System Of A Down
Formed: 1995
From:
Los Angeles,
CA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Background
This Los Angeles, California, USA-based alternative metal band comprises three members of Armenian heritage, Serj Tankian (vocals), Daron Malakian (guitar) and Shavo Odadjian (bass), and John Dolmayan (drums). Tankian, Malakian and Odadjian first played together in 1993 as Soil, renaming themselves System Of A Down, from a poem by Malakian, in 1995. Recruiting drummer Dolmayan they built up a following on the southern California circuit with their explosive live act.
System was signed in 1997 and quickly released their self titled debut in 1998. They were taking metal to a political level with such titles as "P.L.U.C.K." ("Politically, Lying, Unholy, Cowardly Killers") and live favorite "War?." Their next release (Toxicity) went certified Platinum and took the band to yet another level.
System have left an impression on metal, being compared to the likes of Korn and The Deftones. Here is a quote out of Towe Pulse Mag.: "The band's songs are fueled with rebellion and protest. And its diverse music which blends metal, rap, hardcore, jazz and Middle-Eastern melodies expresses the need to stir up the great American melting pot and unite against prejudice and injustice."
Latest System Of A Down News
Below is our complete System Of A Down news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
Displaying records 121 - 140 of 252 1 2 ... 5 6 7 8 9 ... 12 13 Last
Deluxe Version Of Serj Tankian Album Planned
The Pulse of Radio reports: SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist Serj Tankian will release a deluxe edition of his upcoming debut solo album, "Elect the Dead", according to FMQB.com. The expanded package will come with four bonus tracks, a 48-page booklet and a code that accesses a site featuring exclusive content. The deluxe version of the disc will be available on October 23, the same date as the standard CD.
Tankian said that he has written hundreds of songs over the years from which he selected the tunes for "Elect the Dead". The singer told The Pulse of Radio that even while making SYSTEM albums he'd mostly work alone. "Even with SYSTEM, I always wrote the songs by myself in my own studio," he said. "I would write the songs, and have the vocals, have the whole arrangement done, then I'd take it to the band. But I'd still work the song from its inception to full form by myself. This is something I'd been doing for a very long time and that experience really, really lent itself to making 'Elect the Dead'."
Tankian has posted a video online for the song "Saving Us" (directed by acclaimed rock photographer Kevin Estrada), which appears on "Elect the Dead". This follows clips for "The Unthinking Majority" and the album's first single, "Empty Walls".
The singer will hold a series of "theatre listening parties" around the country on October 22 where all 12 videos from "Elect the Dead" will be screened. Tankian enlisted video and film directors, painters and digital artists to each create a different short film for the dozen tracks on the record.
Tankian will begin his first-ever solo tour on Friday (October 12) in Chicago.
Amen's U.K. Tour In Danger
AMEN's previously announced UK tour (taking place October 18 - November 22) is in danger of falling through over financial issues, according to the group's booking agent Dean. He says, "the problem we have is that to make this tour happen, each promoter on the tour has to pay 50% of the bands fee UPFRONT, something which is standard for every single touring band. Along with this damn postal strike in the UK, and some promoters leaving things to the last minute, not all of these advances have been paid. We need this money to pay the bills and get this tour on the road. As of today, AMEN are ready to come, but without these advances, it simply isn't possible to make this tour happen. So before any rumours fly around about AMEN cancelling this tour or any other, these are the facts. If the promoters do their bit, AMEN will do theirs and get on the plane to the UK. Because of previous mishaps regarding AMEN's highly anticipated return to the UK, there has been a lot of unnecessary mistrust built on both sides, but we want everyone to know we are doing everything humanly possible to bring AMEN back to the UK."
AMEN's last collection of new studio recordings, "Death Before Musick", was released in 2004 through EatUrMusic — a Columbia Records imprint owned by SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist Daron Malakian.
Malakian — who makes a cameo appearance in AMEN's "California's Bleeding" video — met AMEN singer Casey Chaos when both bands played at Australia's Big Day Out festival in 2002 and the guitarist made AMEN his first signing.
New Serj Tankian Video Posted Online
The third video has been released from Serj Tankian's upcoming solo album, "Elect the Dead". The "Saving Us" clip — which was directed by acclaimed rock photographer Kevin Estrada — can be viewed below.
The SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist will hold a series of "theatre listening parties" around the country on October 22 where all 12 videos from "Elect the Dead" will be screened. Tankian enlisted video and film directors, painters and digital artists to each create a different short film for the dozen tracks on the record.
Tankian, who financed the clips himself, told The Pulse of Radio it's much simpler these days to make creative, low-budget videos on your own. "I mean, the technology's out there and the artists are out there, and there's a lot of creative people and it's not just about using typical MTV directors or well-known people because they've done it before," he said. "It's about using people with a passion, and that passion is really coming through and I've seen some of the best MTV-style videos I've ever seen in my life through some of these friends of ours that have done these videos. It's amazing."
The directors involved in the project include a prestigious array of artists whom Tankian has befriended over the last decade. They include music video director Tony Petrossian (TAKING BACK SUNDAY, SLIPKNOT, AVENGED SEVENFOLD), who shot the video for "Empty Walls", the first single from "Elect The Dead", photographer/video director Greg Watermann (MUDVAYNE, LAMB OF GOD, HOWIE DAY), Oscar-nominated Puerto Rican playwright and screenwriter Jose Rivera ("The Motorcycle Diaries"), French film director Diran Noubar ("Armenia: A Country Under Blockade"), digital artist Roger Kupelian ("The Lord of the Rings"; "Flags of Our Fathers"), documentary director Sevag Vrej (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, FAIR TO MIDLAND), and Beirut-born filmmaker Gariné Torossian (SPARKLEHORSE), among others.
