System of a Down
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 in Glendale, California, United States |
| Founder | Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian |
| Headquarters | Glendale, California , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
System of a Down is a heavy metal group with Armenian-American roots, established in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the ensemble has consisted of original members Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (guitar, vocals), Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals), and John Dolmayan (drums), who took over from the initial drummer Andy Khachaturian.
The band gained commercial acclaim through five studio albums, three of which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. System of a Down received four Grammy nominations and secured the Best Hard Rock Performance award in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B." Their music is distinguished by politically motivated lyrics tackling social issues such as anti-war sentiments in "B.Y.O.B." and critical perspectives on the prison industrial complex and war on drugs in "Prison Song." After entering a hiatus in 2006, they reunited in 2010. Apart from two new songs released in 2020 ("Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz"), no additional material has been issued since their 2005 albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize. Globally, System of a Down has sold over 12 million records, with singles "Aerials" and "Hypnotize" reaching the top position on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart.
Every member shares Armenian heritage, either as descendants of Armenian immigrants or as immigrants themselves.
Soil (1992–1994)
Although Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian both attended Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, they only met in 1992 while working at the same recording studio. They created the band Soil, featuring Tankian on vocals and keyboards, Malakian handling vocals and guitar, Dave Hakopyan on bass, and Domingo "Dingo" Laranio playing drums. Initially managing Soil was Shavo Odadjian before he joined as a second guitarist. By 1994, after limited live shows and recordings, Hakopyan and Laranio departed from the group.
Demo tapes and signing (1994–1997)
After Soil disbanded, Tankian, Odadjian, and Malakian formed System of a Down. The band's name derived from Malakian's poem "Victims of a Down," later altered to "System" to broaden appeal and strategically position near influences like Slayer. Odadjian transitioned to bass duties while entrusting management responsibilities to Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group under David "Beno" Benveniste. Drummer Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian joined the lineup, having previously collaborated with Malakian in Snowblind.
In early 1995, they performed under the name Soil in Los Angeles venues. Between 1995 and 1997, several demo tapes were produced that helped build underground recognition. Following an injury-related departure by Khachaturian in mid-1997, John Dolmayan was recruited as drummer.
Their first official recording appeared on the 1997 compilation Hay Enk, dedicated to Armenian genocide awareness. Performances at notable Hollywood locations such as the Whisky a Go Go and Viper Room caught the attention of producer Rick Rubin. To secure a record contract, they recorded Demo Tape 4, which led to signing with Rubin's American/Columbia Records. This achievement was celebrated with a show at The Roxy Theatre in September 1997. Subsequent recording sessions for their debut album were conducted with engineer Sylvia Massy. Rubin viewed them as an exceptional act with niche potential that demanded superior quality to achieve commercial success.
In 1997, System of a Down was honored with the Best Signed Band Award at the Rock City Awards.
Debut album: System of a Down (1998–2000)
System of a Down launched their first album, System of a Down, in June 1998. Their tracks "Sugar" and "Spiders" received significant airplay on radio and MTV. The band embarked on extensive tours, initially supporting Slayer during the Diabolus in Musica tour, followed by performances on Ozzfest's secondary stage. Later, they toured alongside Fear Factory and Incubus, and eventually headlined the Sno-Core Tour.
In November 1998, the group contributed the song "Will They Die 4 You?" to the South Park soundtrack album, Chef Aid, which included a lyric that was later incorporated into their track "Boom!".
Toxicity and Steal This Album! era (2001–2003)
On September 3, 2001, System of a Down scheduled a complimentary concert in Hollywood to celebrate the release of Toxicity. However, the event was canceled due to excessive crowd size, triggering a six-hour riot that resulted in $30,000 worth of damage. The band's manager later reflected that the disturbance might have been prevented had the band performed or communicated about the cancellation.
The album Toxicity debuted at number one in both the United States and Canada, eventually earning triple platinum certification in the US. Although its single "Chop Suey!" became controversial after the events of 9/11, it still achieved substantial MTV rotation alongside "Toxicity" and "Aerials". Touring included dates with Slipknot and participation in the Pledge of Allegiance Tour featuring Rammstein.
Several unreleased tracks from the Toxicity recording sessions leaked online under the name "Toxicity II". These songs were officially compiled and released as their third album, Steal This Album!, in November 2002. The album featured distinctive CD artwork designed by band members and included the promotional single "Innervision". Additionally, the music video for "Boom!", directed by Michael Moore, served as an anti-war statement.
Double albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize, hiatus, and solo projects (2004–2008)
In 2005, System of a Down issued a double album released in two parts: Mezmerize in May and Hypnotize in November. Both albums debuted at number one worldwide. Mezmerize sold over 800,000 copies during its first week; its leading single "B.Y.O.B." criticized military recruitment practices and earned the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006. The follow-up single was "Question!".
