STEAL THIS ALBUM contains outtakes and previously unreleased tracks.

Even considering the enormous popularity of nu-metal in the late '90s and early '00s, the initial mass commercial acceptance of System Of A Down was pretty surprising. On STEAL THIS ALBUM! the wildly eclectic group continues to push the envelope by even more aggressively fusing brutal, razor-sharp thrash metal with a distinctly Eastern European folk-inspired melodic sense and bizarrely humorous/politically incisive lyrics worthy of Frank Zappa or Jello Biafra. To top it all off, the songs rarely have traditional verse/chorus structures or much in the way of identifiable refrains.

Amazingly, however, most of the music manages to be both intensely catchy and far more memorable than virtually anything by Korn, Slipknot, Mudvayne, or any of System Of A Down's other genre-mates. In fact, System Of A Down has less in common with these groups than with '80s everything-but-the-kitchen-sink types like Fishbone and Faith No More. STEAL THIS ALBUM is a powerfully creative statement by a group determined to expand the boundaries of nu-metal.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (12/12/02, p.93) - "...An absurdist blast of political rage, silly theater and shattered math metal..."
Spin (2/03, p.96) - 8 out of 10 - "...The way these simple songs blur together works in the album's favor: Just when you think you've got a foothold, the ground disappears under your feet..."
Entertainment Weekly (11/29/02, p.105) - "...STEAL THIS ALBUM stands head-and-tattooed shoulders above its competition in the hard-rock genre..."
CMJ (12/16/02, p.23) - "...Both arty aggro and perverted political punk..."