Artist facts:

Tankian, as a student, had a 4.0 grade-point-average. He hated school.

Malakian would like to see Charles Manson released from prison, because he supports Manson's views on the environment.
The band is very opposed to "oppression and aggression." They often take a political stance in their songs.

Tankian has his own record label called Serjical Strike. In April 2006 he signed the band Fair To Midland, which gets their name from an old Texas play on the term "fair to middling."

Tankian and Dolmayan were both born in Lebanon. Odadjian was born in Armenia, and Malakian was born in California. They are all of Armenian descent and their families were effected by the Armenian Genocide, which began in 1915 at the beginning of World War I when the Turkish military began deporting and killing about 1.5 million Armenians.
The band has no piercings or tattoos.

 Dolmayan's dad played the saxophone and Tankian's dad was also a musician.
Serj worked as a shoe salesman before joining the band, and also ran a successful software company.
As a child, Malakian went to Alex Pilibo's Armenian school and has said he still has nightmares from things he endured there. He went to Roosevelt Middle School and Glendale High School, where he frequently cut class. Malakian now lives in Los Angeles and likes to collect candles, Persian rugs, instruments, and skulls.

Before Malakian joined the band, Shavo was the guitarist.
Malakian's father painted all the artwork that was used on their Hypnotize album.
When Dolmayan was a child aged 5, he was lying in his bed when he heard a noise and got scared. He left his room asked his parents if he could sleep with them for the night. A few minutes later, a bullet came through John's bedroom window and hit the bed where Little John would've been sleeping. Soon afterwards, John's father decided that they had to move out of Lebanon.
Tankian published a book of poetry called Cool Gardens. He says the thought of cool gardens relaxes him.
In the fall of 2007 Serj Tankian released his debut solo album Elect The Dead.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN

System of a Down (also referred to as SOAD or System) is a 4 piece, Grammy-award winning hard rock band, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles, California.

All four members are of Armenian descent,

grandsons of Armenian Genocide survivors,

and are widely known for their outspoken

views found in many of their songs.

System of a Down has achieved

commercial success over five albums, with

singles such as "Chop Suey!" and "B.Y.O.B.".

Members:

Serj Tankian - vocal

Daron Malakian - guitar

Shavo Odadjian - bass

John Dolmayan - drums

PRISON SONG

This is about how America has too many people in prison and it throws out some facts (the percentage of Americans in the prison system has doubled since 1985; nearly 2,000,000 Americans are incarcerated). The chorus describes America's need to build more prisons, yet it none-too-discretely blames the government for the problem.

SONG LYRIC:-

Theyre trying to build a prison
Theyre trying to build a prison
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kidsI buy my crack,
I smack my bitch
Right here in hollywood
(nearly 2 million americans areIncarcerated in the prison system Prison system of the us)
Theyre trying to build a prison
Theyre trying to build a prison
Theyre trying to build a prison(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system(for you and me to live in)

Biography

System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) is an American alternative metal band, formed in 1994 in Glendale, California, United States. The band consists of Serj Tankian (vocals), Daron Malakian (vocals, guitar), Shavo Odadjian (bass, vocals) and John Dolmayan (drums). Their sound is influenced by Slayer, Eric Burdon, Sepultura amongst others.

All four members are of Armenian descent, and are widely known for their outspoken left-wing views expressed in many of their songs confronting the Armenian Genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman Empire and the ongoing War on Terror by the US government. Depression, dark memories, love, insecurity, revenge, ego, personal identity, sex, corruption of government, war, social norms and corruption in/of society,corruption in/of Hollywood, death and afterlife, drugs (use, addiction, drug dealing, war on drugs), U.S. Prison System, censorship, mind control, commercialism and corporatism are common topics in SOAD’s music.

System of a Down has achieved commercial success with five albums, and many singles such as their breakout hit “Chop Suey!”, “Toxicity”, “Aerials”, “B.Y.O.B.”, “Question!”, “Hypnotize”, and “Lonely Day”,. Their works have earned them one Grammy Award amongst three nominations.

System of a Down went on hiatus in 2006, with Serj Tankian pursuing a solo career and Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan forming Scars on Broadway.

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 of Rage Against The Machine), dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

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.

Album Preview:

Band Pulls No Punches With The Pummeling MezmerizeFirst half of band's forthcoming double album takes listeners on chaotic, hard-riffing ride.
At 37 minutes, Mezmerize, the first half of the forthcoming double album from heavy mental quartet System of a Down, is the band's most punctual outing. But somehow, the group manages to cram in what feels like three albums' worth of chaotic riffing, thunderous double-bass-drum blasts, operatic crooning, growling death roars and blazing accordion — yes, accordion — into the LP's 11 songs.
Perhaps System's tightest and most intense material to date, Mezmerize — which comes out on May 17 — is loaded with breakneck, Slayeresque riffs and a complex sense of melody that's reminiscent of Faith No More. Fans will probably be jazzed to hear that the album recalls the band's 1998 self-titled debut more often than the less frenzied Toxicity — anyone concerned that songs like the lighter "Aerials" and Toxicity's title track signaled a weakening of the group's sound, fear not.
Mezmerize starts deceptively with an acoustic intro, but then lunges forward at bullet-train speed with the furiously paced first single, "B.Y.O.B." Perhaps the most political song on the album, its lyrics pose the question, "Why don't presidents fight the war?/ Why do they always send the poor?"
The band keeps the intensity on full through the following seven songs.
"Revenga" features guitarist Daron Malakian's intricate instrumental work and a deft balance between frontman Serj Tankian's more soothing vocal persona and his trademark rapid-fire rantings. Malakian's piercingly high vocals are actually featured more prominently throughout Mezmerize than any of the band's previous efforts: The guitarist and Tankian trade off lead vocal duties at various points in almost every track, and practically every chorus is dual-harmonized.
"It's the first time that [Malakian] is actually singing lead as well as harmony in most cases," Tankian said. "I love those harmonies; I love those pushing vocals going against each other. Our tonality is just so different that when you put them together, it's like one. If you balance it right, it's like one voice."