System Of A Down – Mezmerize (CD)

Released simultaneously with its companion record *Hypnotize* later that year, *Mezmerize* arrived after a four-year recording hiatus and shot to number one in multiple countries in its first week. System of a Down's unflinching blend of Armenian folk influences, metal aggression, and sharp political commentary had already built one of the most fiercely devoted fanbases in hard rock, and this record rewarded that loyalty without softening a single edge.