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System of a Down is a part of the ], a non-profit organization formed by band member ] (along with ]), dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans, and ] political organizations to fight for social justice. System of a Down is a part of the ], a non-profit organization formed by band member ] (along with ]), dedicated to bringing together musicians, music fans, and ] political organizations to fight for social justice.


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==History==
{{Inappropriate tone|section|date=November 2007}}
===Soil (1993–1995)===
The roots of System of a Down lie in the band Soil (not to be confused with the current band ]), a group from ] that included ] on ]/], and ] on vocals/], as well as Dave Hakopyan (Bassist for ]) on bass and Domingo Laranio (Local Hawaii Drummer) on ]. ] joined Soil near their end as a guitarist. After three years, only one live show, and one ] recording, the band split up.{{Fact|date=July 2007}}

===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"<ref name="interview_nalbandian" />, but ]<ref name="interview_nalbandian" />, 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 ], managerial duties have been undertaken by the Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group and founder David "Beno" Benveniste. The band then found a drummer, ]. System of a Down quickly made what is known as their early ''Untitled 1995 Demo Tape'', which had very early recordings of "]" (called "PIG"), along with songs called "Flake", "Toast" and an early recording of "]", a ] of the ] song of the same name. It is rumored that there are other tapes made, which contain early recordings of "Friik", "]" (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.<ref name="ug_history">
{{cite web
| title = The History Of: System of a Down
| work = ultimate-guitar.com
| date = ]
| url = http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/columns/the_history_of/the_history_of_system_of_a_down.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref> After this, the band recorded ''Demo Tape 1'', which had early versions of "]", "Suite-Pee", and "]", 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", "]", and "Know." In mid 1997, ] left the band due to a hand injury. Soon after playing at the Whisky-A-Go-Go and Viper Room with new drummer ], producer ] 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.<ref name="rc_awards_97">
{{cite web
| title = Rock City Awards 1997
| work = rockcitynews.com
| url = http://www.rockcitynews.com/awards/ballot97.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref> Prior to 1998, SOAD's live shows were called "The Dark Red Experience"{{Fact|date=September 2007}}.

===Debut album (1998–2000)===
{{Sound sample box align right|Music sample:}}{{listen|filename=System of a Down - Sugar.ogg|title=System of a Down's "Sugar"|description=24 second sample from System of a Down's "Sugar".|format=]}}{{sample box end}}
In the summer of 1998, System of a Down released their debut album, '']''. They enjoyed moderate success with their first single "]" becoming a radio favorite, followed by the single "]".
After the release of the album, System of a Down toured extensively, opening for ] before making their way to the second stage of ]. Following Ozzfest, they toured with ] and ] before headlining the Sno-Core tour with ], ], The Cat and Incubus providing support. System was scheduled to play the 1999 ], but were kicked off by ] over his inability to sign the band ]. ] has since admitted that he was a "complete wanker" in relation to this "oversight"{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. The band have yet to comment on Durst's involvement or commentary. In 2000, the group contributed their cover of the ] song "]" to the Sabbath tribute album '']''.

===''Toxicity'', ''Steal This Album!'' (2001–2003)===
The group's big break arrived when their second album '']'' 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 ] and the political environment caused by the attacks added to the controversy surrounding their hit single "]" causing it to be ] 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 ] as did the second single, "]". Even with the controversy surrounding "]" which earned a ] nomination, System of a Down still received constant airplay in the United States throughout late 2001 and 2002 with "] " and "]". In May 2006, ] listed ] in the #14 slot in the 40 Greatest Metal Songs.
In 2001, the band went on tour with ] in the ] and ]. After seeing the success of the tour, System and Slipknot went on a Pledge of Allegiance Tour with ] in 2002. In late 2001, a few unreleased tracks made their way onto the ]. 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 '']''.
The result was '']'', released in November 2002.
''Steal This Album!'' resembled a burnable ] 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 ]'s counter-culture 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. The song "]" was released as a promo single and received constant airplay on alternative radio. A video for "]" was filmed with director ] as a protest against the ].

===''Mezmerize'' / ''Hypnotize'' (2004–2005)===
From 2004 to 2005, the group produced a ], ''] / ]'' with the two parts released six months apart. The first album, '']'', was released on ], ], 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{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. The Grammy Award-winning single "]", which questions the integrity of war, worked its way up the Billboard Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The next single, "]" was released with Shavo Odadjian co-directing the ]. Following the release of ''Mezmerize'', the band toured extensively throughout the ] and ] with ] and ] supporting.

The second part of the ], '']'', was released on ], ]. Like '']'', it debuted at #1 in the US, making System of a Down, along with ], and rappers ] and ], the only artists to ever have two studio albums debut at #1 in the same year.

In February 2006, Soad won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for "]", beating out other established artists such as ] and ]. Their second single off the Hypnotize album, "]" was released in March in the United States. System of a Down released "]" and "]" as their next ] singles. The band headlined ] 2006 in cities where tour founder ] opted not to appear or wasn't playing on the main stage.

