i got this cd after reading a review in kerrang (uk rock mag)Elect the Dead but not liking system of a down music i thought what the hell i would give it a good go.

I was shocked to find serj absolutely growing on me so i will give soad another chance to see if i like them, so even if you don't like soad give serj a fair chance as i did and loved it

my favorite track is Unthinking Majority

This album has been the subject of lukewarm critical review and it's not hard to see why, it's probably the most difficult album to categorise and get a handle on the music industry has seen in a while. Don't believe them though, this album is inspired.

From Empty Walls in this album delivers blow by blow the strange, unique, witty and angry presence of Serj Tankian and he's not pulling any punches. This album can make you feel mournful, angry, contemplative and elated in one sitting and will always leave you wanting more. Elect the Dead *is* hard listening and even the most dedicated previous System fans might take time to adjust to it but once you've managed to get it in to your head it'll never leave.

As a System Of a Down fan i was really looking forward to hearing Elect the Dead and rightly so. Serj Tankian really is a genius! The lyrics are brilliant, the songs are poignant and meaningful. I love this album, you really should buy it. I challenge you not to fall in love with songs such as "Saving Us" and "Sky is Over". The lyrics are challenging just like the old System stuff but this is better.

The one thing that System of a Down posses is the best rock voice of an age in Serj Tankian. Perhaps in the light of the bands last album being mainly the work of the rock pixie Daron Malkian, Serj decided to clear the decks of his own material. The first thing I'd say is that it is difficult to give this a context away from System as it bears resemblance in many places to their work. In a strange way, I feel it lacks the pieces of oddball madness so often injected into the band by Daron.

As a collection on its own, its a peak, then a trough then a peak. The album starts brightly Empty Walls is a fine choice of single and showcases Serj's vocals perfectly. Lyrically it's familiar ground too with modern propaganda, news and governments bearing the brunt of much of Serj's words. More or less up to and including Saving us, the going is good. The odd twinkle of piano does hint at a different sound but you know the script by now.

Then in the middle, the trilogy of averageness brings things down a quality notch on Sky is Over, Baby and Honking Antelope. The last song nearly saves itself with some good rhythm work at the end, but this is when the album fires back onto form. Lie Lie Lie is a really good melodic pop song, and is followed by the albums most eclectic track Praise The Lord and Pass The Amunition. Full of mad mumbo jumbo and bizarre sounds this leads us nicely onto Beethovens (insert naughty ladies part word here). Once of the heavier and better tracks on the record before the title track leads us out.

Overall, not bad, though the sequencing probably lets this record down. Perhaps 10 tracks would have sufficed to keep the quality consistent. That said, this is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, it's just not essential.

I had no delusions buying this. I wasn't expecting System of a Down in another shape or form, and neither should anyone else.

The mixture of Tankian's lyrical style, some intense guitar bursts, and general piano bits thrown in the mix is commendable, good in parts but mediocre overall. It reminds me of Avenged Sevenfolds/ I wont see you tonight part 1 (waking the fallen) but with guitar and piano elements less well mixed together.

Tracks like 'Empty Walls' and the 'Unthinkable majority' might be mistaken or confused by an amateur with tracks from Hypnotise, but this probably shows how long ago the zenith of SoaD was, and how far removed we are from their self-titled album, toxicity and steal this album. Even such light songs like 'Elect the Dead' pale in comparison to classics such as 'roulette' or 'Ego Brain'.

While Hypnotise was rather mediocre, we could excuse it because it was System of a Down. In this same vein, Elect the Dead is mediocre but not System of a Down. I'd rather flick on Chop Suey for what seems like the millionth time, and banish elect the dead to a dusty shelf, and encourage others to do the same.