With Hypnotize, System of a Down became one of only four artists to achieve two number-one album debuts within the same calendar year. Singles from this release included "Hypnotize", "Lonely Day", and "Vicinity of Obscenity". Songwriting responsibilities increasingly shifted toward Daron Malakian, who also shared lead vocal duties.
The band's politically charged lyrics tackled subjects such as war ("B.Y.O.B."), government bureaucracy ("Cigaro"), and genocide ("P.L.U.C.K.", "Holy Mountains"). They actively campaigned for acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide.
In May 2006, System of a Down announced an indefinite break following their final concert on August 13 that year. During this hiatus, members engaged in various side projects: Malakian founded Scars on Broadway; Dolmayan initially joined Scars on Broadway before departing to create his own project Indicator and establish Torpedo Comics; Odadjian collaborated with hip-hop group AcHoZeN, managed his label urSESSION, and performed with George Clinton; Tankian pursued a solo career releasing his debut album Elect the Dead in 2007.
Reunion tours (2010–2020)
On November 29, 2010, System of a Down declared their reunion for prominent European festival appearances scheduled for mid-2011. These included Download Festival (UK), Greenfield Festival (Switzerland), Rock am Ring/Rock im Park (Germany), Metaltown (Sweden), Nova Rock Festival (Austria), and Provinssirock (Finland). The reunion tour commenced on May 10, 2011, in Edmonton, Alberta. Later that year they toured Mexico and South America before headlining Australia's Soundwave festival in early 2012.
Their global touring continued with performances at Heavy MTL and Heavy T.O. festivals in Canada during 2012 and appearances at Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK in 2013. Their only U.S. concert that year took place at the Hollywood Bowl.
In November 2014, they announced the Wake Up The Souls Tour to mark the centennial of the Armenian genocide. This tour featured a free concert held in Yerevan—marking their inaugural show in Armenia—in April 2015.
Although active on stage, new studio recordings were delayed due to creative disagreements mainly between Tankian and Malakian. Band members publicly expressed frustration between 2016 and 2019. Dolmayan attributed these postponements to collective disagreements but affirmed that their live chemistry remained strong.
Side endeavors persisted: Dolmayan initiated "These Grey Men," producing cover songs featuring artists such as M. Shadows and Tom Morello; Tankian released solo EPs including Elasticity, which contained tracks originally intended for System of a Down.
Benefit singles for Artsakh conflict and prospects for sixth studio album (2020–present)
On November 5, 2020, amid the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, System of a Down issued their first new material in fifteen years: singles titled "Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz". Proceeds from these releases supported humanitarian efforts aiding displaced families from Artsakh and Armenia.
Dolmayan expressed openness toward producing new albums but acknowledged ongoing internal challenges; Malakian revealed these singles were initially composed for his project Scars on Broadway but were released under System of a Down due to exceptional circumstances. While future albums remain uncertain, members continue to perform live together.
In January 2023, Dolmayan indicated that Tankian's diminishing enthusiasm for band activities since around 2006 has impeded recording sessions despite their strong live performance rapport.
System of a Down performed selected concerts throughout 2023–2024 including co-headlining Sick New World festival twice and achieving a milestone by staging a ticketed show at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
In May 2024, Tankian disclosed he had offered to step down as lead vocalist during their hiatus because of injury issues and exhaustion from touring; although auditions occurred without his knowledge, he ultimately remained with the band.
The group announced their forthcoming "Wake Up!" tour beginning in Latin America in 2025 after a decade-long absence from that region. This will be followed by North American dates as well as a European tour featuring appearances at Sick New World festival events planned for 2026.
In February 2025, Malakian conveyed ambivalence about creating new material under System of a Down given evolving artistic directions since their previous albums.
Themes in lyrics
System of a Down’s songwriting frequently embraces abstract or dadaist approaches addressing issues such as substance abuse; political critique; anti-war sentiments exemplified by songs like "Prison Song" and "B.Y.O.B."; suicide; globalization themes found in "Boom!"; bureaucracy as explored in "Cigaro"; media degradation depicted in "Violent Pornography"; celebrity culture referenced in "Old School Hollywood"; historical events like Tiananmen Square portrayed in "Hypnotize"; emotional turmoil illustrated by "Lonely Day"; and advocacy for recognition of the Armenian genocide through tracks like "P.L.U.C.K." and "Holy Mountains". Their lyrics reflect progressive political perspectives.
Musical style
Music critics highlight System of a Down’s fusion of ’80s thrash metal with ’90s alternative rock influences. Their sound incorporates elements from alternative rock, art rock, gothic rock, hip hop rhythms, jazz improvisation, multiple metal subgenres including thrash and black metal, alongside Middle Eastern musical traditions.
Their genre classification spans alternative metal, nu metal, hard rock, progressive metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, art rock, and avant-garde metal styles.
