Concert: System of a Down

Keywords

System of a Down Concert Schedule

Chicago Gigs

System of a Down

Album

Songs

Video

Music

Background:

Vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan formed System of a Down in Southern California in the mid-'90s. They quickly earned a strong following in Los Angeles, largely based on strong word of mouth. A three-song demo began circulating through metal collectors, and their fan base soon spread throughout America, Europe and New Zealand. Like many late-'90s metal bands, System of a Down struck a balance between '80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-'90s alternative rockers like Jane's Addiction.

Their dark, neo-gothic alternative metal earned a cult following in the wake of the popularity of such likeminded bands as Korn and the Deftones. Tankian, Malakian and Odadjian first played together in 1993 as Soil. They renamed themselves as System Of A Down, in 1995, from a poem by alakian. They then recruited drummer Dolmayan and built up a fan following on the southern California circuit with their explosive live act. Rick Rubin, spotted them playing at Hollywood's Viper Room who, in September 1997. He made the band the first new act on his American Recordings label. Their debut album was released in June 1998. It was recorded at the Sound City studios with Rubin and Dave Sardy acting as producers.
The band's strong mix of alternative metal and programmed beats was amplified by subtle Eastern European influences, which made people compare them to contemporary metal bands such as Korn and the Deftones. The band's political agenda raised their aggro-metal to another level, however, with songs such as "P.L.U.C.K." ("Politically, Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers") and live favorite "War?' refusing to draw a cover over atrocities committed in their homeland. The band later enjoyed high-profile touring slots with Slayer and on summer 1998"s Ozzfest, and entrenched their status as one of the leading rock acts of the new millennium with the release of Toxicity.

System of a Down have revived and revitalized heavy music with their manic brand of post-everything hardcore.,A while ago, accepted sonic belief held that rock music, certainly hard rock music, had been stretched and manipulated and soon it would lose its captivating powers. This was proved false with the entry System of a Down changed the entire rock music scenario.

Malakian, singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan, shared a deep rooted bond and also shared Armenian ancestry and mutual aversion for perceived limitations. Their contrasting tastes - Jaco Pastorious, Slayer, The Beatles, Faith No More, traditional Armenian folk music - assured from the beginning that it would be an extraordinary band.

System's 1998 self-titled debut, produced by bearded board whiz Rick Rubin (Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy), was an achievement in pastiche overdrive, a dark carnival of moods punctuated by quick tempo shifts and enhanced structures. That year, radios rung to the visceral fury of "Sugar" and the spooky tension of "Spiders," each a fiery debut for listeners weaned on predictability and rote rhyme
schemes.

System of a Down have been labeled as nu metal by fans and media since their formation. This can be attributed to the release of their first album, which occurred during the nu metal boom of the mid-to-late 90's. Adding to this, the band toured with Ozzfest, a festival that typically features many up-and-coming nu metal bands. In addition to this, their music contains what some see as nu metal traits. They rarely feature guitar solos, use simple guitar riffs and often use a song structure typical of nu metal bands (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus).

Those who do not believe the nu metal genre applies to System of a Down argue that they have not included rapping or used turntables in any of their songs, these hip-hop influences are typical, if not defining traits of nu metal. Also, it does not appear that the band consider themselves to make nu metal music, guitarist Daron Malakian was quoted in the magazine Guitar World as saying that he was glad that System of a Down had not slipped into the nu metal genre.

Members
Serj Tankian - Vocalist & Keyboardist & Guitar
Daron Malakian - Guitar & Vocals
Shavo Odadjian - Bass
John Dolmayan - Drums

Previous members
Andy Khachaturian - Drums

Discography

Albums
System of a Down (30 June 1998) #124 US
Toxicity (4 September 2001) #1 US, #13 UK
Steal This Album! (26 November 2002) #15 US, #56 UK
Mezmerize (17 May 2005) #1 US, #2 UK

Singles
Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK
1998 "Sugar" - - System of a Down
1999 "Spiders" - System of a Down
2000 "War?" - - System of a Down
2000 "Metro" - Dracula 2000 [Soundtrack]
2001 "Chop Suey! Toxicity
2002 "Toxicity" Toxicity
2002 "Aerials" Toxicity
2003 "Innervision" -- Steal This Album!
2003 "Boom!" - Steal This Album!
2005 "B.Y.O.B."- Mezmerize
2005 "Question!" - Mezmerize

Music videos

"Sugar" from System of a Down (1998)
"Spiders" from System of a Down (1999)
"War?" from System of a Down (2000)
"Metro" from "Dracula 2000 Soundtrack" (2000)
"Chop Suey!" from Toxicity (2001)
"Aerials" from Toxicity (2002)
"Toxicity" from Toxicity (2002)
"Boom!" from Steal This Album! (2003)
"B.Y.O.B." from Mezmerize (2005)
"Question!" from Mezmerize (2005)