If you thought 2001's Toxicity was epic, you're going to need a whole new book of adjectives to describe System Of A Down's latest offering. Mesmerize/Hypnotize is, essentially, a double album carved into two equal chunks of metal in the studio. Mesmerize hit the shelves back in May to rave reviews, but now it has a younger brother to play with...

Rest assured that quality doesn't suffer for the sake of quantity here. Hypnotize rages headlong into opener "Attack" then pulls off an almost overwhelming multi-vocal extravaganza on "Dreaming" before going ever-so-slightly-nuts on "Vicinity Of Obscenity".

Mesmerize is every bit as impressive, and though its first single "B.Y.O.B" tore into president Bush with no remorse, it is Hypnotize which now comes across as the more political record. Together this pair of albums places System Of A Down at the bleeding edge of their genre. Mightily impressive metal.