JDubb: RATM vs. SOAD | Sputnikmusic

Emim 08.23.23	RATM and it's not close tbh System has some bangers though
Ryus 08.23.23	RATM i find soad very annoying. not that ratm isnt lol but theyre cool
bellovddd 08.23.23	pretty tight for me. I'll probably go SOAD because I listened to them more when they were releasing albums. RATM always seemed like more of a novelty to me at that time. and plus some of tom's guitar playing kills me lol
BAT 08.23.23	i'd probably go with rage but toxcity is a stronger album than evil empire, and i love evil empire. renegades is the weak link in rages discog i'd rather jam any of the system albums
SomeCallMeTim 08.23.23	SOAD
combustion07 08.23.23	Rage! First few System albums are great too though and both bands bring the nostalgia but I love those rage riffs
Deez 08.23.23	Rage EASILY
Supercoolguy64 08.23.23	SOAD all the way
widowslaugh123 08.23.23	RATM and it’s not even close tbh [2]
Ganoncannon 08.23.23	RATM and it’s not even close tbh [3] I like some SOAD stuff but there's a lot that I just can't really get in to
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	first two rage albums are better than anything soad ever did
kalkwiese 08.23.23	SOAD and that's an easy choice for me RATM are great, but SOAD are more fun
Middle18 08.23.23	RATM first album beats SOAD debut definitely but Toxicity beats Evil empire and then The battle of Los Angeles is probably about equal with mesmerise/hypnotize. So it's a good battle but since SOAD have steal this album I'll give them the edge.
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	would prob rank them: 1. ratm s/t 2. evil empire 3. toxicity 4. soad s/t 5. battle of los angeles 6. the rest
Masochist 08.23.23	"RATM first album beats SOAD debut definitely but Toxicity beats Evil empire and then The battle of Los Angeles is probably about equal with mesmerise/hypnotize. So it's a good battle but since SOAD have steal this album I'll give them the edge." I agree with this take...except that while I give SOAD the edge musically, I'd give Rage the edge influentially. The impact they had as a band is still felt today. It's probably why Run The Jewels has Zach as a guest star so often, because they recognize RATM's DNA in their music and message. But if you asked me which concert I'd want to go to, System of a Down is the answer. I just like more of their music. Daron needs to get back to backing vocals, though, let Serj sing lead like he needs to.
ArsMoriendi 08.23.23	RATM prob?
anode 08.23.23	1-3 -> soad 4-5 -> ratm Soad overall though. I’ve always found ratm to be a one trick pony while soad is the complete opposite
Storm In A Teacup 08.23.23	RATM and it’s not even close tbh [4]
WRYN 08.23.23	System Of A Down have never done something like a b-sides or subpar album. I actually think RATM are more comparable to Linkin Park in terms of appeal and weaknesses.
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	i feel like the only thing that makes soad any less of a one trick pony than ratm is daron's vocals... which also happens to be by far the worst part of either band
ConcubinaryCode 08.23.23	Legacy would prob be ratm. Toxicity deserves its status as a classic tho
WRYN 08.23.23	Serj Tankian a one-trick pony...interesting opinion.
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	meant that more in that both bands pretty much wrote the same sorts of songs (but really good songs!) over and over again... with the difference being daron's vocals opened soad up to more softer/melodic/harmony based stuff on their later material while ratm had no such development really serj is obv the best/most interesting part of soad and not a one trick pony himself. i don't find soad's material that much more varied than ratm's tho. feel like the variety in soad's hits makes them seem more eclectic than they actually were on a track by track basis
bighubbabuddha 08.23.23	Lyrically SOAD Instrumentally RATM
WRYN 08.23.23	Ok, interesting clarification. Their debut, Toxicity/Steal This Album and Mezmerize/Hypnotize however are each completely distinctive to another except for the obvious reliance on hard rock riffs, which still makes them as eclectic as that genre goes.
anode 08.23.23	Yeah and s/t is completely distinctive from the other 4 albums Ratm is literally you like this chunky riff? How about this one? How about some funky scratchy sounds? How about zack de La Rocha shouting the same verses over and over again?
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	soad is literally you like this chunky riff? How about this one? How about some acoustic guitar? here comes the crazy part!... its really not that different, and i think the monotony of zach's approach is more than counteracted by the fact that ratm are clearly better players. soad has a solid rhythm section but morello runs circles around daron
kalkwiese 08.23.23	SOAD were much more diverse than RATM, it's not even close
WRYN 08.23.23	Technical skill doesn't imply an equal talent for songwriting, which is basically Daron's forte.
