Album info

• Hypnotise
• Mezmerize
• Steal this album
• Toxicity
• System of a down

Artist info

• John Dolmayan : Drummer
• Serj Tankian : Lead Vocalist
• Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian : Bassist
• Daron Vartan Malakian : Lead guitarist

Hypnotize(album)

Hypnotize is the fifth album by System of a Down and the second half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album before taking their hiatus to work on their individual solo projects. It was released on November 22, 2005, six months after the release of companion album Mezmerize.

Reception

The album opened at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 320,000 copies on November 22, 2005. The album was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on December 13, 2005. ^[1]

Entertainment Weekly (No. 851, p.100) - "[T]hey're flaunting a heretofore underexplored sensitive side, offsetting their trademark stampeding riffology with flashes of delicate lyricism." - Grade: B+

Rolling Stone (No. 988, p.117) - 3.5 out of 5 stars - "Hell immediately runneth over on Malakian's scoured-staccato guitars and Dolmayan's furious hammering."

Spin (p.62) - Ranked #20 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005."

Uncut (p.109) - 3 stars out of 5 - "System succeed through their skill at wielding complex, progressive heaviness in a pop context."

Track listing

#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Attack"	Daron Malakian, Serj Tankian	Malakian	3:06
2.	"Dreaming"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian, Shavo Odadjian	3:59
3.	"Kill Rock 'n Roll"	Malakian	Malakian	2:28
4.	"Hypnotize"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	3:09
5.	"Stealing Society"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	2:58
6.	"Tentative"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	3:36
7.	"U-Fig"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian, Odadjian	2:55
8.	"Holy Mountains"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	5:28
9.	"Vicinity of Obscenity"	Tankian	Tankian, Malakian	2:51
10.	"She's Like Heroin"	Malakian	Malakian	2:44
11.	"Lonely Day"	Malakian	Malakian	2:47
12.	"Soldier Side"	Malakian	Malakian	3:40

DualDisc edition — DVD side

• Entire Album in Enhanced Stereo
• The Recording of Mezmerize / Hypnotize
• "B.Y.O.B." and "Question!" videos

Mezmerize (album)

Mezmerize is the fourth album by System of a Down and the first half of the Mezmerize/Hypnotize double album. It was released on May 17, 2005, six months before Hypnotize.

Album information

Despite the time difference between releases, the album actually takes its name from the lyrics in the song Hypnotize; Mezmerize and Hypnotize were recorded within the same time frame. The album features guitarist Daron Malakian sharing most of the vocal work with vocalist Serj Tankian, splitting the vocals at least halfway on most of the tracks.

The album debuted at number one in at least twelve countries, including the US Billboard 200, and has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. It was also chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. The album has sold over 4 million copies worldwide since its release.

The vinyl pressing contains a slightly different mix of 'Soldier Side (Intro)' with strings.

Reception

• Rolling Stone (No. 975, pp.67-70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "[E]verything on Mezmerize hits and splits with viciously honed purpose."
• Spin (p.101) - "Moods are muddled even more artfully on Mezmerize." - Grade: B+
• Robert Christgau - "Firm in their convictions and (relatively) simple in their art-rock" Grade: 1-star honorable mention

Track listing

#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Soldier Side - Intro"	Daron Malakian	Malakian	1:03
2.	"B.Y.O.B."	Malakian, Serj Tankian	Malakian	4:15
3.	"Revenga"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	3:48
4.	"Cigaro"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	2:11
5.	"Radio/Video"	Malakian	Malakian	4:09
6.	"This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	2:08
7.	"Violent Pornography"	Malakian	Malakian	3:31
8.	"Question!"	Tankian	Tankian, Malakian	3:20
9.	"Sad Statue"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	3:25
10.	"Old School Hollywood"	Malakian	Malakian	2:56
11.	"Lost in Hollywood"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian	5:20

Steal This Album!(album)

Steal This Album! is the third studio album by System of a Down, released on November 26, 2002, on American Recordings. Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian, and reached #15 in the Billboard Top 200.

