System of a Down
At the Download Festival in 2005
Background information
Also known as	System SOAD
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre(s)	Alternative metal, experimental rock, nu metal, various others
Years active	1995–2006 (Hiatus)
Label(s)	American/Columbia
Associated acts	Achozen, Axis of Justice, Buckethead & Friends, Scars on Broadway, Serart, Serj Tankian
Website	www.systemofadown.com
Members
John Dolmayan Daron Malakian Shavo Odadjian Serj Tankian
Former members
Andy Khachaturian

System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) are an American heavy metal band, formed in 1995 in Glendale, California. All four members are of Armenian descent, grandsons of Armenian Genocide survivors, and are widely known for their outspoken views expressed in many of their songs. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 712 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (944 × 795 pixel, file size: 78 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): System of a... The Download Festival is a three day music festival held annually at the spiritual home of rock music in England: Donington Park (which hosted the Monsters of Rock Festivals between 1980 and 1996, and 2002s Ozzfest). ... Los Angeles and L.A. redirect here. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... Nu metal (also called aggro metal, or nü metal using the traditional heavy metal umlaut) is a musical genre that has origins in the mid 1990s. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Achozen is a side project from System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Killarmy member Kinetic 9 and Rev. ... Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian (of System of a Down) and Tom Morello (from the band Rage Against the Machine and the now defunct Audioslave). ... Buckethead (born Brian Carroll in 1969), is an American guitarist and composer. ... Scars on Broadway (also referred to as Scars or abbreviated as SOB) is a new project of System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian. ... Serart is a collaboration between folk artist Arto Tunçboyacıyan and Serj Tankian, lead singer of System of a Down. ... Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ... John Dolmayan (Armenian: ) (born July 15, 1973 in Lebanon) is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down. ... Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: ) (born 18 July 1975) lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. ... Shavo Odadjian (Armenian: ) (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenia as Shavarsh Odadjian) is the bassist for the Armenian American-based alternative metal band System of a Down and a member of the group Achozen. ... Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Ontronik Andy Khachaturian (Armenian: ) is the former singer for The Apex Theory. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Nickname: Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... The Armenians are a nation and an ethnic group, originating in the Caucasus and eastern Asia Minor. ... Armenian Genocide photo. ...

System of a Down has achieved commercial success with over five albums, performing singles such as "Aerials", "B.Y.O.B.", "Lonely Day", "Question!", "Toxicity", "Hypnotize", and "Sugar"'. Their works have earned them one Grammy Award amongst three nominations. Maxi-Single cover Maxi-Single cover of Aerials. Australian Import cover Cover of the Australian limited edition of Aerials. 7 Single cover Cover of the 7 single of Aerials. Aerials is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002 from the album Toxicity. ... This article is about the System of a Down song. ... // Lonely Day is the Grammy nominated second single from the 2005 album Hypnotize by the band System of a Down. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Toxicity is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002. ... Hypnotize is the lead single for System of a Downs latest album of the same title, which was released on November 22, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Sugar is a single by the Armenian-American alternative metal group System of a Down. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

System of a Down is a part of the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by band member Serj Tankian (along with Tom Morello), dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian (of System of a Down) and Tom Morello (from the band Rage Against the Machine and the now defunct Audioslave). ... Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964), is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, and as the acoustic artist The Nightwatchman, He was featured as one of 20 guitarists in Rolling Stone magazines The Top... A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a political movement) is one driven by the constituents of a community. ...

History

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Soil (1993–1995)

The roots of System of a Down lie in the band Soil (not to be confused with the current band SOiL), a group from Los Angeles that included Serj Tankian on vocals/keyboard, and Daron Malakian on vocals/guitar, as well as Dave Hakopyan (Bassist for Mt. Helium) on bass and Domingo Laranio (Local Hawaii Drummer) on drums. Shavo Odadjian joined Soil near their end as a guitarist. After three years, only one live show, and one jam session recording, the band split up. Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland For other uses, see Soil (disambiguation). ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: ) (born 18 July 1975) lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Shavo Odadjian (Armenian: ) (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenia as Shavarsh Odadjian) is the bassist for the Armenian American-based alternative metal band System of a Down and a member of the group Achozen. ... A jam session is a musical act where musicians gather and play (or jam) without extensive preparation or predefined arrangements. ...

