Rolling Stone (9/27/01, p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...Both manic and schizoid, Tankian veers easily from sing-rap rhythm to Korn-ish hysterics to demonic baritone growl to doomily ruminative....the music insists on forward motion without trapping itself in a thrashy lock-step rut..." Spin (1/02, p.76) - Ranked #1 in Spin's "Albums of the Year 2001". Spin (p.89) - "System have an undeniable nerd-prog charm..." Entertainment Weekly (9/7/01, pp.161-2) - "...Strange and engaging....It all adds up to bizarro type of meta; that has a warped majesty and strength..." - Rating: B- Q (9/01, p.121) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s..." Alternative Press (2/02, p.64) - Ranked #9 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001". Alternative Press (10/01, p.102) - 9 out of 10 - "...This is not pop music - this is psychic wreckage." Mojo (Publisher) (p.54) - Ranked #93 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics" -- "[T]he world's most darkly hilarious noise band had come of age." Paste (magazine) - "It digs deep into the human psyche that seeks forgiveness as much as it seeks destruction, painting a Jackson Pollock-esque portrait of anger that System of a Down insisted people project outward at the institutions that oppress, rather than focus on our fellow human." Pitchfork (Website) - "TOXICITY is heavy, making abundant use of the juiciest guitar distortion in its class thanks to the density of Rick Rubin's production."