In May 2009, drummer John Dolmayan revealed that the album is his favourite System of a Down release

Album information

This album was released shortly after a collection of medium-quality MP3s found their way onto the Internet under the unofficial name Toxicity II, a year after the release of the group's multi-platinum record, Toxicity. The band issued a statement expressing their disappointment that their fans were hearing unfinished material, and released the finished versions of the leaked material. Most, but not all tracks from the original leak (e.g. "Cherry") made it onto Steal This Album!, and three new tracks such as "Roulette" were also added. Many song titles, lyrics, and melodies were changed, making the new album significantly different from the unfinished product.

Though often reported in the media as being a collection of B-sides and outtakes, the band insists that the Steal This Album! material is of the same quality as the tracks which made it onto Toxicity. Vocalist Serj Tankian has said that the songs were left out of Toxicity "because they didn't fit the overall continuity of the album".

The album title is a reference to Abbie Hoffman's book Steal This Book, which is regarded by many as a classic example of counterculture literature. A similar title ("Steal This Movie!") was used for a movie about Hoffman's life. A year prior to this album however, The Suicide Machines had already released an album titled Steal This Record. The Coup had also released a Steal This Album in 1998. An alternate version of "Streamline" was used in The Scorpion King soundtrack, which was released in early 2002, and as a B-Side on some copies of the Aerials single.

The packaging for this album is unique. The album comes in a normal CD jewel case without a booklet, just the CD. On the CD and back of the case, it looks like it has been written on with a black marker pen, in faux-bootleg style to make it look like it has been pirated.

Alternative covers

In the United Kingdom and United States releases of Steal This Album!, for a limited time four alternative versions of the disc artwork were available. Each were supposedly designed by a member of the band. One featured an entirely blue background with text swirling into the center. One was a drawing of crude stylized flames, accompanied by text. The third was black and gray, depicting a skull with writing in the mouth. The fourth, and perhaps most controversial featured two 'V' shapes, crossing over in the center to create a diamond. One 'V' was entirely blue, and the other red and white striped. These versions are considered very rare.

In Europe a one sided front insert has also been seen. It is all white with the album title in black, similar to the original CD cover.

Reception

• CMJ (12/16/02, p.23) - "Both arty aggro and perverted political punk."

• Entertainment Weekly (11/29/02, p.105) - "Steal This Album stands head-and-tattooed shoulders above its competition in the hard-rock genre."

• Rolling Stone (12/12/02, p.93) - "An absurdist blast of political rage, silly theater and shattered math metal."

• Spin (2/03, p.96) - 8 out of 10 - "The way these simple songs blur together works in the album's favor: Just when you think you've got a foothold, the ground disappears under your feet."

Track listing

#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Chic 'n' Stu"	Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian	Malakian	2:23
2.	"Innervision"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian, Tankian	2:33
3.	"Bubbles"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	1:56
4.	"Boom!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian, Shavo Odadjian	2:14
5.	"Nüguns"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	2:30
6.	"A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:17
7.	"Mr. Jack"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	4:09
8.	"I-E-A-I-A-I-O"	Tankian	Tankian, Malakian, Odadjian, John Dolmayan	3:08
9.	"36"	Tankian	Tankian	0:46
10.	"Pictures"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	2:06
11.	"Highway Song"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:13
12.	"Fuck The System"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian, Tankian	2:12
13.	"Ego Brain"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian, Tankian	3:21
14.	"Thetawaves"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	2:36
15.	"Roulette"	Malakian, Tankian	Malakian, Tankian	3:21
16.	"Streamline"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:37

It appears that Streamline and Roulette have often been credited as each other in various cases.

Toxicity(album)

Toxicity is the second album by System of a Down. Produced by Rick Rubin, Toxicity was released on September 4, 2001 by American Recordings, debuting at #1 on both the United States and Canadian charts.

