For the uninitiated, KZfaq provided a library of licensed songs in 2007 called AudioSwap, giving uploaders a way to replace copyrighted or low-quality audio. Artists at the top of the alphabet (009 Sound System, Drowning Pool, Evanescence, Finger Eleven) were notoriously over-used by kids looking for a convenient and well-known option. AudioSwap often appeared in tutorial videos, created using unregistered screen capture software (e.g. Hypercam) with instructions typed on Notepad. They typically showed tricks or "hacks" for games like Roblox, Club Penguin and Grand Theft Auto.

"Niko! Let's go bowling!" "I'm sorry cousin, but I got a gig later, how about you come see me?"

That fact that the band are all characters from video games released during the era of this song makes it so much more awesome.

This song has taught me more about excel and PowerPoint than any other teacher

Back when Gmod videos and people playing modded Guitar Hero songs were king on the once free and wild west youtube

Is nobody going to talk about how fluid and how good Niko looks in this game?

Soldier - Team Fortress 2 (2007) Master Chief - Halo 3 (2007) Niko Bellic - GTA IV (2008) Ellis - Left 4 Dead 2 (2009)

Throw backs to GTA4, TF2, L4D, and Halo with one of the bigger songs from the unregistered hypercam2 era that's still a banger set in a downtown NYC New Years festival, and I'm finding this JUST before new years eve. This was nostalgia I didn't think I'd ever feel, but damn, this actually makes me think yes: the years were awesome, and can still be awesome.

The amount of Halo machinima that used this song.... God, take me back to those days! Late nights at Will's house all jacked up on Mtn. Dew, on hour 6 of an 8-man forge-a-thon on Sandtrap, only taking breaks to go beat on each other with wooden swords or shoot some hoops out back before heading back in to flip an Elephant for the umpteenth time. Middle school was great. Wish I was a couple years older so I could have really appreciated that decade while I was in it. The 00s 2000-2010 RIP

the windows 7 notepad tutorial song, love it.

Niko just wanted out of his life. Traveling, performing, anything to get away from Liberty City Soldier, recently laid off from the gravel pit feud, vehemently refuses to be a part of any "hippy tree lovin' rock band." After hearing Niko's voice, though, he couldn't refuse and took up his old bass. Chief had a run in with some curious forerunner tech, and got flung into the distant past of 2007. While he's still armed to the teeth, he's taken to drumming very well, although his kits need to be titanium reinforced. And after surviving the Green Flu outbreak and synthesizing a cure, Ellis found that the guitar he'd been using to smash zombies was miraculously still in tune.

"Pffffft. I'm surely not that old. What song could it possibly be to signify that I'm some "KZfaq veteran"?" *clicks video* *the realization that I'm 25 and time ain't slowing down starts severely kicking in*

This whole era of music defined the KZfaq AMV scene omfg

Niko didn't have to go this hard But I'm glad he did

Just hit 2024, and I still miss the old times

The golden days of YT, where you search for some instruction to do something you wanted to do, this audio play while some dude types the instructions on a notepad. Never forget the unlicensed recording program. Best thing is, this vid instructions are direct to the point.

Honestly, making the song free to use on KZfaq was such a smart move. Everyone knows it whether they like it or not. Props to Finger Eleven

I feel so blessed to be alive and grown up in the 2000s and 2010s

I may be 25 (born in 1998) but damn does this make me feel decades older.

The wave of nostalgia in the first few seconds was crazy

Man, i'm so proud for my boy Niko. He finally left his past and moved to new life.

God, do I miss these beautiful times...Unregistered Hypercam 2, KZfaq Tutorials, Finger Eleven, AMVs...marked a generation, for sure

The good old days when me and my cousin made our first youtube channel and used this song in one of our videos. Times really do change.

being a youtuber since 2016 is one thing, but seeing or going back to old videogames like Team fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, GTA IV, and even Halo 4 bring me backs nostalgia since these games became popular in the early 2000s & 2010s. And It's not just me, but people who were originally born or grew up in the early 2000s & 2010s like myself, and seeing these other old popular characters from other videogames with this song in Guitar Hero. It would make feel not just a KZfaq Veteran, but going back and playing the best old videogames I loved over the years. Even by looking back at this in 2023 does bring back memories to me... thank you for bringing back early 2000s & 2010s nostalgia.

