System of a Down

About

System of a Down (commonly abbreviated SOAD) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California in 1994. The band is defined by its jarring dynamic shifts, political and surrealist lyrics, polyrhythmic arrangements rooted in Armenian folk music, and the contrast between Serj Tankian’s operatic vocals and Daron Malakian’s aggressive guitar work. They achieved mainstream breakthrough with Toxicity (2001), which remains one of the best-selling metal albums of the 2000s. SOAD is widely credited with bringing political and cultural commentary — particularly around the Armenian Genocide — into mainstream heavy music.

Members

Name	Role	Notes
Serj Tankian	Lead vocals, keyboards	Also a solo artist and political activist
Daron Malakian	Guitar, vocals	Primary songwriter; also leads Scars on Broadway
Shavo Odadjian	Bass
John Dolmayan	Drums

Discography

Albums

Title	Year	Notes
System of a Down	1998	Debut; produced by Rick Rubin
Toxicity	2001	Breakthrough album; “Chop Suey!”, “Aerials”, “Psycho”
Steal This Album!	2002	Leak response; fan favourite rarities
Mezmerize	2005	Double album Pt. 1; “B.Y.O.B.”, “Question!”
Hypnotize	2005	Double album Pt. 2; “Lonely Day”, “Vicinity of Obscenity”

Singles & EPs

Title	Year	Notes
”Chop Suey!“	2001	Lead single from Toxicity; defining SOAD track
”B.Y.O.B.”	2005	Grammy winner (Best Hard Rock Performance)
“Lonely Day”	2006

Related Resources

• The Genius Of System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey!” (John Dolmayan)

Notes

• No studio album since Hypnotize (2005); long-running creative tension between Tankian and Malakian cited as reason
• Reunited for live shows in 2011; released two new singles in 2020 (“Protect the Land”, “Genocidal Humanoidz”) in support of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
• Strong Armenian identity: lyrics reference the Armenian Genocide; band has been active advocates for genocide recognition