Album information

Toxicity received mass critical acclaim, making many end-of-year "best of" lists (such as being named SPIN Magazine's #1 record of the year), and earning a Grammy nomination for lead single "Chop Suey!".

The album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and is multi-platinum in the United States. It is also the only System of a Down album not to feature the Parental Advisory label, with only minor profanities.

The song "Shimmy" was featured in the 2002 video game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

The song "Chop Suey!" was featured in the 2008 video game Rock Band 2.

The song "X" was originally recorded for the bands' 1998 self-titled debut but it was re-worked for Toxicity.

"Toxicity" was made available as a downloadable song for Rock Band on August 5, 2008.

"Toxicity" is featured in the video game "Guitar Hero: Metallica

The song "Science" was featured in the 2002 video game ATV Offroad Fury 2.

The album is listed in Blender's 500 CDs You Must Own.

Reception

• Rolling Stone (9/27/01, p.70) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "Both manic and schizoid, Tankian veers easily from sing-rap rhythm to Korn-ish hysterics to demonic baritone growl to doomily ruminative....the music insists on forward motion without trapping itself in a thrashy lock-step rut."
• Spin (p.89) - "System have an undeniable nerd-prog charm."
• Entertainment Weekly (9/7/01, pp.161-2) - "Strange and engaging....It all adds up to bizarro type of metal that has a warped majesty and strength." - Rating: B-
• Q magazine (9/01, p.121) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Matches Slipknot for manic intensity while employing a freeform approach to songcraft which invites comparison to the lunatic-fringe rock of the '60s."
• Alternative Press (2/02, p.64) - Ranked #9 in AP's "25 Best Albums of 2001."
• Mojo (p.54) - Ranked #93 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics."
• Robert Christgau - 1-star honorable mention- "Overarrangements no prob for we who avoid art-rock like the plague this means to cure."

Track listing

#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Prison Song"	Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian	Malakian	3:21
2.	"Needles"	Tankian, Malakian	Tankian, Malakian	3:13
3.	"Deer Dance"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	2:55
4.	"Jet Pilot"	Tankian	Shavo Odadjian, Malakian	2:06
5.	"X"	Tankian	Malakian	1:58
6.	"Chop Suey!"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:30
7.	"Bounce"	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	1:54
8.	"Forest"	Tankian	Malakian	4:00
9.	"ATWA"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	2:56
10.	"Science"	Tankian	Malakian	2:43
11.	"Shimmy"	Tankian	Tankian	1:51
12.	"Toxicity"	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	3:39
13.	"Psycho"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:45
14.	"Aerials"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	3:53
15.	"Arto" (hidden track)		Tankian, Arto Tunçboyacıyan	2:14

Special Edition bonus CD
#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Johnny"	Tankian	Tankian	2:09
2.	"Sugar" (live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	2:27
3.	"War?" (live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:48
4.	"Suite-Pee" (live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:58
5.	"Know" (live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian	3:03

System of a Down (album)

System of a Down is the debut album by American rock band System of a Down, first released in 1998. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on February 2, 2000. Two years later, after the success of Toxicity, it was certified platinum.

Album information

The cover artwork is from a poster designed by the artist John Heartfield for the Communist Party of Germany during the Third Reich. The text in the original poster is: "5 fingers has a hand! With these 5 grab the enemy!". This slogan inspired part of the text contained in the back of the System of a Down album: "The hand has five fingers, capable and powerful, with the ability to destroy as well as create". Later, it is written in bold letters: "Open your eyes, open your mouths, close your hands and make a fist".