JoyfulPlatypus 08.23.23	RATM and it's not even close [6]
Ryus 08.23.23	kinda surprised most people seem to think RATM, not complaining tho
bludngorevidal 08.23.23	SOAD all day long. also it's obv totally fine to prefer RATM but calling SOAD one trick ponies is egregious
Koris 08.23.23	SOAD, but it's pretty close for me. If going by the albums individually: 1. RATM s/t (super close though) 2. Toxicity 3. Steal This Album! 4. The Battle of Los Angeles 5. Hypnotize 6. N/A (haven't listened to either live album)
AlexKzillion 08.23.23	"Technical skill doesn't imply an equal talent for songwriting, which is basically Daron's forte." great songwriter who cannabalizes his songs with his terrible performances yeah. he's like alt metal lars ulrich
Koris 08.23.23	Yeah, Daron really dragged down Mezmerize and Hypnotize for me. I much prefer the way he backed up Serj's vox in the first few SOAD records, rather than basically becoming the main focus near the end of the band's run
JohnnyoftheWell 08.23.23	would rather jam one or two SOAD songs at any given moment, but if it's a whole album or band contest then yeah RATM hands down (Morello being probably one of my top 3 pedalboard heroes counts for a surprising amount here ngl)
WRYN 08.23.23	Except there's no terrible part on the recorded performances to be found, Rick Rubin did a great job as a producer in general.
Avagantamos 08.23.23	RATM and it's not even close [7]
Hyperion1001 08.23.23	never liked RATM but SOAD was my first “favorite band” when I was young. the self titled is still an American classic.
Veldin 08.23.23	I prefer SOAD
Titan 08.23.23	Easily SOAD for me
Dewinged 08.23.23	SOAD really came up with something of their own and some really great tunes but the way RATM landed with the first album and the impact it had cannot be denied. I'd go with RATM.
Emim 08.24.23	"great songwriter who cannabalizes his songs with his terrible performances yeah. he's like alt metal lars ulrich" Lol, he's out of line but he's right.
Winesburgohio 08.24.23	SOAD (Sgreatest of all Dtime). Mesmerise rips
JDubb 08.24.23	Wow - quite the split. Me personally -I lean towards RATM.
Storm In A Teacup 08.24.23	If Daron never did vocals on any system of a down release it might be closer but even then ratm surely still wins out...Bulls on Parade man
BAT 08.24.23	i feel like the more darron developed his songwriting chops/formulas, the less interesting the music got. scars on broadway being the main offender, all pop formula songs yet all of the soad tracks are arranged much better. serj has an undeniably better range than zack, but i feel like rage is more consistent lyrically. as far as guitarwork goes they both weren't shredders but tom seemed more willing to step into straight noise territory than daron, despite the amount of pedal effects daron uses. they both have unique tones that stand for themselves, i would say toms a bit more abstract though. rhythm section mostly follows daron on soad, while tom feels like an added layer on rage.
Storm In A Teacup 08.24.23	Zack also has stayed more relevant in the new music with his badass features on other artists' songs. The other members also formed Audioslave and that was a fun ride. If you dig deep and look at more than band cds and live shows then ratm has done more to build their own legacy individually.
Storm In A Teacup 08.24.23	And both bands reuniting live worked out better for ratm by a long mile.
BAT 08.24.23	if i had to pick between the two tickets in 2023, it'd probably be rage. if it was like 2000/2001, system although rage had great opening bands like atdi. i do regret not catching system in the early 2010s though, seemed like they had some solid setlists but serj stopped screaming
Winesburgohio 08.24.23	sorry to be callow but I think it's a great bit that Rage against the Machine were signed to a subsidiary of a behemoth conglomerate. but like: beating/bleeding heart in the right place and extended the message of it to a broader audience. but also: the bit... The Bit...
MoM 08.24.23	I like both, but I’m going with RATM
kalkwiese 08.24.23	I don't want to see SOAD live right now, so RATM might have aged better as a band. It think they're fairly similar in a few ways, so comparing them makes sense. Studio-album-wise SOAD appeal to me way more, but RATM are tight as hell and they RIFF. Also comparing Daron to Lars Ulrich lmao, but I don't really disagree in a broader sense.
IsisScript80 08.24.23	“i find soad very annoying. not that ratm isnt lol but theyre cool” Both I find about as annoying as each other (as in quite a bit to very depending on mood), but I do like them still despite it. I’d still go with SOAD though.
kalkwiese 08.24.23	Nothing beats SOAD's debut, but RATM's 3 albums are quite on par with Toxicity and STA
virpi 08.24.23	They're both great and annoying at the same time if that makes sense.
WRYN 08.24.23	I actually don't see the similarities beyond political lyrics and hard rock riffs. RATM vs. Limp Bizkit would be a more suitable comparison.
IsisScript80 08.24.23	“I actually don't see the similarities beyond political lyrics and hard rock riffs.” More than enough.
