System Of A Down's timeless Chop Suey! remains one of metal's most famous anthems and one of rock's biggest music videos, so we shouldn't be too surprised that it's spawned countless wonderful, weird and, let's be frank, downright awful covers over the years. In 2022 alone, we've had Chop Suey covered through the use of ukulele, bluegrass and, erm, a full medieval interpretation.
Never, though, had we heard Chop Suey! covered in a slick, auto-tuned R'n'B style. Until now, that is. Talented musician and producer Ishmael Jones has given Chop Suey! an unlikely new coat of paint, reimagining it as a smooth, warm, 21st century R'n'B jam. That might sound like musical kryptonite to many metalheads, but the reaction to his new version has actually been pretty positive.
"I absolutely love system of a down and this is my favorite song but when you sing the lyrics it makes me appreciate them a little more cause it just shows how well it was written!" gushes one Instagram user. "As a Metalhead i need to say: THIS IS SO FUCKING COOL" beams another. "Now do Toxicity!" asks another. "My favorite System of a Down song."
We're unsure if we love this cover quite as much as the good people of Instagram seem to, but we certainly salute Ishmael for trying something truly different. Listen to the cover for yourself below.
Last year, Metal Hammer picked Chop Suey! as the greatest metal song of the 21st century. Speaking to Hammer about writing the track, System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian noted: “When I wrote it, I did not think Chop Suey! was gonna be any different to any of our other songs. But that was the one that pushed open the door for us.”
“It has this very experimental side that wasn’t like anything the radio was playing at the time, but also a really melodic side that really caught people,” he added. “There’s this naturally hooky thing that comes out of me whenever I write."
System Of A Down were recently announced as headlining nu metal mega fest Sick New World, which takes place May 13, 2023 in Las Vegas.
