In 2002, at the height of fame following the album Toxicity, which sold over 8 million copies and earned Grammy nods for its anti-war lyrics, the Armenian-American alternative-metal band System of a Down returned to Pinkpop—Europe's oldest annual festival in Dutch Landgraaf, where they'd debuted three years prior. Their 40-minute set on May 20, brimming with chaotic vigor and political edge, kicked off with the rhythmic "Jet Pilot," escalating through "Deer Dance," "Know," and "Suggestions," where a guitar glitch in "DDevil" injected raw spontaneity, peaking in staples "Chop Suey!," "Bounce," "ATWA," and "Toxicity," wrapping amid crowd roars with a Madonna "La Isla Bonita" snippet. Fans and reviewers, including AllMusic, dubbed it an "epic frenzy," spotlighting frontman Serj Tankian's charisma and the group's nu-metal revival role, though some critiqued the abbreviated lineup curtailing full scope; the gig foreshadowed their worldwide dominance, solidifying their festival darling repute.