In the beginning (1995–1997)

After Soil split up, Serj and Daron formed a new band, System of a Down, based on a poem that Daron wrote. The poem's title was "Victims of the Down"^[1], but Shavo Odadjian^[1], who was originally the band's manager and promoter, didn't like the word and thought the word "System" sounded better. Ever since Shavo joined as bassist, managerial duties have been undertaken by the Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group and founder David "Beno" Benveniste. The band then found a drummer, Andy Khachaturian. System of a Down quickly made what is known as their early Untitled 1995 Demo Tape, which had very early recordings of "Mr. Jack" (called "PIG"), along with songs called "Flake", "Toast" and an early recording of "The Metro", a cover of the Berlin song of the same name. It is rumored that there are other tapes made, which contain early recordings of "Friik", "36" (called ".36"), and "Roulette". Two other songs, "X" (called "Multiply") and "Honey" were live demos at the time and were played at very early shows.^[2] After this, the band recorded Demo Tape 1, which had early versions of "Sugar", "Suite-Pee", and "P.L.U.C.K.", as well as "Dam." Demo Tape 2 was released in 1996 and had a rough demo of the song "Soil" as well as the most known unreleased tracks such as "Honey" and "Temper." At the beginning of 1997, SOAD recorded their final publicly-released demo tape, Demo Tape 3, which had rough versions of "Peephole", "War?", and "Know." In mid 1997, Ontronik Khachaturian left the band due to a hand injury. Soon after playing at the Whisky-A-Go-Go and Viper Room with new drummer John Dolmayan, producer Rick Rubin caught the band's attention and told them to keep in touch with him. Showing great interest, they recorded Demo Tape 4 near the end of that year. This demo, however, was made only to be sent to record companies. The tape was not released to the public until years later when it was leaked onto the Internet. After Rick helped them get signed onto American/Columbia Records, SOAD began to record in his studio. In 1997 SOAD won the Best Signed Band award from the Rock City Awards.^[3] Prior to 1998, SOAD's live shows were called "The Dark Red Experience"^{[citation needed]}. Shavo Odadjian (Armenian: ) (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenia as Shavarsh Odadjian) is the bassist for the Armenian American-based alternative metal band System of a Down and a member of the group Achozen. ... Deon Rexroat of Anberlin. ... Ontronik Andy Khachaturian (Armenian: ) is the former singer for The Apex Theory. ... Mr. ... The Metro is a New Wave song originally sung by Berlin and released on their album Pleasure Victim in 1982. ... // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Not to be confused with the band Anberlin. ... 36 is System of a Downs earliest work and 36th recorded song on the album. ... Sugar is a single by the Armenian-American alternative metal group System of a Down. ... P.L.U.C.K. (subtitled (Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers. ... War? is a single from System of a Downs eponymous debut album. ... Ontronik Andy Khachaturian (Armenian: ) is the former singer for The Apex Theory. ... John Dolmayan (Armenian: ) (born July 15, 1973 in Lebanon) is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down. ... Frederick Jay Rick Rubin (born March 10, 1963 in Lido Beach, New York) is a Jewish American record producer and is currently the co-head of Columbia Records. ...

Debut album (1998–2000)

 Music sample:

System of a Down's "Sugar" Image File history File links System_of_a_Down_-_Sugar. ...

24 second sample from System of a Down's "Sugar".

