Release Date: November 26, 2002
Reviewed by Vin Cherubino
Earlier this year, a brave individual decided to upload some unfinished, unmastered demos of songs to the internet. From what people heard, they were amazed. Even though these songs never made any album, they were still incredibly impressive. Despite the poor sound quality, people enjoyed music that would supposedly never come out. When the band learned of this, they were quite disappointed, not because of the leak itself, but more of how the band was being represented through a dreadfully low quality sound. SOAD then took it upon themselves to provide fans with finished, mastered versions of the songs through this new CD, and it’s a blessing to us that they did.
What makes SOAD so interesting is their distinctive sound and playing approach. It’s aggressive, powerful, comical, melodic, full of satire, and a source of political messages and opinion. Steal This Album seems to fall between the sound of Toxicity and their first album, always unique and never repetitive. SOAD’s heavily political attacks are still present, easily picked up during songs like “Boom”, “A.D.D.”, and “F*ck the System”. The music is explosive, providing an intense backdrop for uniquely intense lyrics. Each member’s addition to every song is prominent, from Daron’s distinctive distortion to Serj’s irreplaceable voice; the band is filled with talent. From the brutal “F*ck the System” to the soft “Roulette”, Steal This Album stands out as another stellar album from one of the best metal bands of all time.
Don’t steal this album; buy it, with its official “bootleg” look and all. It’s a masterpiece that no one should pass up.
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