WARNING: Toxic Chemicals Ahead

TOXICITY


I've always thought System Of A Down was akin to Linkin Park: a band without substance and full of screams that appeals to the emo kids. But this song has made me really appreciate S.O.A.D. It alternates quiet, serene, haunting parts with out of control thrashing.

Plus Serj Tankaran looks kinda like Frank Zappa.

Anyway, first thing's first: you can't get away with standard tuning on this one. Drop the low-E string to a D. Here's an online app you can use to help you.

Another thing, the timing is in 6/8 measure. 6 beats per measure, eighth notes get one beat. If I find something to help me explain this, then I'll post it up.

The hard part is that "out of control thrashing", in the chorus and after the first verse riff:

D--------------------------8---8-----7-----7-7-7--
A---0-------------0-------8---8-----7-----7-7-7--
E---0----3-2-0-2-0-------8---8-----7-----7-7-7--

That's not the hard part. This is the hard part:
A-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-
E-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-3-2-0-2-0-0-

It requires alternate picking and a lot of co-ordination. Middle finger over 3rd fret, index over 2nd fret.

Overall, not that hard a song. The riffs can be tricky and require fast fingers, but not too fast.

Like "Learn To Fly", this song has been mixed differently for Rock Band. The second time the verse riffs repeat is covered with palm muted open strings.

SETLIST UPDATED

Bonked With The Jousting Stick

If you too were a fan of this recently revived show as a kid like I was, you'd get the reference. Especially if you notice that some of the ladies are actually...um... hot, this time around. Hooray, science!

Even with this being the busiest week I have ever experienced so far, I managed to eke out a new song update. Technically I finished this Wednesday night

CRUSHCRUSHCRUSH
I first heard of this band when my friends brought me to Warped Tour 2007. I hadn't really heard of any "new" punk bands at the time, but I figured I'd go anyway, see if anything tickled my fancy. Not a whole lot did, except for Paramore. They sounded like the punk/pop-punk I listened to (Blink 182, Offspring, Green Day) only going a teensy bit into emo. Just enough to intrigue, but not enough to turn me off. Anyway here's the lesson kids:

It's in Drop C# tuning. Tune everything 1/2 a step down, then tune the low E-string one step further. I'll provide tabulature for standard tuning.

Hardest part:
The end-

e-12--11--12p11--9--11--12--11--9--9-----------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------------------9---6---------
D----------------------------------------------------6-----9--6 ----------------
A----------------------------------------------7--7-----7-----------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

e-----------------------------9\-------
B---------------7-9-7-9---------------
G-8-9--8--9----------------------------
D---------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------
E---------------------------------------
Index finger on 6th fret, pinky on 9th.

Now, for the sake of it, here's the chorus in standard tuning:
e--------------------------------------
B--------------------------------------
G---------------4~----2-2---------4--
D--0-0---2-2---4~----2-2---2-2--4~-
A--0-0---2-2---2~----0-0---2-2--2~-
E--0-0---0-0----------------0-0------

e------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------
G-----------4~--2-2-2-2-2--2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--
D-0-0--2-2-4~--2-2-2-2-2--2-2-2-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--
A-0-0--2-2-2~--0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--
E-0-0--0-0--------------------------------------------
Pretty easy, would be easier is you tune it down first, but it sounds good in standard tuning as well.

Now for something insignificant:
-Next Team Fortress 2 Update is the Scout. Hooray for bonking! Boo for Red Sox fans!
-Guitar Hero: Arcade coming soon! My setlist speculation coming tomorrow!

SETLIST UPDATE