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

In the summer of 1998, System of a Down released their debut album, System of a Down. They enjoyed moderate success with their first single "Sugar" becoming a radio favorite, followed by the single "Spiders". After the release of the album, System of a Down toured extensively, opening for Slayer before making their way to the second stage of Ozzfest. Following Ozzfest, they toured with Fear Factory and Incubus before headlining the Sno-Core tour with Puya, Mr. Bungle, The Cat and Incubus providing support. System was scheduled to play the 1999 Family Values Tour, but were kicked off by Fred Durst over his inability to sign the band Taproot. Fred Durst has since admitted that he was a "complete wanker" in relation to this "oversight"^{[citation needed]}. The band have yet to comment on Durst's involvement or commentary. In 2000, the group contributed their cover of the Black Sabbath song "Snowblind" to the Sabbath tribute album Nativity in Black 2. Limited Edition cover The limited edition cover of System of a Down. ... Sugar is a single by the Armenian-American alternative metal group System of a Down. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Slayer (disambiguation). ... Ozzfest is an annual tour of the United States (and in some years, Europe) featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. ... Fear Factory is a Los Angeles, California based metal band. ... This article is about the US rock band. ... Puya is a latin-influenced nu metal band from San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... Mr. ... The Family Values Tour was created by the band Korn in 1998 to be an annual nu metal, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and Rap tour. ... William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American singer, known primarily as the founder of nu metal band Limp Bizkit. ... Taproot is a four-piece rock music group from Ann Arbor, Michigan that has toured with bands such as Korn, Deftones, Staind, P.O.D., Disturbed, and Linkin Park. ... William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American singer, known primarily as the founder of nu metal band Limp Bizkit. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Snowblind is a track off of Black Sabbath, Vol. ... Nativity in Black is the name of a series of Black Sabbath tribute albums that came out in the 1990s and 2000s. ...

Toxicity, Steal This Album! (2001–2003)

The group's big break arrived when their second album Toxicity debuted at #1 on the American and Canadian charts, eventually achieving multi-platinum certification. The album has since sold 6 million copies worldwide. It was still on top in America on the week of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the political environment caused by the attacks added to the controversy surrounding their hit single "Chop Suey!" causing it to be taken off the radio as it contained politically sensitive lyrics at the time such as "(I don't think you) trust in my self-righteous suicide." Regardless, the video gained constant play on MTV as did the second single, "Toxicity". Even with the controversy surrounding "Chop Suey!" which earned a Grammy nomination, System of a Down still received constant airplay in the United States throughout late 2001 and 2002 with "Toxicity " and "Aerials". In May 2006, VH1 listed Toxicity in the #14 slot in the 40 Greatest Metal Songs. Toxicity is System of a Downs second album release. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Chop Suey! is the first single from System of a Downs second album Toxicity. ... This is a list of songs purportedly deemed inappropriate by Clear Channel following the September 11, 2001 attacks. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... Toxicity is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002. ... Chop Suey! is the first single from System of a Downs second album Toxicity. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... Toxicity is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002. ... Maxi-Single cover Maxi-Single cover of Aerials. Australian Import cover Cover of the Australian limited edition of Aerials. 7 Single cover Cover of the 7 single of Aerials. Aerials is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002 from the album Toxicity. ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994 and VH1: Music First until 2003) is an American digital television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently... Toxicity is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002. ...

In 2001, the band went on tour with Slipknot in the United States and Mexico. After seeing the success of the tour, System and Slipknot went on a Pledge of Allegiance Tour with Rammstein in 2002. In late 2001, a few unreleased tracks made their way onto the Internet. The group released a statement that the tracks were unfinished material. Soon after, the band released the final versions of the songs, which were recorded at the same time, but hadn't been used for Toxicity. The result was Steal This Album!, released in November 2002. Steal This Album! resembled a burnable CD that was marked with a felt-tip marker. 50,000 special copies of the album with different CD designs were also released, each designed by a different member of the band. The name of the album is a reference to Abbie Hoffman's counter-culture book, Steal This Book and as a message to those who stole the songs and released them on the Internet. "Steal This Album was the lowest rated album that we had ever made" Dolmayan said in an interview^{[citation needed]}. The song "Innervision" was released as a promo single and received constant airplay on alternative radio. A video for "Boom!" was filmed with director Michael Moore as a protest against the War in Iraq. Slipknot (sometimes typeset as SlipKnoT to fit their logo) is a Grammy winning American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. ... For other uses, see Ramstein. ... Toxicity is System of a Downs second album release. ... This article is about the album by System of a Down. ... CD redirects here; see Cd for other meanings of CD. Image of a compact disc (pencil included for scale) A compact disc (or CD) is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ... Abbott Howard Abbie Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was a social and political activist in the United States who co-founded the Youth International Party (Yippies). Later he became a fugitive from the law, who lived under an alias following a conviction for dealing cocaine. ... Cover of Steal this Book Steal This Book is a book written by Abbie Hoffman in 1970 and published in 1971. ... Innervision is a song by the band System of a Down. ... Boom! is a heavy metal protest song from System of a Downs CD Steal This Album!. The song describes the uselessness of bombs and warfare, and compares how thousands can die from starvation and poverty when billions are spent creating bombs and weaponry. ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... There have been three conflicts in the late 20th century and early 21st century called Gulf War, all of which refer to conflicts in the Persian Gulf region: Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) (aka First Gulf War). ...

