System of a Down formed in Glendale, California in 1994 — four members of Armenian heritage bending heavy metal into something entirely their own. Toxicity (2001) hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 12 million copies; start there or with Mezmerize (2005). Find System of a Down vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
System of a Down formed in Glendale, California in 1994 around Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967, Beirut, Lebanon), Daron Malakian (born July 18, 1975, Hollywood), Shavo Odadjian (born April 22, 1974, Yerevan, Armenian SSR), and Andy Khachaturian. John Dolmayan (born July 15, 1972, Beirut, Lebanon) replaced Khachaturian as drummer in 1997. All four members are of Armenian heritage, with Armenian Genocide awareness and Armenian political activism being throughout the band's career. Their 2001 album Toxicity - released on September 4, 2001, just one week before September 11 - became the first metal album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 in the post-9/11 environment, eventually selling over 12 million copies worldwide. Their double LP Mezmerize / Hypnotize (released six months apart in May and November 2005) both debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. They have not released a full studio LP since 2005 due to creative tensions, with Tankian launching solo career and Malakian pursuing his Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway project (2008 Scars on Broadway / 2018 Dictator). They reunited in 2011 for touring and continue intermittent touring activity. They released two new singles (Protect the Land / Genocidal Humanoidz) in 2020 to fundraise for Armenian causes during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but no new studio LP has been. Their foundational influence on contemporary heavy metal, nu metal, and broader extreme music is widely cited.
System of a Down's sound combines heavy metal, nu metal, alternative metal, progressive metal, Armenian music influences, hardcore punk, and political metal with Tankian's distinctive vocal delivery (range from melodic crooning to extreme growled phrasing), Malakian's foundational dual-vocalist contributions, integration of Armenian musical traditions and Armenian political content, virtuosic Malakian guitar work, and lyrical content addressing the Armenian Genocide, American politics, war, environmental issues, and broader political themes.
American Recordings and Columbia Records pressings of the System of a Down catalog have been issued in multiple color variant editions and limited deluxe pressings, with collector demand.
Listeners new to System of a Down typically start with Toxicity (2001) or Mezmerize (2005).
