Live Review: System of a Down with Avenged Sevenfold - North American Stadium Tour 2025

8/31/2025

Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine
Edited by Fiza Javid

Soldier Field - Chicago
Sunday - August 31, 2025

System of a Down.
Still intact.
Still tried and true, still making boot stomping statements to the present day, original band intact and as solid as ever.
What boggles the mind- multiple things obviously.
Like the overall stage aesthetic,

Looks like its meant for a smaller club feel, what with risers stage left and stage right, meant for amped and elevated guitar and bass profiles depending on song, let alone minimal stage clutter.
Yes, this is Soldier Field for crying out loud, and yes, it's actually a gigantic stage with gigantic LED screens also stage left and stage right, let alone an even bigger one at the back of the stage, carrying the messages of band ideals with striking graphic intent.
However, yet again, the simplicity of things, it still has an intimate arena feel, which I find most appealing.

The System of a Down catalog, the demeanor of all things Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan, still trailblazing along like days of yore, playing music of a punishing nature, with emphasis on community, of fun, and- let's mosh.
Lots and lots of mosh.

The main floor crowd, from the get go with opener "Soldier Side- Intro", into "B.Y.O.B.", into "Suite-Pee"- no letup in letting loose, with multiple mosh pits, and igniting everything yet again into song number four of the evening with "Prison Song", followed by "Aerials".

From the 100 level of the bowl, a sight to behold, watching the moshes equal to watching the band.
The simplicity of it all with System, the fact that they haven't toured through Chicago in like six or so years, the Chicago crowd just so damn antsy in anticipation, and maybe the fact that it's Labor Day Weekend- maybe all of this made things things spontaneous and just wild to witness firsthand.

System of a Down, still popular as ever, with an Armenian metal attitude that sticks to you like glue, the fact that when you think of it, everything about them is just so unorthodox, not just the big picture obviously, but also the small microcosms depending on song within a song, bursting at the seems one minute, scaring the pants off you yet another, followed by intimate musical breathers, and so on.

That's the special sauce and weave that sets SOAD apart, that they are so unique in their tastes and feels, standing apart from the crowd with song structures that are true to their homeland, let alone soaking everything in via the west coast of the USA.

It works, these guys performing live, some 26 songs total in their setlist.
What boggles the mind even more- relying on tried and true original catalog songs of yore, with nothing new release wise since like 2005.
And they've sold out two night at Soldier Field.
You don't think these guys are still popular, let alone sorely missed?

Think again.
They have attitude, that's for sure.
Like in your face we're from Chicago kinda attitude, even though again, they reside in California.
No matter.

The songs- all of them- still a wicked punch to the gut, with no need for pyro or flash bombs, or stage props to distract from the message, the appeal of the songs itself.
The appeal- kinda like early AC/DC, a band with a heavy rock/ metal aesthetic, but still by way of punk via underground brought up to the masses with music elevated with a PA that can wallop you.
Such was the show with SOAD, the first of two nights in Chicago on a gorgeous lakefront evening, with a packed, I mean packed crowd all in and energized.

With all things SOAD, still a breath of fresh air to the present day in metaldom, with forthright rage still intact, with the musicians punch to prove it, and the view of "Are you in on the fun- or are you out?"
Put it this way.
No one left to the exits early.
From my vantage point, you left Soldier Field sweaty and drained.
The way a metal show should be.

Same goes for Avenged Sevenfold, and their overall appeal with wicked theatrical fun elevated with musical styles that complicate everything, trailblazing all over the map obviously, but statements made throughout with an elevated nature of a theatrical story, all laid out to bare to reel you in, suck you in, then- let F'ing loose.

Their latest release, "Life is But a Dream" from 2023, ever evident setlist wise, what with especially opener "Game Over", into "Mattel", further emphasizing how these guys love to challenge themselves musically, consistently breaking the rules in regards to songwriting.
The yin and yang of it all is plain to see between both bands- an appreciation in breaking barriers, staying true to themselves, nothing fake whatsoever.

Avenged Sevenfold- all the guys- immersed in definitive artistic statements, meant again to make you pay attention, reel you in, and then slay you with massive fire bombs of wicked guitar interludes, presented with an over the top vocalist who can deliver the goods, courtesy of M. Shadows.
Just like SOAD- Avenged are still the real deal.
You are excited, cuz you don't know what they're going to do next.

Such was the night at Soldier Field- two bands that were (and still are) just so damn memorable.

Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago

Bobby Talamine, Jerry Bryant, Fiza Javid, JBTV Music Television, Live Music Chicago, Soldier Field

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Live Review: System of a Down with Avenged Sevenfold - North American Stadium Tour 2025

Bobby Talamine, Jerry Bryant, Fiza Javid, JBTV Music Television, Live Music Chicago, Soldier Field

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