This album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Suite-Pee"	Serj Tankian	Daron Malakian	2:32
2.	"Know"	Tankian	Shavo Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian	2:56
3.	"Sugar"	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	2:33
4.	"Suggestions"	Tankian	Malakian	2:44
5.	"Spiders"	Tankian	Malakian	3:35
6.	"DDevil"	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	1:43
7.	"Soil"	Tankian	Malakian	3:25
8.	"War?"	Tankian	Malakian	2:40
9.	"Mind"	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian	6:16
10.	"Peephole"	Tankian	Malakian	4:04
11.	"CUBErt"	Tankian, Malakian	Malakian	1:49
12.	"Darts"	Tankian	Malakian	2:42
13.	"P.L.U.C.K."	Tankian	Malakian	3:37

Japanese Edition
#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
14.	"Marmalade"	Tankian	Malakian	3:02
15.	"Störagéd"	Tankian	Malakian	1:19

Limited Edition bonus CD
#	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Sugar" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian	2:27
2.	"War?" (Live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:48
3.	"Suite-Pee" (Live)	Tankian	Malakian	2:58
4.	"Know" (Live)	Tankian	Odadjian, Malakian Tankian	3:04

John Dolmayan

John Dolmayan (born July 15, 1973 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a musician, best known as the drummer for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down, and current drummer for the band Scars on Broadway. John currently lives in Los Angeles, California. He was first interested in drums at the age of 2. His father was a saxophone player. When his mother would take him to watch his father play, he would mimic his father's drummer. When he was four he asked his parents for a drum kit. He asked for one every year for his birthday or Christmas until he finally got one at age 15.

System of a Down

So far, he has recorded five albums with System of a Down: System of a Down (1998), Toxicity (2001), Steal This Album! (2002), and, most recently, Mezmerize (2005), and Hypnotize (2005). His style of drumming has influenced an emerging generation of drummers, and this has attracted a significant portion of SOAD's audience.

John's facial expressions are famous for being constantly foreboding and angry-looking. Lead singer Serj Tankian was quoted in Kerrang magazine as always trying to make John crack a smile on stage, to which John replied that he had to make an extreme effort to keep a straight face and not get put off beat. Although, on very rare occasions he would try to entertain the fans in unique ways during performances.

Dolmayan won "DRUM!" Magazine's 2006 Drummer of the year. In addition to winning this award, Dolmayan was the feature story in the September edition of "DRUM!" magazine.

Personal projects

In Summer 2006, right before Ozzfest tour, John told the press in several interviews his intention to make an online comic company, "I've got over 5 and a half million comics right now, and I'll probably have about 20 million comics in a year's time. But it's not really a collection. The reason I'm accumulating all these books is I'm starting an Internet-based comic-book company called 'Torpedocomics'. That'll be up in November 2007, probably." Dolmayan said. In an online auction in March 2009 he purchased a very rare copy of the first comic book featuring Superman for $317,200. John recently sent Howard Stern and Robin Quivers rare Spider Man comics. Recently John has been playing live shows with a newly designed drum kit, featuring drawings from many famous comic book artists.

Dolmayan also said he may at some point write a movie script and might be involved in drum work regardless of SOAD's status. John has played alongside Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Wayne Kramer for the song Bombs Over Paris., on the Serj Tankian solo debut, Elect the Dead, and joined Tool on stage for a few shows.

In April 2009, smashingpumpkins.com revealed that Dolmayan had auditioned for the reformed Smashing Pumpkins' vacant drummer job along with thousands of other applicants.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian (born April 22, 1974) was the bassist for the Los Angeles-based rock band, System of a Down.

Early life

Odadjian was born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR. In his youth, Shavo used to spend all his time skateboarding and listening to punk rock and heavy metal music. Among others, he names Dead Kennedys, KISS, Slayer and Black Sabbath as his favorite bands with great influence on his future musical development.

Odadjian moved to Los Angeles, California at a very young age, where he was raised in large part by his grandmother, after whose death he claims to have lost faith and to have stopped praying every night as he did before. He attended the Alex Pilibos Elementary School in Los Angeles, an Armenian parochial school, along with his future bandmates Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian, although they were not acquainted at the time due to the age difference.

