TORONTO - Never underestimate the power of a good musical pummelling.
For who would have believed that System of a Down, four Armenian-American underdogs playing complex, kooky, uncatchy hard rock with a communist (or at least very socialist) manifesto could be stadium superstars.
The California group emerged from the late-90s Ozzfest scene to become a leading voice for pierced activists and aged headbangers alike; their influence in the underground has been growing as steadily as their goatees.
But as they proved last night at the Air Canada Centre in front of 15,000 stoked fans, System of a Down are not actually the kings of nu metal -- they are the new kings of metal.
Emerging onto a stark stage dressed all in black with fancy aristocratic jackets, they took control of the crowd immediately with their recent hit BYOB and for almost two hours, never let go.
It's almost impossible to sing along to their tunes, but leader Serj Tankian's mix of rapid-fire speak and operatic singing was like a tribal war cry and the crowd responded on cue.
Guitarist Daron Malakian was the team spazz, racing about. The rumbling bass and rapid-fire kick drums had the power and fury of death metal, but without the relentless pacing and ridiculous lyrics. Well, "pull the tapeworm out of your a--" is pretty ridiculous and most of the songs that aren't political are equally goofy but how else to turn everyone in the room into a fist-pumping 14-year-old boy?
Besides, the band's musicianship is so stunning, so dynamic and dramatic any juvenile geeking out was forgiven.
This was not Fred Durst-style goofing off. It was utterly intense and refreshingly playful.
When Serj sat down with an acoustic guitar to play Questions, it was the heaviest unplugged interlude ever.
The band didn't say a word to the crowd, and didn't have to.
Tunes that sound chaotic on radio flowed seamlessly from one to the next, from Violent Pornography to Mr. Jack to War to Prison Song, with ferocity and precision.
They even worked in some Neil Young and Dire Straight references.
By the time they got to bombastic hits like Ariel and Toxicity, System of a Down were playing as good as Metallica in their heyday, and perhaps better than any other metal bands on the road today.
Two devil saluting thumbs up.
