Hypnotize

Hypnotize is the fifth album by System of a Down and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album before taking their hiatus to work on their individual solo projects. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of companion album Mezmerize.

Reception
The album opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 320,000 copies on November 22, 2005. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005. [1]

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 on 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."

"Pop!! Magazine" (p.203) - 9.4 out of 10 stars - "SOAD is a great band and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize album did not fail to again show what they are made of."

Personnel
System of a Down is:


 * Daron Malakian — vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards
 * Serj Tankian — vocals, keyboards
 * Shavo Odadjian — bass
 * John Dolmayan — drums


 * Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian
 * Mixed by Andy Wallace
 * Engineered by David Schiffman
 * Editing by Jason Lader and Dana Neilsen
 * Assistant Engineer: Phillip Broussard
 * All Artwork by Vartan Malakian
 * Design: System of a Down and Brandy Flower
 * String Arrangement: Serj Tankian and Mark Mann
 * Worldwide Representation: Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group
 * Mix Protools Engineer: John O'Mahony
 * Mix Assistant Engineers: Steve Sisco (Soundtrack) & Joe Peluso (Enterprise)
 * Album Production Coordinator: Lindsay Chase / Braden Asher
 * Recording Location: The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, CA and Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research, Los Angeles, CA
 * Mixed at Soundtrack Studios, New York, NY And Enterprise Studios, Los Angeles, CA
 * Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studios, New York, NY