With it's rapid, almost maniacal instrumentals accompanied by powerful lyrics, a catchy yet captivating chorus and a political message to boot, can its 2006 Grammy nomination and subsequent victory for 'Best Hard Rock Performance', really be argued at this point?
Upon it's face value, System of a Down's BYOB provides a tune which dares all heavy metal fans to do what they do best, 'mosh' like there's no tomorrow. Maybe i'll even go so far as to say that this tune is so infectious that whether your in a large auditorium listening to Serj Tankian himself, belt out a La la la la la la during a live performance, or merely in the privacy of your own room hearing it blast from a stereo, some form of violent, body gyrations are bound to occur whether you like it or not.
When dissecting the song and all of the components that make it the 4 minute masterpiece that it is, its composition can be said to be almost orchestral (only...100 times more violent and damaging to our hearing ability). When listening closely, what one might ascertain as dissonance in the harmony (or lack thereof), can ultimately be attributed as a constant change in tempo (fast in most parts but slow in some). This technique cleverly evokes the entirely 'anti-establishment' message embedded in the lyrics through fun, almost quirky and seemingly nonsensical musical arrangements. Creating a dichotomy between how listeners are meant to feel about the song's message and how listeners actually feel when they hear the song in its entirety- rhythm and all.
To put it simply, I give this track a 5-star rating purely because of its moxy and how well it differs from any other metal song I've heard. :)
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