Daron Malakian has stated that they do not confine themselves to any specific scene nor adhere strictly to conventional nu-metal guitar tunings. He described their musical identity as if Slayer merged creatively with The Beatles.
The band employs an array of instruments such as electric mandolins, baritone guitars, acoustic guitars, ouds, sitars, and twelve-string guitars. Malakian often composes songs tuned to E♭ adjusted down to drop C for live performances.
Influences and artistic comparisons
Their inspirations encompass Middle Eastern music traditions; classic rock legends like Rush; Ozzy Osbourne; Black Sabbath; Led Zeppelin; Def Leppard; Scorpions; death metal pioneers Morbid Angel, Death, Obituary; hip-hop trailblazers Eazy-E, N.W.A., Run-DMC; Middle Eastern icons Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez; classic rock groups The Kinks, Bee Gees, Grateful Dead; The Beatles; funk-rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers; punk group Dead Kennedys; gothic band Bauhaus; electronic acts Depeche Mode and New Order; experimental rock Radiohead; metal giants Metallica; jazz fusion artist Miles Davis; grunge band Alice in Chains; heavy metal act Iron Maiden; hardcore punk Bad Brains; thrash metal Slayer; hard rock bands Van Halen and Kiss.
Reviewers note their eclectic sound ranges from post-hardcore reminiscent of Fugazi to experimentalism akin to Frank Zappa. Band members emphasize their distinct identity beyond such comparisons.
Impact and legacy
Among notable admirers is Sweden’s former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. Singer Morrissey has praised “Lonely Day” as one of his favorite recent songs. Rapper RZA from Wu-Tang Clan selected Mezmerize among his preferred rock albums.
In 2002 actor-musician Jack Black covered “Chop Suey!”, which Tankian cited among his favorite renditions. British magazine Kerrang! named “Chop Suey!” as their greatest song ever.
In 2021,Kerrang! featured ten bands who cited System of a Down as key influences including Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Avenged Sevenfold, Beartooth among others.
Band personnel
Current
- Serj Tankian – lead vocals, keyboards/samples (1994–2006, 2010–present), rhythm guitar (2001–2006, 2010–present)
- Daron Malakian – lead/rhythm guitar with backing vocals (1994–2006, 2010–present), co-lead vocals (2004–2006, 2010–present)
- Shavo Odadjian – bass guitar with backing vocals (1994–2006, 2010–present)
- John Dolmayan – drums (1997–2006, 2010–present)
Former
- Andy Khachaturian – drums (1994–1997)
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</timeline>
Discography
- System of a Down (1998)
- Toxicity (2001)
- Steal This Album! (2002)
- Mezmerize (2005)
- Hypnotize (2005)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kerrang! Awards | Best International Live Act | — | Template:Won |
| 2002 | Grammy Awards | Best Metal Performance | "Chop Suey!" | Template:Nom |
| MTV Video Music Awards | Best Rock Video | Template:Nom | ||
| Best Editing | Template:Nom | |||
| Billboard Music Awards | Modern Rock Artist of the Year | rowspan="3" Template:N/A | Template:Nom | |
| MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica | Best International Rock Artist | Template:Nom | ||
| Best International New Artist | Template:Nom | |||
| 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Hard Rock Performance | "Aerials" | Template:Nom |
| 2003 MuchMusic Video Awards | Best International Video – Group | "Boom!" | Template:Nom | |
| California Music Awards | Outstanding Group | — | Template:Won | |
| American Music Awards | Favorite Alternative Artist | Template:Nom | ||
| Kerrang! Awards | Best International Band | Template:Nom | ||
| 2005 | Kerrang! Awards | Best Single | "B.Y.O.B" | Template:Nom |
| Best Video | Template:Nom | |||
| Best Album | 'Mezmerize' | Template:Nom | ||
| Best Live Band | — | Template:Nom | ||
| Best Band on the Planet | Template:Nom | |||
| American Music Awards of 2005 | 'Favorite Alternative Artist' | Template:Nom | ||
| 'Best Alternative Metal Album' | 'Mezmerize' | 'Template:Won' | ||
| 'Best Art Direction' | "B.Y.O.B." | 'Template:Nom' | ||
| 'Best Alternative' | —' | 'Template:Won' | ||
| '48th Annual Grammy Awards' | 'Best Hard Rock Performance' | "B.Y.O.B." | 'Template:Won' | |
| 'Best Alternative' | —' | 'Template:Nom' | ||
| 'Best International Rock/Alternative Group' | 'Mezmerize' | 'Template:Won' | ||
| 'Greatest Social Impact' | "Question!" | 'Template:Won' | ||
| '49th Annual Grammy Awards' | 'Best Hard Rock Performance' | "Lonely Day" | 'Template:Nom' | |
| 'Parajanov-Vartanov Institute Awards' | 'Best Film' | 'Wake Up The Souls Tour' | 'Template:Won' |