The year: 1995. The previously thriving grunge scene seemed to be on a decline, its retreating sound getting increasingly inactive. On the other side of the pond (read: the Atlantic),a group of Manchester lads who played under the name Oasis were on the verge of releasing one of the definitive pop tunes of the 90s’s—Wonderwall. That year saw Metallica make an unforgettable Monsters of Rock appearance with newbies, Machine Head. And in 1995, this writer was steadily working his way through primary school, multiplication tables and his uncle’s Michael Jackson collection. But somewhere amidst all this activity, a group of outspoken Californians were hurriedly piecing together their first demo tape. Little did they know that by the turn of the century, songs from that tape like Sugar and Mr. Jack would signal the rise of a new sound, one that was as eclectic and quirky as its creators.
Love them or hate them, you cannot deny that when it comes to sticking it to the Man, System Of A Down are not the kind to sugarcoat things. Their aggressive sound with its strongly anti-establishment undercurrent was a refreshing change from the radio-friendly, pop-punk clone bands that dominated the airwaves during the late 90s’. With their contemporaries Rage Against The Machine, they ventured into making music with a message, instead of capitalizing on “teenage angst” just to make a quick buck (*coughs……“Limpbizkit!”).
SOAD’s first release was the self-titled debut, System Of A Down (1998). Their raw sound which comprised of heavy riffage and incendiary lyrics got them quite a fan following, and their crazy stage antics when they opened for Slayer at the Ozzfest drew instant comparisons to scene veterans Faith No More. Sugar garnered much critical acclaim and got a large amount of airtime. Spiders and War? were the other two singles off that album that remained regulars on their set list. However, their appearances were still mostly underground…until Toxicity happened.
So what does the band that builds its career on launching scathing attacks on western capitalism and America’s greed do next? Sign up on a major record label, of course! Front man Serj Tankian admitted later that they “were a part of the consumer culture they spoke against, but if the only way to bring down the mainstream ideas was through mainstream reach, then so be it.” Toxicity was released by Columbia in 2001 and got them mainstream success by hitting number 1 on the U.S charts. Slightly more melodic than its predecessor, its accessibility established the Armenian foursome as one of metal’s big headliners. The first single Chop Suey (yes, I’m sure you’ve heard a zillion piss poor covers of this song at every other college fest) created quite a stir with its controversial lyrics. Owing to the volatile political climate post-9/11, it had to be taken off air. However, the band went from strength to strength, playing their other singles Toxicity and Aerials on the Pledge of Allegiance tour with Slipknot and Rammstein. With each album, their lyrics got bolder (“they’re trying to build a prison, for you and me to live in”) and sometimes, just plain ridiculous (“banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie”).
Steal this Album was their third offering: it resembled a “burnable CD marked with a felt-tip pen.” John Dolmayan, the drummer said that he “didn’t care if fans downloaded songs off the internet as long as they didn’t get the tracks before the release date.” This album showcased a band that was now comfortable with pushing the genre envelope, a move that was viewed as blasphemy by their metal fan base. Nevertheless, tracks like Boom got heavy airplay and an anti-war video directed by Michael Moore (Farenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine).
Come 2004 and the band decided to put out a two-part, double disc album- Hypnotise/Mesmerise—six months apart. The single B.Y.O.B, with its catchy pop structure went on to win them a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005. The albums received a mix response, but SOAD made sure that they weren’t compromising on any of their ideals.
A decade on and SOAD have put their stamp on metal, with their mix of genres (thrash, nu-metal, alternative, vintage), energy and a good measure of pure insanity on stage. Ironically, they were supported by Slayer at Donnington 2005—the very same band that patronized their work back in the early days. Despite much talk about the band splitting after they embarked on an indefinite hiatus, the members have assured their fans that they will be back, “stronger than ever.” By far one of the most entertaining metal acts of the last decade, their earlier stuff is certainly worth a good listen, especially if your knowledge of them is limited to the occasional Chop Suey karaoke.
Sounds like: Black Sabbath meets Faith No More meets a good measure of weird, insane ranting, courtesy Serj Tankian. Not to mention the eerie, Middle-Eastern influence on the later albums.
Line-up: Serj Tankian, vocals, keyboards
Daron Malakian, lead guitars, vocals
Shavo Odadjian, bass
John Dolmayan, drums
Little known SOAD fact: Frontman Serj moonlights as a member of the non profit organization, the Axis of Justice. Together with Tom Morello (Rage against the Machine), they put up benefit gigs with the likes of Chris Cornell (Audioslave), Maynard James Keenan (Tool/A Perfect Circle) and Flea (The Red Hot Chilli Peppers).
Recommended Downloads: Mr. Jack, Sugar, Ddevil, War?, Aerials, Psycho, The Prison Song, Chop Suey, Toxicity, Metro, Innervision, B.Y.O.B, Vicinity of Obscenity.
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