Editing System of a Down (section)

=== ''Toxicity'' and ''Steal This Album!'' (2001–2003) ===
[[File:Daron Malakian 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Guitarist [[Daron Malakian]] met [[Serj Tankian]] for the first time in 1992 before forming the band a couple of years later.]]
On September 3, 2001, System of a Down planned to launch their second album at a free concert in Hollywood as a "thank you" to fans. To a parking lot built for 3,500 people, about 10,000 more came, prompting the [[fire marshal]] to cancel without notice at the last minute. Fans waited for more than an hour for the group to appear, but when a banner hanging at the back of the stage that read "System of a Down" was removed by security, the audience rushed the stage, destroying all the band's touring gear (approximately $30,000 worth of equipment) and began to riot, throwing rocks at police, breaking windows, and knocking over portable toilets. The riot lasted six hours, during which six arrests were made. The band's manager, David "Beno" Benveniste, later said that the riot could have been avoided if the group had been permitted to perform or had they been allowed to make a statement at the concert regarding the cancellation. System of a Down's scheduled in-store performance the next day was cancelled to prevent a similar riot.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-wraiths-dark-punk-isnt-all-doom-and-gloom-9209187|title=The Wraith's Dark Punk Isn't All Doom and Gloom|last=Rogers|first=Paul|date=March 2, 2018|work=L.A. Weekly|access-date=March 5, 2018|archive-date=May 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521071058/https://www.laweekly.com/music/the-wraiths-dark-punk-isnt-all-doom-and-gloom-9209187|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-05-me-42235-story.html|title=Police Blame Promoter for Riot at Concert|last1=RAMOS|first1=GEORGE|date=September 5, 2001|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 5, 2018|last2=BOUCHER|first2=GEOFF|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|url-access=subscription|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201112958/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/05/local/me-42235|url-status=live}}</ref>

The group's big break arrived when their second album, ''[[Toxicity (album)|Toxicity]]'', debuted at No. 1 on the American and Canadian charts. The album has eventually achieved 3x [[multi-platinum]] certification in the United States.<ref name=RIAAcert>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=toxicity#search_section|title=RIAA album certifications: System of a Down – Toxicity|website=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=January 24, 2018|archive-date=September 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917200340/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=toxicity#search_section|url-status=live}}</ref> It was still on top in America during the week of the [[9/11 attacks]] and the political environment caused by the attacks added to the controversy surrounding the album's hit single "[[Chop Suey!]]"; the song was taken off the radio as it contained politically sensitive lyrics according to the [[2001 Clear Channel memorandum]] at the time such as "I don't think you trust in my self-righteous suicide". Regardless, the video gained constant play on MTV as did the album's second single, "[[Toxicity (song)|Toxicity]]". Even with the controversy surrounding "Chop Suey!" (which earned a Grammy nomination), System of a Down still received constant airplay in the United States throughout late 2001 and 2002 with "Toxicity" and "[[Aerials (song)|Aerials]]". In May 2006, [[VH1]] listed "Toxicity" in the number 14 slot in the ''40 Greatest Metal Songs''.

In 2001, the band went on tour with [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] throughout the United States. Following a performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Odadjian was allegedly harassed, ethnically intimidated, and was physically assaulted by security guards backstage, who then dragged him out of the venue. Odadjian received medical attention from police and later filed a suit against the security company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470460/20030310/system_of_a_down.jhtml|title=System Of A Down Bassist Sues Security Team For Humiliating Him In Front Of Fans|first=Gil|last=Kaufman|date=March 10, 2003|publisher=MTV|access-date=July 18, 2010|archive-date=September 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924015700/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1470460/20030310/system_of_a_down.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the incident, the tour was a success and System of a Down and Slipknot went on the Pledge of Allegiance Tour together with [[Rammstein]] in 2001.

In late 2001, unreleased tracks from the ''Toxicity'' sessions made their way onto the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glendalehigh.com/malakian.html|title=The Daron Malakian Interview|first=Mike|last=Lancaster|date=March 28, 2003|publisher=Glendale High School Newspaper-the Explosion|access-date=July 26, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081821/http://www.glendalehigh.com/malakian.html|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref> This collection of tracks was dubbed ''Toxicity II'' by fans. The group released a statement that the tracks were unfinished material and subsequently released the final versions of the songs as their third album, ''[[Steal This Album!]]'', which was released in November 2002. ''Steal This Album!'' resembled a burnable CD that was marked with a felt-tip marker. About 50,000 special copies of the album with different CD designs were also released, each designed by a different member of the band. The name of the album is a reference to [[Abbie Hoffman]]'s counter-culture book, ''[[Steal This Book]]'', as well as a message to those who leaked the songs onto the Internet. The song "[[Innervision]]" was released as a promo single and received constant airplay on alternative radio. A video for "Boom!" was filmed with director [[Michael Moore]] as a protest against the [[War in Iraq]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=System Of A Down Goes 'Boom' With Moore |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/71955/system-of-a-down-goes-boom-with-moore |magazine=Billboard |access-date=July 10, 2020 |archive-date=July 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710001240/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/71955/system-of-a-down-goes-boom-with-moore |url-status=live}}</ref>