2000-2010 is a different type of nostalgia. Great period to grow up in

Unregistered hypercam 2 and typing in notepad always had this song or dreamscape playing

watching this before and after every new years will become my newest tradition 💀

Master Chief, what the hell do you think you're doing? "Throwing down for old times sake, sir."

having chief on the drums, ellis on guitar with soldier on base and niko as vocals is somehow... fitting.

Pros: This song is performed by video game characters that were around during that time. Cons: We're all getting old.

Good Lord the amount of KZfaq intros that had the song with text of whatever the video is about and telling you to subscribe and share.

My god I haven’t heard this song in years. I completely forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it back

One of the best collaboration of Soldier from tf2 , Ellis from l4d2 , Master Chief and Niko Bellic!!!

Ellis, Chief, Niko, and TF2 soldier jamming together is oddly wholesome

I could feel all of those TUTORIALS *rushing* back to me!!

Man for a game almost 20 years old looks way better than the hot garbage we play nowadays. Technology went nowhere

This and Pain by Three Days Grace defined an era on this site man...

Despite all the nostalgia, this song still kicks ass on its own

One of my earliest youtube videos used this. It's like a weird nostalgia trip for me.

Its more then the song, its the characters that were all individually a major part of so many childhoods and adolescences, all of which fan probably be linked directly to this song in some way, the guitar hero clips that scream of that mid-late 2000s attitude of what made a "good video" (just be good at games) its fucking beautiful man

it's so nice seeing Ellis rock out; in his lore he was actually in a band before the Green Flu Outbreak

I’m impressed by how niko bellic is singing paralyzer so intensely. I can just see he’s putting his heart and soul into it 😂

I actually found this song through the radio, and is what started my slow descent into rock and eventually heavy metal music. god bless this song

You just unlocked my memories with this song. Thank you

This lineup goes hard. Master Chief on drums, TF2 Soldier on bass, Ellis on lead guitar, and Nico Bellec on vocals.

I love that Ellis has the guitar from the game. Fun fact: the guitar in l4d2 is a Ibanez GAX-70

This video aged me by about 5 years. Thanks.

Man this takes me back

So glad the band got back together for one last gig Total legends

I’m glad Niko was able to find a new start like he always wanted

I recently found this song in my favorites section of YT and had to figure out why, then it all came back to me

Good ending in GTA 4: Niko sings on the stage.

It’s crazy how we all know that songs like this, dreamscape, let the bodies hit the floor, ect. were all over the sit back then, but most people wouldn’t understand it if we tried to explain the significance to them

Man this takes me back. I miss the old internet

2007-2009, ya just had to be there dude. so many great memories

this video was in my feed randomly at the time of making this comment. just listening to this song brought me back to watching tribute videos and compilations of random things, such as planes and pop culture along with the sans looking font and blue backgrounds. good times.

Seeing Chief, Niko, Soldier, and Ellis in a band is a special kind of blursed.

RIP Soldier, you are not forgotten

This video is a mash-up of all the things that happened during my teenage years and make me remember how happy I was, its not necesarilly nostalgia, I am happy now, but I am more happy of how fondly I remember those times.

I had to literally pause as soon as I heard that first note. Had to close my eyes and absorb the memories.

Dude, I remember when this became a hit. I on the school bus the first time I heard it on the radio. Everyone loved it. Looking back on it, everyone at school was jealous of the kids who got a ride to school from their parents, but I feel bad for them because they missed out on getting to ride the bus with friends.

