The other dates included Chicago with Avenged Sevenfold and Toronto with Deftones. Ironically, the last time I saw SOAD was 13 years ago with Deftones. Then, 24 years ago, I saw SOAD with Slipknot (that’s gross that I can even say that - 24 years ago, ugh). It seems there’s a pattern of seeing System with one of my other favorite bands every time I see them live.
Getting to MetLife Stadium is relatively straightforward, but it involves three train rides: the subway to Penn Station, NJ Transit to Secaucus, and a special train from Secaucus to the Meadowlands. The nice thing is, the train station is really close to the stadium, so you don't need to walk far to reach the venue. We arrived a little after the doors opened at 4:30 pm. Getting through security was relatively easy, as the stadium was mostly empty, except for the people with general admission tickets. We relaxed and grabbed a pretzel and chicken tenders to curb any hunger for the rest of the night. The weather was so lovely! It was a clear, breezy day in the low 70s. I’m happy it wasn’t raining that day. I think the serotonin is finally creeping back into my body.
The two opening bands were Wisp and Polyphia. I was excited for Wisp opening, as I’ve listened to a few of her songs. She is a shoegaze artist from San Francisco, with her music being very ethereal and calming. It’s definitely the type of music I would listen to when the vibes are just right. When Wisp came out on stage, it was a cute blonde Asian girl with the sweetest voice, waving to the crowd. I didn’t realize she was only 19 years old! Damn, good for her. Her song Your Face went viral back in 2023, and now she has an album releasing this year.
Polyphia is an instrumental progressive band from Texas. The only other instrumental band I’ve seen live is Intervals. Instrumental bands are interesting because they’re skilled at what they do without needing vocals to entertain. I'm curious how they chose to be an all-instrumental band. You’d think having vocals would be the key to success, yet they are doing pretty well for themselves. During their set, they played with much energy and intensity, opening up the pit and getting the guy in the banana suit to crowd surf. LOL.
Finally, Korn took the stage! I had never seen the band perform in a stadium before, so it was a unique experience, especially seeing fans in Korn shirts or Adidas outfits among the crowd. It felt a bit strange to watch Korn open their set while it was still daylight, but it was exciting to see people rush back into the crowd when they heard the iconic thump of the bass, the rhythmic riff of their downtuned guitars, and the rapid tap of the cymbal that opens Blind. I’ll always enjoy Jonathan Davis calling out, “Are you ready?” followed by the chaotic energy that ensues.
They played the classics, of course, but they also pulled some songs out of the vault. I’m happy to report that I didn’t look at the setlist beforehand. I’ll never understand why I do it for Korn since I already know every song they’ll play live. I don’t remember if I’ve ever heard Did My Time live, and I was surprised when they performed Twisted Transistor. I was especially happy when they played Dirty from Issues. It’s one of my favorite songs from that album, and I love that they’ve been playing both this and Hey Daddy on recent tours.
It’s funny that in the five years Danny and I have been together, we’ve seen Korn perform four times, but they’ve only just now played Somebody Someone! He was so excited, LOL. I wonder why they haven’t played it earlier. Seeing Korn live in a sold-out stadium was incredible, listening to the crowd’s roar as the band soaked in the moment. After 30 years, it’s meaningful to see the love they still receive from both longtime fans and newcomers discovering them for the first time. They’ve headlined major festivals like Lollapalooza and Download Festival this year, and I don’t see them slowing down anytime soon.
Setlist:
1. Blind
2. Twist
3. Here to Stay
4. Got the Life
5. Clown
6. Did My Time
7. Porno Creep
8. Shoots and Ladders (Metallica’s 'One' Outro)
9. Cold
10. Twisted Transistor
11. Dirty
12. Somebody Someone
13. A.D.I.D.A.S.
14. Y’all Want a Single
15. 4 U
16. Falling Away Me
17. Freak on a Leash
Then came System of a Down, and suddenly, the energy became even more intense. As I mentioned earlier, I haven’t seen SOAD in over ten years, so when the lights went out and they appeared on stage, instantly launching into ‘X,’ I felt right at home. System doesn’t just perform—they explode on stage. The political anger, absurdist humor, and brutal melodies all flooded back to me. Hearing Serj Tankian’s vocals echo through the stadium, Daron Malakian shredding his guitar, Shavo Odadjian thrashing on bass, and John Dolmayan’s fierce drumming all transported me back to my teenage years of listening to System on repeat.
After 20 years, the band still sounds phenomenal. Serj and Daron’s vocals are still powerful and crisp as ever. I swear, Daron is the Celine Dion of metal, the way that man can hold a note. LOL.
The show was incredible! The band hardly spoke between songs, delivering relentless tracks that let the music speak for itself. And indeed, it did. I must admit, over the years, I haven’t listened to System of a Down as much as you might think, but I still remember every song from Toxicity as if it were yesterday. That album is easily in my top 10 of my youth. They played almost every song from Toxicity and most tracks from Mesmerize, as well as some songs from the self-titled album, Hypnotize, and Steal This Album! sprinkled in, which I appreciated because those are, in my opinion, SOAD’s most iconic songs.
The highlights of the night were B.Y.O.B. and Deer Dance, but it’s now more intimidating to listen to these songs as I approach 40, since I better understand the political messages behind them. The Prison Song—I didn’t fully understand what was being said in this song at 13 years old until I finally watched a documentary as an adult, and the light bulb went off in my head: “Oh, that’s what Serj was talking about in the Prison Song.” It’s really cathartic to hear the Prison Song live, too. The crowd went insane when they played the intro, Serj whispering the infamous line, “They’re trying to build a prison…”
Chop Suey was a defining moment. You haven’t truly experienced it until you’ve screamed the lyrics alongside 80,000 strangers. Another unforgettable moment was Lost in Hollywood, which felt like a religious experience. It’s one of my favorite System songs, and hearing them perform it with such emotion was powerful. The band also paid tribute to the Prince of Darkness, recognizing his support for System of a Down and his long-lasting contributions to the metal community, by covering Black Sabbath’s Snowblind. It was a heartfelt moment for Ozzy Osbourne, as it’s been a struggle for metal fans to cope with his passing this summer.
Setlist:
1. X
2. Suite-Pee
3. Prison Song
4. Violent Pornography
5. Soldier Side - Intro
6. B.Y.O.B.
7. Science
8. Needles
9. Deer Dance
10. Radio/Video
11. Dreaming (Breakdown only)
12. Hypnotize
13. ATWA
14. Bounce
15. Suggestions
16. Psycho (with 'Let The Music Play' by Shannon Intro)
17. Chop Suey!
18. Lonely Day (with 'Careless Whisper' Intro)
19. Lost in Hollywood (with 'Won’t Get Fooled Again' by The Who tease)
20. Snowblind (Black Sabbath cover) (Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne)
21. Aerials
22. Cigaro
23. Forest
24. Roulette
25. Toxicity
26. Sugar
Seeing Korn and System of a Down live at MetLife Stadium meant everything to me. This wasn’t just a concert. These two bands played a massive role in my youth and heavily influenced who I am today. It actually makes me emotional just thinking about it. Leaving the stadium, it was still clear that these bands still matter to so many people after all this time.
I’ve been to so many monumental metal shows in the
past year: sold-out MSG shows for Slipknot and Deftones, a sold-out MetLife Stadium for Korn and System of a Down, and we still have one more show to go this year! We're so back!
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