System of a Down

While working in a bank, he started managing Soil, the band of Malakian and Tankian in 1993 after meeting them in a recording studio, where he was recording with his own band. In 1995, Shavo became the permanent bassist of the band. They then named themselves System of a Down after a poem titled Victims of a Down, which was written by bandmate Daron Malakian.

Shavo Odadjian plays both guitar and bass, and claims to play guitar better than he does bass. He usually plays bass with a pick, but he can be seen using his fingers during certain songs.

Without knowing, Shavo became famous for his long large braided beard, spiked arm bracelet, large height, bald head, and freaky faces. Bandmate Serj Tankian had mentioned to him that he should have one like his. In 2006 the band all had beards that reached past their shoulders.

AcHoZeN

Odadjian has started a side project with The RZA from The Wu-Tang Clan, and they have already begun recording. They have plans for tours and a movie. They recently picked up a name for the band, Achozen, and their first live show was at the Key Club in L.A in December 1, 2006.

Other projects

In addition, Odadjian is a popular DJ in the LA area, taking part in such events as the "Rock/DJ Explosion" on March 2 2001 at The Roxy in Hollywood, CA and collaborating with bandmate Tankian on SerArt, the singers side project with multitalented Armenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan. He goes by the name DJ Tactic.

Recently, Shavo has appeared playing as part of the backing band of George Clinton (of Parliament/Funkadelic). In September 2008 he appeared (playing guitar instead of bass) in a live performance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno with Clinton. Shavo also appears on Clinton's 2008 album George Clinton and His Gangsters of Love, which features many guest musicians, including Shavo's Achozen bandmate RZA, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Carlos Santana.

Shavo is also the executive producer for the band, Onesidezero. Shavo is currently helping the band Chameleon Conductor record their debut album. Shavo's brother Dave plays bass in this band.

Film work

Stating himself to be a "very visual person," he has also directed music videos for System of a Down (being Aerials, Toxicity, Question! and Hypnotize), and Taproot (Mine), creating surreal atmospheres and using innovative methods in filming. On May 15, 2007, it was revealed that Shavo Odadjian would be directing the first video from Bad Brains's album Build a Nation.^[4] Director Shavo Odadjian makes an appearance at the end of the concert video with frontman H.R. The two are seen charismatically walking stageside, passing and smoking a marijuana joint. Shavo also appeared in the 1993 "Big Gun" video by AC/DC, standing alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the crowd, sporting a backwards baseball cap. He also appears as an audience member during the awards ceremony in Zoolander.

Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is a Lebanese-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and occasionally live rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down. In 2002, Tankian and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello co-founded a non-profit political activist organization, Axis of Justice. During his musical career, he has released five albums with System of a Down, one with Arto Tunçboyacıyan (Serart), as well as debut solo album Elect the Dead. He was named the 26th-greatest heavy metal vocalist of all time by Hit Parader magazine.

Early life and career

Tankian was born on August 21, 1967, in Beirut, Lebanon. He and his family emigrated to Los Angeles in 1975. Although Tankian disliked school, he nonetheless maintained a 4.0 grade average. When Tankian got older he started his own software company before beginning his music career; he began performing music in 1992.

Soil and System of a Down

Daron Malakian met Serj Tankian in 1992, while they both shared the same rehearsal studio in different bands. Serj was playing keyboard for a band, and Daron was singing lead vocals for another band. They formed a jam band called Soil (Serj on vocals/keyboards and Daron on guitar ; not to be confused with the Chicago band Soil) with Domingo Laranio (drums) and Dave Hakopyan (bass). Around this time, they also met Shavo Odadjian. The next year, in 1994, after one supposed jam session recording and one live show, Dave and Domingo left, thinking the band wasn't going anywhere.

The band later broke up and Tankian and Malakian formed a new band "System of a Down," based on a poem that Daron wrote entitled "Victims of the Down". Shavo Odadjian thought that the word System appealed to a much broader audience than "Victims," and they wanted their albums to be stored near the band Slayer's. Odadjian was the band's original manager and promoter, but joined as the bassist, and managerial duties were taken over by the Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group and founder David "Beno" Benveniste. Daron then asked his friend Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian (who had played in his first band with Daron at age 15) to join the band as the drummer. Andy was later replaced by their current drummer, John Dolmayan, due to a hand injury.

