron Malakian is fucking brilliant. No way we’re ditching “Radio/Video,” “Question!” or the ridiculous “Cigaro”… unfortunately “Sad Statue” has to go despite it’s absolutely gorgeous chorus. Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian‘s voices were simply made for each other.

“She’s Like Heroin” may be the most Scars on Broadway song that System of a Down ever released. It’s quirky and charming, but it doesn’t quite lock into that Tankian/Malakian magic SOAD‘s greatest moments are made of. There’s some really beautiful stuff on this album, like the operatic “Tentative” and the rip-roaringly complex “Dreaming.” “She’s Like Heroin” just doesn’t carry that same weight.