Mezmerize / Hypnotize (2004–2005)

From 2004 to 2005, the group produced a double album, Mezmerize / Hypnotize with the two parts released six months apart. The first album, Mezmerize, was released on May 17, 2005, to favorable reviews by critics. It debuted at #1 in the United States, Canada, Australia and all around the world, making it System of a Down's second #1 album. First week sales rocketed to over 800,000 copies worldwide^{[citation needed]}. The Grammy Award-winning single "B.Y.O.B.", which questions the integrity of war, worked its way up the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The next single, "Question!" was released with Shavo Odadjian co-directing the music video. Following the release of Mezmerize, the band toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada with The Mars Volta and Bad Acid Trip supporting. A double album is an audio album of sufficient length that two units of the medium in which it is sold (especially records and compact discs) are necessary to contain the entirety of it. ... Digipak cover Digipak cover of Mezmerize. ... Hypnotize is the fifth album by System of a Down and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. ... Digipak cover Digipak cover of Mezmerize. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the System of a Down song. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... The Mars Volta is an American rock group founded by Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Isaiah Ikey Owens and Jeremy Michael Ward in 2001. ... Bad Acid Trip is a metal band that is currently signed with System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankians record company, Serjical Strike. ...

The second part of the double album, Hypnotize, was released on November 22, 2005. Like Mezmerize, it debuted at #1 in the US, making System of a Down, along with the Beatles, Guns 'N Roses, and rappers 2Pac and DMX, the only artists to ever have two studio albums debut at #1 in the same year. A double album is an audio album of sufficient length that two units of the medium in which it is sold (especially records and compact discs) are necessary to contain the entirety of it. ... Hypnotize is the fifth album by System of a Down and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Digipak cover Digipak cover of Mezmerize. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The original line-up of Guns N Roses. ... Years after his death, Tupac Shakur is still considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. ... Earl Simmons (born on December 18, 1970 in Mt. ...

In February 2006, SOAD won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for "B.Y.O.B.", beating out other established artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Robert Plant. Their second single off the Hypnotize album, "Lonely Day" was released in March in the United States. System of a Down released "Kill Rock 'N Roll" and "Vicinity of Obscenity" as their next promo singles. The band headlined Ozzfest 2006 in cities where tour founder Ozzy Osbourne opted not to appear or wasn't playing on the main stage. This article is about the System of a Down song. ... NIN redirects here. ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England), is an English rock singer and songwriter, famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, as well as for his successful solo career. ... // Lonely Day is the Grammy nominated second single from the 2005 album Hypnotize by the band System of a Down. ... Kill Rock & Roll is the 3rd song on System Of A Downs fifth album, the 2005 release Hypnotize The song starts off soft with Daron Malakian playing an Electric guitar, then quickly goes into a fast chourus. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... A promotional recording, or promo, is a recording issued on vinyl, CD, cassette tape, VHS, or DVD and distributed free in order to promote a commercial recording. ... Ozzfest is an annual tour of the United States (and in some years, Europe) featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. ... Ozzy redirects here. ...

Hiatus and future of the band (2006–present)

In May 2006, the band announced they were going on hiatus. Daron Malakian has confirmed the break will probably last a few years, but it was Shavo who in an interview with Guitar magazine said it will last at least 3 years, but insists that the band would not be splitting up. He told MTV, "We're not breaking up. If that was the case, we wouldn't be doing this Ozzfest. We're going to take a very long break after Ozzfest and do our own things. We've done System for over ten years, and I think it's healthy to take a rest." Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: ) (born 18 July 1975) lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. ... Shavo Odadjian (Armenian: ) (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenia as Shavarsh Odadjian) is the bassist for the Armenian American-based alternative metal band System of a Down and a member of the group Achozen. ...