Other works

During System of a Down's days, Tankian was the vocalist in other bands for certain songs such as Mushroom Cult by Dog Fashion Disco and lent his vocals to the song Mein by Deftones. He also sang backup vocals on a song for Hed PE called "Feel Good". He produced "Enter the Chicken" by Buckethead, and provided vocals to the Buckethead songs We Are One, Coma, and Waiting Hare. With Serjical Strike Records, he endeavors to offer those musicians often ignored by the mainstream a possibility to release their music and be heard. The first release of Tankian's new label was Serart, an album by Tankian himself, and Arto Tunçboyacıyan, an Armenian friend of Tankian's.

More recently, he sang with Les Rita Mitsouko on the song "Terminal Beauty". Also, he sang with the band Fair to Midland during a live improvisational version of their song "Walls of Jericho", from the album Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True, which was a massive hit with fans. He often collaborates as well with his close friend, director Diran Noubar on various projects, including the voice-over of Noubar's "Armenia, a Country Under Blockade". Noubar played some guitar on Tankian's Elect the Dead album on the track "Saving Us" and directed the music video for "Baby".

Tankian is also politically involved. Together with Tom Morello, he founded the organization Axis of Justice. Tankian is a New Zealand resident and has a secondary vacation dwelling there. There has been a misconception that he intends to stay in New Zealand until the Iraq War is over, but as stated in an interview, Tankian has no intention of doing so. He often speaks publicly against violence and injustice in the world.

Tankian is at work on a second album, due in 2009. It is said to be more of a jazz and orchestral based sound. A new song, "Sounds of War", has shown up in recent concert setlists, it has a jazz fusion style, it is unknown if it will be on the second record. Said Tankian of the second album, "I'm structuring the next record kind of like a jazz orchestral. I've got a full orchestra interested, so I want this giant electric guitar in the air to be played by a full orchestra. I want the orchestra to be the electric guitar. I want to make an orchestra do what it's never done before, like a GG Allin type orchestra. Think of that." Tankian released a new song "Fears" in November 2008 exclusively in support of Amnesty International's Global Write-A-Thon

Tankian told The Pulse of Radio that the highlights of his last eight months on the road may soon be documented in a DVD featuring videos, live performances and behind-the-scenes footage. Serj is also set to release a DVD of his recent performance with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Whether these are two separate DVDs is unknown. Although the live DVD with the APO is said to be released later in 2009.

Tankian is currently co-writing a musical with the American playwright Steven Sater. It is based on the Ancient Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound. He stated that eight songs have been completed and that there will be a record.

Daron Vartan Malakian

Daron Vartan Malakian (born July 18, 1975) is the lead guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist in System of a Down. The band has been on a hiatus since 2006. He is currently the lead singer and guitarist in Scars on Broadway. Like the rest of the Hollywood-based band System of a Down, he is of Armenian ancestry, but is the only member to actually have been born inside the U.S. (Los Angeles). He placed 30th in Guitar World's List of The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time.

Early life

Daron was born on July 18, 1975 in U.S. as an only child to an Iraqi-Armenian father Vartan Malakian and Iranian-Armenian mother Zepur Malakian. At a very early age, Daron got into heavy metal music; his distant cousin played him a KISS record when he was four years old and he was hooked. Daron wanted to play the drums , but his parents got him a guitar instead because they said "You can't turn the drums off." By the time Daron was a teenager, he got into heavier metal bands such as Slayer, Venom, Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura and Cannibal Corpse. At around 17 he started getting into The Beatles and Peter, Paul and Mary as two of his biggest influences on him as a songwriter. Daron went to Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian school in Little Armenia, Hollywood, which bandmates Serj Tankian and Shavo Odadjian also attended. Daron is still a big Slayer fan, as is band member Shavo Odadjian who sometimes wears Slayer t-shirts to shows. In his childhood, he also became a fan of the Los Angeles Kings Hockey Team, which can be seen in the video of 'Toxicity' and the booklet of the album with the same title.

