System Of A Down

It's been a good few years since System Of A Down last toured our shores and in that time nu-metal has come and gone with little fuss. Yet in this new age of rock'n'roll revolutions and indie resurrections, it's a testimony of their lasting popularity that their three nights at the Brixton Academy sold out instantly - something Limp Bizkit could only dream of these days - highlighting their ability to transcend any fickle, short-lived scene that might have thrown them into the spotlight in the first place.

If System Of A Down are the most eccentric of US rock bands, then it's apt that their UK counterpart - idiosyncratic, pyschobilly zombie-rockers, The 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster - have been recruited to support on the British dates. An established cult band destined for bigger things, 80's Matchbox are a ferocious concoction of B-Movie horror riffs and infectious haunted bass-lines, executed with a healthy dose of lyrical humour. Lead singer Guy McKnight sounds like Elvis singing metal, which is fitting, as he's a king in his own right. Catapulting himself about the stage and into the unsuspecting crowd, screeching songs with titles like 'Celebrate Your Mother', 'Pyschosis Safari' and fan-favourite, 'Mister Mental', the Academy watches with awe and amazement at their adrenaline-charged set, which warms them up nicely for what's still to come.

By the time System Of A Down take the stage, the crowd are an over-excited, baying mass of commotion. Cheers, screams and applause fill the venue like a giant inhaling lung, the intensity of expectation in the air resembling the frenzied atmosphere of an extremist political rally.

That band begins concealed behind a giant curtain, backlit only as silhouettes. After the rousing 'Soldier Side', album-opener of their current LP, 'Mezmerize', they launch into the riotous 'B.Y.O.B.', the aural equivalent of space-bound rocket launch. The curtain drops and the crowd go wild, in the inimitable way that only heavy metal fans do.

The band exhumes confidence and clarity on stage and with their level of talent and innovation it's unsurprising they've found such widespread audiences outside the immediate metal niche. There's a varied cross-section of society attending tonight, from the expected baggie-jeaned teens with painted nails to sensible middle-aged couples, via trendy scenesters pulling shapes at the back and largered-up townies looking to let loose in the mosh-pit.

With long flowing hair and a stalwart tunic to rival any Libertine, lead singer Serj Tankian commands the stage like a modern day prophet, eager to expound his wisdom to the attentive crowd. Playing songs representative of each of their four albums to date (and one or two from the forthcoming 'Hypnotize'), it becomes apparent that, despite the heavy nature of all that is played, there is a high level of quality control on all of their music, meaning the ninety minute set is consistently engaging and exciting, as any good concert should be. They've even taken the time to re-evaluate older tracks; 'War?' was a plodding, ineffectually standard fare when released on their eponymous debut many moons ago, but tonight, thanks to the introduction of a crazy vocoded breakdown and a more up-beat, fast-paced approach to its lyrics, it flies up above the crowd, who jump as high as they can in an attempt to catch it.

Past singles 'Chop Suey', 'Toxicity' and the grand finale, 'Sugar', cement the evening as a bona fide success. An extreme double-bill for an extreme metal crowd.

I hope Fred Durst was taking notes.

FUTURE GIGS

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