WRYN 08.24.23	Sure, almost as unique as having a guitarist.
DJD1ed 08.24.23	SOAD for sure.
AeniasGaming 08.25.23	I haven't listened to either in full so I'll just say they're both cool
Supercoolguy64 08.25.23	first 2 SOAD > RATM Discog/Steal this Album > Last 2 SOAD
IsisScript80 08.25.23	“Sure, almost as unique as having a guitarist.” Oh, come on… overtly political anger rock aimed at the exact same demographic but (mostly) a decade apart. In what reality would these bands not be compared?
WRYN 08.25.23	Most SoAD songs don't even have a political theme, even when including the ones about the Armenian Genocide, which rather result from their family history. RATM's political drive otoh couldn't be more blunt if they tried and musically speaking they fit almost all hallmarks of stereotypical Nu-Metal: growling riffs, jump-y aggressive attitude as well as obvious funk and hip hop influences. System fall much more out of line from anything marketable than that, hence the alternative metal label.
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	System of a Down have always been an overtly political band wtf are you talking about? Every album has like 4-5 clearly politically motivated songs.
WRYN 08.25.23	Never knew of the debut having 5 overtly polizical songs, but I'm curious.
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	well go back and read the lyrics then. know, war, mind, darts, and pluck are all clearly politically motivated. the pluck acronym stands for “politically lying, unholy, cowardly killers” for gods sake.
Minortimbo12 08.25.23	I'll go SOAD Sure, neither of them are my go-to bands, but there is something about RATM that I just can't stand
Above 08.25.23	toxicity >
WRYN 08.25.23	@Hyperion Since when has "Know" been overtly about politics? A vague reference towards religion is as specifically interpretable as that song gets to begin with. Same applies to "Darts".
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	just because you don’t get it doesn’t mean it’s not real.
AlexKzillion 08.25.23	feel like soad sounds closer to nu metal than ratm does (obviously neither are tho)... soad actually down tunes their guitars, plays insanely simplistic riffs, no guitar solos, drums and bass follows the guitar, not to mention the production is really similar ratm minus zach is basically a classic rock band with some punk tendencies... but zach raps and serj doesn't
WRYN 08.25.23	@Hyperion A rather longish wording of "I enjoy talking out of my rear end".
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	it’s ok buddy I would be a bit chafed too if every opinion I had was elementally incorrect.
izakaya 08.25.23	used to have posters up for both of these when I was 14. RATM.
deathschool 08.25.23	Great list tbh. I agree with most of your picks.
WRYN 08.25.23	@Hyperion I would be mortified to have such lowlives as "buddys", but go on if you genuinely concluded I care.
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	it’s lowlifes btw
deathschool 08.25.23	WRYN is definitely the name of a radio station, and you are surely arguing with a middle aged classic rock DJ rn, Hyp.
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	oh I know that’s what makes it fun.
rhinocerosmilk 08.25.23	I prefer SOAD self titled over RATM's, but Evil Empire + Battle of LA > Toxicity (and the others). So Rage wins in the end.
WRYN 08.25.23	@deathschool Nice gossiping so far, although I thought that's usually more for little girls.
Ryus 08.25.23	lmao wtf
mryrtmrnfoxxxy 08.25.23	obviously SOAD
Hyperion1001 08.25.23	he even sprinkled a nice dose of gen x misogyny too. wonderful stuff.
Ryus 08.25.23	he argues like a middle aged man what is he so salty for lmao
WRYN 08.25.23	Where I live that's indeed the demographics associated with gossip. I doubt it's much of a virtue in other places, but what do I know.
Ryus 08.25.23	time for bingo grandpa
WRYN 08.25.23	If you say so, mr. random keyboard warrior.
izakaya 08.25.23	WRYN appears to have lost the room and everyone is thinking they should probably go for a walk xoxo gossip girl
SomeCallMeTim 08.25.23	soda mart
Ryus 08.25.23	rat so mad
WRYN 08.25.23	Good way of saying nothing with little. An impressive skill.
BAT 08.25.23	Lol wait so your arguing soads lyrics aren't political? Are you secretly their drummer? Don't be shy
WRYN 08.25.23	Actually none of them except Serj are very political.
BAT 08.25.23	Yeah I know they're all stoners. Are soads lyrics 'for the most part' unpolitical tho, I can see the argument for 'they're about societal issues' which imo goes hand and hand with 'political.' But yeah as for similarities : rage unintentionally set the stage for nu-metal, and soad launched as a nu-metal band. They're different generations but I'd say promoting integrity is a shared trait, alongside being pummeling upfront music. Both can(and have) been appreciated by people who never even thought out what messages they have, I'd say there's also a pretty big overlap between the two fanbases. They also both have protest-themed videos directed by Michael Moore.