During their performance in Houston, Texas, Malakian also took a moment to say, "There's been a lot of rumors about us breaking up. Well, don't listen to them. Us four right here, we will always be System of a Down!"^{[citation needed]} However, Malakian announced he was forming a band called Scars on Broadway, which has since been joined by Dolmayan, and will work on its debut album during autumn. Odadjian will be working on a project with RZA of Wu-Tang Clan named Achozen as well as his UrSession website/record label. Tankian plans to keep recording as a solo artist/producer with his first single being Empty Walls off his first album Elect the Dead which was released on October 23, 2007, while Dolmayan, on top of Scars on Broadway, plans to open a comic book store online, which should be up online in November 2007.^[4] Houston redirects here. ... Scars on Broadway (also referred to as Scars or abbreviated as SOB) is a new project of System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian. ... RZA (IPA pronunciation: ; born , July 5, 1969) is an American hip hop producer, rapper and actor. ... Wu-Tang redirects here. ... Achozen is a side project from System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Killarmy member Kinetic 9 and Rev. ... Singles from Elect the Dead Released: August 7, 2007 Released: September 25, 2007 Released: 2007 Elect the Dead is the debut solo album by System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian. ...

System of a Down's final performance before their hiatus took place on August 13, 2006 in West Palm Beach, Florida. "Tonight will be the last show we play for a long time together", Malakian told the crowd during Sunday's last performance. "We'll be back. We just don't know when."^[5] It was stated by Sharon Osbourne that System of a Down was paid "about $325,000 a show."^[6] is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... West Palm Beach is a city located in Palm Beach County, Florida. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ...

System of a Down's songs were used in the 2006 film "Screamers" by Carla Garapedian. They appeared in the movie, in an interview talking about the importance of helping create awareness and recognition of the Armenian Genocide. "Screamers" debuted in theaters in large city markets such as New York City, Detroit, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Fresno, Providence, and Boston. An earlier engagement started exclusively in Los Angeles on [December 8], 2006. Screamers is a 2006 documentary by director Carla Garapedian. ... Carla Garapedian (herself an Armenian-American and documentary director Children of the Secret State), was the anchor of the famous BBC World News, After leaving BBC News she worked on major stories such as Beneath the Veil. ... Armenian Genocide photo. ...

System of a Down was honored at the USC v. Cal game at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA in 2006. The Spirit of Troy also known as the Trojan Marching Band performed three System of a Down songs. The marching band was honored to play "Toxicity", "Sugar", and Hypnotize" along with John Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium located in Exposition Park in Los Angeles, California, near the campus of the University of Southern California. ... Toxicity is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002. ... Hypnotize is the lead single for System of a Downs latest album of the same title, which was released on November 22, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ...

Tankian recently said that he has wanted to work on his "solo record for years". As for the future of the band, he said that he does not know whether System of a Down is over or not. He also stated that "maybe in a few years" the band would "want to make another album. It's impossible to tell right now. It'll be later down the line; then we'll be able to tell what might happen."^[6]

Bassist Shavo Odadjian was recently revealed to be directing the first video for the comeback of the hardcore punk band, Bad Brains.^[7] Hardcore Punk is a subgenre of Punk Rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... Bad Brains are an American punk rock band, originally formed in Washington, D.C. in 1979 . ...

For the 2007 Grammys, System of a Down was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Lonely Day", but lost to Wolfmother and their song "Woman". // Lonely Day is the Grammy nominated second single from the 2005 album Hypnotize by the band System of a Down. ... Wolfmother is a Grammy Award winning hard rock band from Australia. ... Woman is a single by the Australian hard rock band Wolfmother from their self-titled debut album. ...

Shavo Odadjian recently told Launch Radio Networks that System of a Down is "alive and well".

