In early 2002, medium-qualityMP3s of the album were released on the internet under the nameToxicity II. The band issued a statement expressing disappointment that fans were hearing material that was unfinished, and they worked to release a completed, higher-quality version of the album, which becameSteal This Album![5]
Though often reported in the media as a collection of B-sides and outtakes, the album features outtakes and only one B-side. The band insisted that theSteal This Album! material is of the same quality as the tracks that made it ontoToxicity. VocalistSerj Tankian has said that the songs were left out ofToxicity "because they did not fit the overall continuity of the album". In May 2009, drummerJohn Dolmayan revealed that the album is his favorite System of a Down release.[6] Similarly, Tankian also called the album his favorite System of a Down album in a 2012AMA onreddit.[7]
A first version of "Streamline" was used inThe Scorpion King soundtrack, which was released in early 2002, and as a B-side on the CD2 edition of "Aerials".
Multi-instrumentalistArto Tunçboyacıyan sings on the song "Bubbles", marking his third appearance with System of a Down (having appeared on two songs onToxicity).
Commenting on the track "I-E-A-I-A-I-O", drummer John Dolmayan said it was inspired by an encounter he had with actorDavid Hasselhoff in a liquor store in Los Angeles when he was around 12:[8]
He was getting a drink, not an alcoholic beverage, a soda or something. He was walking out and I couldn't believe it! Here was Knight Rider in front of me! And I said, 'Knight Rider!' I must have been 12. He looked at me and he goes, 'Hey kid,' and he kind of pointed the finger [at me] cowboy style. I told Serj the story, so the lyrics, 'Meeting John at Dale's Jr. / Winked an eye and point a finger.' 'Dale's Jr.' was the liquor store. There's a little insight.
The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, scoring 77 out of 100 on the aggregate websiteMetacritic.[20] Giving the album 4 stars out of 5 in his review forAllMusic, Chris True noted, "If System proved anything with 2001'sToxicity, it's that they're one of the few breaths of fresh air out there in mainstream metal land. This collection is no different, and with its amazing pacing, it's hard to not be moved by what this band can do."[21] "Steal This Album stands head-and-tattooed shoulders above its competition in the hard-rock genre," saidEntertainment Weekly in a similarly glowing review, awarding the album a B+ rating.[22]
Rolling Stone calledSteal This Album "an absurdist blast of political rage, silly theater and shattered math metal."[19] Jeremy Gladstone ofKludge gave the album a score of 7 out of 10 in his review and both praised and criticized the album, writing, "Love them or hate them, System is here to stay. The writing is consistent and the music is as tight as we have been accustomed to, perhaps a degree more so at times on the album.Steal This Album is guaranteed to satisfy every System of a Down fan listening. However, from song eight to twelve on the album, the material is a little too similar to really stand out compared to the more intense tracks. Unreleased material can sometimes be good, and sometimes it still doesn't work out."[23]
Victoria Segal, writing forNME, gaveSteal This Album! 3.5 stars out of 5 in a less flattering review, stating, "System of a Down's concerns may be no laughing matter, but unfortunately, their music often is. Guitarist Daron Malakian describes this record as 'a bridge betweenToxicity and our next record,' which only indicates troubled waters ahead." She did, however, end her review with, "Yes, System of a Down are insane, ridiculous, a brain-pan pizza with extra mushrooms. But how can something this righteous ever be wrong?"[24]
^"Classifiche".Musica e dischi (in Italian).Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. RetrievedJune 18, 2022.Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Steal this album!".
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