===Hiatus and future of the band (2006–present)===
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ]}} {{deletable image-caption|1=Saturday, 21 July 2007}}]] -->
In May 2006, the band announced they were going on hiatus. ] has confirmed the break will probably last a few years, but it was ] 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."
During their performance in ], Malakian also took a moment to say, "There's been a lot of rumors about us breaking up. Well don't fuckin' listen to them. Us four right here, we will always be System of a Down!"{{Fact|date=February 2007}} However, Malakian announced he was forming a band called ], which has since been joined by Dolmayan, and will work on its debut album during autumn. Odadjian will be working on a project with ] of ] named ] 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 ] 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.<ref name="soadfans_comic">
{{cite web
| title = SOAD talk about side projects
| work = soadfans.com
| date = ]
| url = http://www.soadfans.com/Article400.htm
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref>
System of a Down's final performance before their hiatus took place on ], ] in ], ]. "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."<ref name="soadfans_last_show">
{{cite web
| title = West Palm Beach, FL - ], ] Review
| work = soadfans.com
| date = ]
| url = http://www.soadfans.com/Article427.htm
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref> It was stated by Sharon Osbourne that System of a Down was paid "about $325,000 a show."<ref name="blabbermouth_money">{{cite web
| title = Sharon Osbourne Says Last Year's Ozzfest 'Nearly Destroyed Us'
| work = blabbermouth.net
| date = ]
| url = http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=66664
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref>
System of a Down's songs were used in the 2006 film "]" by ]. They appeared in the movie, in an interview talking about the importance of helping create awareness and recognition of the ]. "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 , 2006.
System of a Down was honored at the USC v. Cal game at the ] 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 kind enough to play "]" along with John Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian.

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."<ref name="blabbermouth_money">{{cite web
| title = System of a Down's Future Uncertain
| work = blabbermouth.net
| date = ]
| url = http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=64459
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref>

Bassist Shavo Odadjian was recently revealed to be directing the first video for the comeback of the hardcore punk band, ].<ref name="strange_glue_video">
{{cite web
| title = System of a Down Bassist to Direct Bad Brains Video
| work = strangeglue.com
| date = ]
| url = http://strangeglue.com/system-of-a-down-bassist-to-direct-bad-brains-video/810/
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref>

For the 2007 Grammys, System of a Down was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance for "]", but lost to ] and their song "]".

Shavo Odadjian recently told Launch Radio Networks that System of a Down is "alive and well". <blockquote>We're just not working together right now. We kind of like split up at first, but you know, we're brothers, man, we'll take bullets for each other. So it's like, you kind of miss each other after a while and you, one guy makes the first move, then another starts making phone calls....this is a juggernaut, man. System of a Down is my lifeline. It'll never go away. We could not make a record for 10 years — that's not gonna happen, but I'm just saying we could — and we'll come back strong.</blockquote><ref name="ug_alive">
{{cite web
| title = System of a Down Is 'Alive and Well'
| work = ultimate-guitar.com
| date = ]
| url = http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/system_of_a_down_is_alive_and_well.html
| accessdate = 2007-07-25
}}
</ref>


== Style and influences == == Style and influences ==

Revision as of 17:43, 22 December 2007

System of a Down
Musical artist For the band's self-titled album, see System of a Down (album).

System of a Down (commonly referred to as System or abbreviated as SOAD) is a four-piece American rock 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 found in many of their songs.

System of a Down has achieved commercial success over five albums, with singles such as "Chop Suey!", "Aerials", "B.Y.O.B.", and "Hypnotize". Their works have earned them one Grammy Award amongst three nominations.

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.

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Style and influences

The stylistic variety and level of experimentation 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 music, classic metal, thrash metal, and progressive rock. This has made them difficult to categorize, prompting the press to describe them with several different genre handles, among them alternative metal, hard rock, nu metal and progressive metal.

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.

The band has cited Middle Eastern music as one of its influences and mentioned on several accounts that they appreciate The Beatles and Kiss. 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."

Band members

Current members

Former members

Studio, guest, tour, and extra members

Discography

Main article: System of a Down discography

Studio albums

Date of Release Title Label U.S. Billboard peak RIAA Certification
June 30, 1998 System of a Down American #124 Platinum
September 4, 2001 Toxicity American #1 3x Platinum
November 26, 2002 Steal This Album! American/Columbia #15 Platinum
May 16, 2005 Mezmerize American/Columbia #1 Platinum
November 22, 2005 Hypnotize American/Columbia #1 Platinum

References

  1. Nettleton, Chris. "System of a Down review". drownedinsound.com. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
  2. ^ "System of a Down at the All Music Guide". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  3. Strauss, Neil (2003-03-26). "The Pop Life: MTV is Wary of Videos on War". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2007-07-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. "American Recordings/Columbia Records press release for the release of Toxicity". PR Newswire. 2002-04-23. Retrieved 2007-05-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. Armoudian, Maria (2003-02-06). "Rock's Axis of Activism". salon.com. Retrieved 2007-05-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. Serpick, Evan (2005-12-15). "System of a Down - Prog-metal Radicals". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 2007-07-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Nalbandian, Bob. "Interview with System of a Down". jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  8. "Interview with System of a Down". voxonline.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
  9. Griwkowsky, Fish (2006-06-23). "System of a Down Fight the Fight". jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2007-07-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. "Official System of a Down MySpace". myspace.com/soad. Retrieved 2007-07-21.

External links

System of a Down
Studio albums
Singles
Tours
Related

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