Future and possible reunion

When asked in February 2008 if a reunion was planned any time in the future, Daron Malakian had admitted that System of a Down may never get back together again. He had this to say:

On September 14, 2007 an American TV interview video with Shavo Odadjian was posted online, and subsequently embedded on the MySpace profile of his current working band, Achozen

He commented on System of a Down's status and future, saying:

In a September 13, 2007 interview, frontman Serj Tankian offered his take on the band's future by saying Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ...

When asked if there could be a possible reunion one day, he responded by saying:

In an April 2008 interview with Kerrang magazine, guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan (who have recently formed a new band known as Scars on Broadway) gave their takes on the bands future. When told that many people are going to wonder what the future of the band is, Malakian responded by stating that: Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: ) (born 18 July 1975) lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. ... John Dolmayan (Armenian: ) (born July 15, 1973 in Lebanon) is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down. ... Scars on Broadway (also referred to as Scars or abbreviated as SOB) is a new project of System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian. ...

Dolmayan added:

Malakian went on to say:

Style and influences

The stylistic variety and level of experimentation^[10] in System of a Down's music have made it difficult to describe. Though they have evolved their sound with each album, System of a Down has, for the most part, maintained a single style throughout their body of work. This style mixes elements and influences from a wide variety of genres such as alternative rock, punk rock, folk music, psychedelic rock, classic metal, symphonic metal, thrash metal, post-grunge, and progressive rock.^{[citation needed]} This has made them difficult to categorize, prompting the press to describe them with several different genre handles, among them alternative metal,^[11] hard rock,^[11][12] nu metal^[13][14] and progressive metal.^[15][16] Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Folk song redirects here. ... Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs. ... Classic metal is a term used to refer to heavy metal bands from the 1970s and 1980s who peaked later than the late 1960s and early 1970s pioneers of the genre, yet before the era when mainstream and underground heavy metal became seriously divided. ... Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that sound similar to a classical symphony. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by high speed riffing and aggression. ... Post-grunge is a subgenre of Alternative rock that emerged in the early 1990s as a derivative of grunge music. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... Nu metal (also called aggro metal, or nü metal using the traditional heavy metal umlaut) is a musical genre that has origins in the mid 1990s. ... Progressive metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progressive rock. ...

The band has used a wide range of instruments, including electric mandolins, baritone electric guitars, acoustic guitars, ouds, sitars and twelve string guitars. Furthermore, a variety of keyboards and synthesizers have been used on live shows. Drop C tuning was used exclusively on the first three albums, with later records mostly relying on drop Db tuning. Their vocal style has also remained fairly consistent over the years. The band frequently used alternating vocals, switching between near screaming followed by a softer type of singing. Also, the same harmony and chord structures are frequently used in vocals in their songs, giving them a distinct sound. Carved and round backed mandolins (front) A mandolin is a stringed musical instrument. ... Mustapick Deep Baritone Guitar The baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. ... Acoustic guitar can refer to the following musical instruments: Nylon and gut stringed guitars: Renaissance guitar Baroque guitar Romantic guitar Classical guitar, the modern version of the original guitar, with nylon strings Flamenco guitar Steel stringed guitars: Steel-string acoustic guitar, also known as western, folk or country guitar Twelve... Front and rear views of an oud. ... Diagram of some sitar parts. ... The twelve string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with twelve strings, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six string guitar. ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... Synth redirects here. ... Dropped C tuning is an alternative guitar tuning style in which the lowest (sixth) string is tuned down two tones (dropped) to C and the rest of the strings are tuned down one tone, thus making the overall tuning CGCFAD from low to high. ...

The band has cited Middle Eastern music as one of its influences^[1] and mentioned on several accounts that they appreciate The Beatles^[1][17] and Kiss.^[18] On their own style, Odadjian said "I don't think we sound like anybody else. I consider us System of a Down." and Dolmayan stated "You can compare us to whoever you want. I don't care. Comparisons and labels have no effect on this band. Fact is fact: We are who we are and they are who they are."^[19] The category Middle Eastern music refers to music from the Middle East and its different regions such as North Africa, the Levant and the Persian Gulf States. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. ...