The song still unironically slaps, a lot more than other NotePad songs. The fact you tossed it in GH fits so damn well too. God I miss 08 KZfaq. That was the best decade of the net and its never gonna be the same again

Lol the fact everything in the band is the videos i used to look up makes this vid 3x better 😂

I’d pay an ungodly amount of money to be at this concert.

This is the greatest tribute I've seen in dedication to Old School KZfaq. Love it.

I know this song well and it came in 2007, and I’ve played it on my drum kit

Every Halo 3 Easter egg/glitch/skull location/achievement guide video flashed before my very eyes

I'm so glad Niko found peace after GTA IV's ending and went on to perform on NYE in Liberty City

Even if you don’t, can we all just take a moment to appreciate the modding community for Guitar Hero? Like, this is awesome that they got Niko, Soldier TF2, Elis and Master Chief as a band.

All of this just makes me feel old! I sinned as well with this song on youtube. Thank you for bringing back my childhood!

Hey man thanks for making this is suddenly broke through a couple of mental blocks

"So this is what the dream feels like. This is the victory we longed for."

Niko, Chief, Ellis and Soldier, together, playing this, on guitar hero, I genuinely think this might be one of the greatest videos of this generation. The fact it's the entire song. The fact the song is censored, but the stage literally says fuck. I swear the only thing missing is a Cingular logo somewhere.

Damn this video is still popping off i remember seeing this last summer

Haven’t heard this song in about 15 years. A tenth of a second in I knew exactly what it was and by the verse I was already signing along. Isn’t it crazy how the brain can do that?

This is exactly what you get when you compress all of 2007-2009 into one single video.

“Wow man this reminds me of that one time me and Niko and Master Chief got to play Paralyzer in time Square back in 2009. I was jamming out on the guitar and the Sarge was killing on bass and…OHHHH man. Good times…” ELLIS SHUT UP

Lets all not forget the national youtube anthem that was on every single video. 009 sound system - dreamscape

Well, I feel old now. I miss the good ol' days

Wow. This song takes me back to the late 2000's. How I miss those days. A time of youtube poops, screamers, AMV's and original content by big youtubers like smosh. KZfaq will never be as good as it was back than. I bet very few people still remember 009 sound system too.

I never had a video straight up *TRANSPORT* me back in time before. But I feel 8 years old again, swapping out some song with this one on of my shitty AMVs xD Best era of the Internet, when everyone was just wanting to chill and make fun stuff to share. All the AMVs, the Claymen fight videos, literally anything you clicked on, back then, you could never really escape this song. This toke is for you, old 2000s/early 2010s internet. Rest in peace, my weird, insane, random, beloved, one-of-a-kind friend.

As someone around from 2008 to now this reminds me of 1-2 year old videos in 2011 2012 so I’m gonna say late ‘09 to latest late 2010.

I was really used to videos that used "let the bodies hit the floor" and that one electronic song that sounded like a computer melting down.

Roman: "You ditched bowling with me for this, cousin?"

I'm glad Niko finally got to follow his dream of being a lead singer in a band. When he moved to Liberty City after the war all he ever talked about was starting a band, sadly he got roped into business with the wrong crowd and disappeared for a few years after his cousin was murdered. Seeing him make a comeback this successfully makes me cry tears of joy.

i like how ellis is using the guitar from l4d2

Thank you for the nostalgia blast those were the good old days

The fact that I only needed to hear the tempo and the slide across the guitar strings to immediately know that this was Paralyzer is astounding. I can’t remember what I ate yesterday but I can infinitely remember stuff like this.

This band lineup is INSANE

Why did this just remind me of all the amv's i used to watch as a kid 😂

2007? I was 3, but I still remember it because as soon as I learned about youtube, I heard it all the time in old tutorial videos.

Ah yes. The simpler times. AMV's, tutorials, and outlandish video game myths like the San Andreas Big foot. A 240p video, and this song blaring so loudly that it almost blew out my Harmon Kardon speakers. Anyone else remember the "This is Sparta" remix?