System of a Down

Main article: System of a Down

Daron Malakian met Serj Tankian in 1992, while they both shared the same rehearsal studio in different bands. Serj was playing keyboard for a band, and Daron was singing lead vocals for another band. They formed a jam band called Soil (not to be confused with the Chicago band Soil). The band featured Serj on vocals/keyboards and Daron on guitar with Domingo Laranio on drums and Dave Hakopyan on bass. Around this time, they also met Shavo Odadjian. In 1994, after one supposed jam session recording and one live show at a bar called Whiskey a Go Go, Dave and Domingo left, thinking the band wasn't going anywhere. Daron became a very famous member because of his famous double beard, crazy acts, weird faces, and instruments used.

The band later broke up and Tankian and Malakian formed a new band "System of a Down," based on a poem that Daron wrote entitled "Victims of the Down". Shavo Odadjian thought that the word System appealed to a much broader audience than "Victims," and they wanted their albums to be stored near the band Slayer's. Odadjian was the band's original manager and promoter, but joined as the bassist, and managerial duties were taken over by the Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group and founder David "Beno" Benveniste. Daron then asked his friend Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian (whom had played in his first band with Daron at age 15) to join the band as the drummer. Andy was later replaced by their current drummer, John Dolmayan, due to a hand injury.

Malakian co-produced System of a Down's albums with Rick Rubin, as well as The Ambulance and Bad Acid Trip (a band on fellow member Serj Tankian's Serjical Strike Records). He recently started his own label, EatUrMusic, on which Amen is the first signed band. Malakian is also involved in a band called Scars on Broadway, with John Dolmayan. In 2003 Daron Malakian played with a variety of celebrities in the Celebrity Baseball Game in Hollywood. He wrote a song about the experience, "Old School Hollywood", which appears on System of a Down's album, Mezmerize.

Daron has stated in an interview that the band doesn't follow anybody: "A lot of bands followed Korn. We're not one of those bands but I have respect for Korn for being original. I just think it’s a shame that so many people felt they had to go and mimic that. Everyone tells us we have our own sound. I think that we have enough trust in our fans from touring for enough years to know that they're expecting something different from us, which is cool because it leaves the door open for us to go anywhere we want"

Personal life

Malakian now lives in Glendale, California; he also has relatives in Iran and Iraq since his parents were born in those countries but immigrated to America. He has visited both countries. He enjoys collecting candles, Persian rugs, Hookahs, instruments, and skulls.

Lyrics

Hypnotise

Attack
Dreaming
Kill Rock 'N Roll
Hypnotize
Stealing Society
Tentative
U-Fig
Holy Mountains
Vicinity of Obscenity
She's Like Heroin
Lonely Day
Soldier Side

Mezmerize (Mesmerize)

Soldier Side - Intro
B.Y.O.B.
Revenga
Cigaro
Radio/Video
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
Violent Pornography
Question!
Sad Statue
Old School Hollywood
Lost in Hollywood

Steal this album

Chick 'n Stu
Innervision
Bubbles
Boom!
N'UNS
A.D.D.
Mr. Jack
I-E-A-I-A-I-O
36
Pictures
Highway Song
F*** The System
Ego Brain
Thetawaves
Roulette
Streamline

Toxicity

Prison Song
Needles
Deer Dance
Jet Pilot
X
Chop Suey
Bounce
Forest
ATWA
Science
Shimmy
Toxicity
Psycho
Aerials


System of a down

DDevil
Darts
Mind
Peephole
CUBErt
Soil
Spiders
Suggestions
Suitepee
War?
Sugar
P.L.U.C.K.
Know