Band members

Current members

• Serj Tankian - lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar (1995–present; hiatus)
• Daron Malakian – lead guitar, vocals (1995–present; hiatus)
• Shavo Odadjian – bass guitar, backing vocals (1995–present; hiatus)
• John Dolmayan – drums, percussion (1997–present; hiatus)

Serj Tankian (Armenian: ) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: ) (born 18 July 1975) lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. ... Shavo Odadjian (Armenian: ) (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenia as Shavarsh Odadjian) is the bassist for the Armenian American-based alternative metal band System of a Down and a member of the group Achozen. ... John Dolmayan (Armenian: ) (born July 15, 1973 in Lebanon) is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down. ...

Former members

• Andy Khachaturian – drums, percussion (1995–1997)

Ontronik Andy Khachaturian (Armenian: ) is the former singer for The Apex Theory. ...

Studio, guest, tour, and extra members

• Harry Perry – rhythm guitar (played rhythm guitar live on the Ozzfest 2006 Tour)
• Abe Cunningham – drums (played drums during a live performance of "Science" live in Sacramento, CA October 1, 2005)
• Charlie Benante – drums (played drums during a live performance of "Bounce" live @ the Allstate Arena September 30, 2005)
• Kirk Hammett – guitar (played guitar during a live performance of "Aerials" live @ the Hollywood Palladium November 15, 2003)
• Arto Tunçboyacıyan – vocals, additional instruments (Toxicity and Steal This Album!)
• Joey Jordison – drums (played drums live on October 31, 2001)
• Rick Rubin – piano (Sugar E.P., System of a Down and Toxicity)
• RZA (credited as Wu-Tang Clan) – vocals (Featured on "Shame" on the Loud Rocks Compilation and the Lonely Day EP)
• Lynn Strait - vocals (Featured on a live performance of "War?" live @ The Roxy Los Angeles, CA August 22, 1998)
• Vanik Vartanian – drums (played drums during a live performance "Arto" live @ The Roxy Los Angeles, CA August 22, 1998)

Harry Perry Harry Perry is a Venice Beach boardwalk musician famous for playing an electric guitar on rollerblades while wearing a turban. ... Ozzfest is an annual tour of the United States (and in some years, Europe) featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. ... Abe Cunningham, born in Long Beach, California in 1973, is an American musician; he plays drums in Deftones and Phallucy. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charlie Benante (born 27 November 1962, in The Bronx, New York) is the drummer/guitarist for the heavy metal band, Anthrax. ... The Allstate Arena is a sports arena in Rosemont, Illinois, which is home to the Chicago Wolves hockey club, DePaul University mens basketball, and the Chicago Rush Arena football team. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kirk Lee Hammett (born on November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist and songwriter in the band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. ... Maxi-Single cover Maxi-Single cover of Aerials. Australian Import cover Cover of the Australian limited edition of Aerials. 7 Single cover Cover of the 7 single of Aerials. Aerials is a single by System of a Down, released in 2002 from the album Toxicity. ... The Palladium while hosting the 2005 deviantART Summit. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arto Tunçboyacıyan (Armenian: ) (b. ... Toxicity is System of a Downs second album release. ... This article is about the album by System of a Down. ... Nathan Jonas Joey Jordison is an American rock/metal musician. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Frederick Jay Rick Rubin (born March 10, 1963 in Lido Beach, New York) is a Jewish American record producer and is currently the co-head of Columbia Records. ... Sugar is an EP released by System of a Down in 1998. ... Limited Edition cover The limited edition cover of System of a Down. ... Toxicity is System of a Downs second album release. ... Wu-Tang redirects here. ... Lonely Day is an EP by System of a Down. ... James Lynn Strait (August 7, 1968 – December 11, 1998) was the lead singer and lyricist for the metal/punk band, Snot, which broke up after his death in a car accident on December 11, 1998. ... War? is a single from System of a Downs eponymous debut album. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

Discography

Main article: System of a Down discography

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by System of a Down, a four-piece American rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California. ...

Studio albums

is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Limited Edition cover The limited edition cover of System of a Down. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Toxicity is System of a Downs second album release. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... This article is about the album by System of a Down. ... is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Digipak cover Digipak cover of Mezmerize. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hypnotize is the fifth album by System of a Down and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. ...

References