To this day, i have never forgotten this song, it always seems to bring me back to that feeling of being a child, not knowing what this song is saying but loving the sound. no other song brings me back to my childhood like paralyzer.

What a legendary cast in the band, thousands of hours with each

Seeing Niko vibe so hard while belting out that first chorus unironically goes HARD

After the destruction of Halo at the end of Halo 3, Master Chief found himself crash landed in the New Mexico desert in the year 2008, likely due to the portal back to Earth collapsing from the Ark's damage. Wandering the desert, he soon encountered the TF2 Soldier who claimed his wizard roommate sent him into the future after he painted the wizard's ancient Sumerian idol as a smaller Statue of Liberty for a craft fair the Pyro was hosting at 2Fort. Soldier immediately recognized the Chief as a true American soldier because of his green armor and followed him around shouting marching orders. Annoyed, Master Chief soon discovered he was hopelessly stranded, and realized he needed money to survive, with little success due to the recent economic recession and the aftermath of the Green Flu, which seemed to have miraculously cured all infected people when Chief arrived, likely due to some particle rearrangement. No one was certain. Soon, Master Chief and Soldier found themselves as a two piece band called "Hartman's Heroes" named after Soldier's recently discovered favorite drill sergeant. Their sets included renditions of "the Star Spangled Banner", "Yankee Doodle Dandy", and "God Bless Poopy Joe the Monkeynaut", to whom no one in this era had ever heard of. After a show in Savannah Georgia, the two were approached by a redneck mechanic named Ellis, who had just settled back home after surviving the Green Flu and was looking to join a band, as his prior one had all the band members eaten by zombies. The two brought Ellis in, but the three soon realized they needed a fourth member to act as singer. Ellis recalled he befriended a European immigrant named Niko Bellic who had recently moved from Liberty City and was frequenting a karaoke bar as a new hobby. They approached him and offered him the spot after hearing him sing the hit song "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. Niko, in search of another opportunity for himself and taking some time away from his idiot cousin Roman, agreed to join. The band decided to branch out to a larger audience by renaming the band to "Paralyzer" after the song and the strange situations the four found themselves in. Over the next few months, the band became a hit in America, selling out at clubs, parks, and stadiums. Aside from "God Bless Poopy Joe" which became an underground cult favorite, the band performed covers of popular rock songs throughout music history, including Pat Benatar, The Guess Who, Foo Fighters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Michael Jackson, Jane's Addiction, Nirvana, Wings, Lynryd Skynyrd, Mountain, Dragonforce, among others. Though all these artists they covered were acclaimed and still beloved by modern audiences, their success brought a newfound appreciation of music to the younger generation, with Paralyzer being referred to by the press as "Guitar Heroes." At the end of the chaotic year of 2008, Paralyzer was invited to perform at the Times Square New's Years Eve Show, which the band was thrilled to do so. After a two hour set, the band, on a whim, decided to conclude the year with their namesake song, which was met with roaring cheers from fans. As the year 2009 approached, the band decided this was the right time to call it quits, as the Engineer had reconfigured his teleporter to travel to the future to pick up Soldier, and also offered to return Master Chief to the 26th Century. Ellis decided to return to Georgia to reconnect with his fellow survivors and Niko would go back to Liberty City to visit Roman and his family. The four band members parted ways, but they vowed to remember the fun they had together, reunite sometime to catch up, and await for the new adventures the uncertain futures would hold for them all. This ending can only be unlocked by completing all Left 4 Dead 2, Grand Theft Auto 4, and Halo 3 achievements as well as all of the Team Fortress 2 achievements on the Orange Box on Xbox 360 and/or PS3.

I haven't listened to this song probably since it came out and I still remembered it immediately from the first couple notes

Haven’t heard this this in years so hearing it with fresh ears… this song is a legitimate bop

I love the idea of chief, bellic, soldier, and ellis starting a band lol

The amount of restraint Chief has got to have to not _absolutely demolish_ those drums is astounding.