"Elect the Dead" arrives on October 23.
The list of theatre locations is:
New Hyde Park, NY - Herricks Cinema
Parsippany, NJ - Parsippany Cinema
San Francisco, CA - Embarcadero Center Cinema
San Diego, CA - Ultrastar Theatres Mission Valley
Cambridge, MA - Kendall Square Cinema
Chicago, IL - Century Centre Cinema
Novi, MI - Emagine Novi
Wayne, PA - Clearviews Anthony Wayne Cinema
Seattle, WA - Metro Cinemas
Houston, TX - The River Oaks
Minneapolis, MN - Lagoon Cinema
Tempe, AZ - Harkins Tempe Marketplace
A complete list of videos and directors is below:
01. "Empty Walls" - Director: Tony Petrossian
02. "The Unthinking Majority" - Director: Tawd Dorrnfeld
03. "Money" - Director: Ara Soudjian
04. "Feed Us" - Director: Sevag Verj
05. "Saving Us" - Director: Kevin Estrada
06. "Sky is Over" - Director: José Rivera
07. "Baby" - Director: Diran Noubar
08. "Honking Antelope" - Director: Roger Kupelian
09. "Lie, Lie, Lie" - Director: Martha Colburn
10. "Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammo" - Director: Greg Watermann
11. "Beethoven's C***" - Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
12. "Elect The Dead" - Director: Gariné Torossian More...
RATM Guitarist Tom Morello To Support Serj Tankian
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello's alter ego THE NIGHTWATCHMAN will support SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian on several dates in October. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN's schedule is shaping up as follows:
Oct. 11 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
With Serj Tankian:
Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theater
Oct. 14 - Toronto, ONT - Guvernment
Oct. 15 - Boston, MA - Paradise
Oct. 17 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Oct. 18 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
Oct. 20 - Atlanta, GA - The Roxy
Tom Morello recently released a video as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN for a song called "Alone Without You", according to a press release. Morello composed the tune after seeing an early cut of filmmaker Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Sicko", and let Moore use the song over the film's closing credits. The video debuted at MichaelMoore.com and the tune itself was added as a bonus track to Morello's debut album as THE NIGHTWATCHMAN, "One Man Revolution".
Morello said about the song, "'Alone Without You' is a testament to the struggle and loss faced by millions of Americans who are cast aside by a healthcare system that puts profit before people and families."
Morello and Moore recently interviewed each other as part of MySpace's "Artist On Artist" series.
Moore directed the videos for RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's "Sleep Now In The Fire" and "Testify", while THE NIGHTWATCHMAN opened for Moore on a 2004 speaking tour.
System Of A Down Drummer Updates On New Band
The following message has been posted via System Of A Down's official Myspace:
"Daron mentioned in his first letter that we were getting into the recording studio soon...
Yesterday, Daron and I began recording Scars On Broadway's debut album. We've gone in with close to 18 songs. The music is expansive, experimental, and sometimes in-your-face... We're very excited to get it down and get it out to all of you. We'll have some more updates as we move deeper into the recording, but until then, stay posted and prepare to get scarred for life!!!
-John"
SOAD Drummer Launching Comic Book Venture
With multi-Platinum rock band System of a Down currently on hiatus and his Scars on Broadway project with SOAD's Daron Malakian in the early stages, drummer John Dolmayan will fulfill his other passion of comic books and collectibles by launching Torpedo Comics, an exclusively Internet-based retail store. Torpedo Comics goes live on November 1, 2007, and will boast some 15-million items - comic books, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other comic book-related memorabilia, ranging in price from 99-cents to six-figures.
Dolmayan, who has been collecting comic books since he was 12, houses Torpedo Comics' inventory in a just-completed 30,000-square foot warehouse in Las Vegas, NV where he now lives. He employs a staff of 25 who catalogue and care for rare items like Sensation Comics issue #1 (the first solo series featuring Wonder Woman), just about every key issue of Marvel and DC comics including Marvel Comics' issue #1, multiple copies of Giant Size X-Men #1, plus superhero action figures from Marvel, X-Men, Superman, and Batman titles. Torpedo Comics will also offer original comic art, created between the 1940s and the present, by some 150 different artists, including Jim Lee, Art Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Alejandro Gaza.
Dolmayan incorporated his love for comic books into the drum kit that he played during System of a Down's 2006 tour. Dolmayan contacted 22 of his favorite comic book artists, including Jim Lee, Simon Bisley, Kevin Eastman, Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz, were each sent various pieces of the drum kit onto which they drew original illustrations.
As for Dolmayan and Malakian's Scars on Broadway venture, the two have been writing and rehearsing new material and plan to begin recording their debut album today, September 27, intended for a Summer 2008 release.
As drummer for System of a Down, Dolmayan shared in the band's global success of some 20-million albums sold, headlining sold-out arenas, having three consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard charts, four Grammy nominations and one win for Best Hard Rock Performance, all the while maintaining a high musical integrity, its core fan base, and its position as one of the most unique band in rock.
Serj Tankian Offers Tour Of Home Studio
RollingStone.com recently got a tour of SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian's home studio as he discussed the differences between recording solo and with SYSTEM, the joys of writing whenever the mood struck him and his new LP, "Elect the Dead". Watch the three-minute clip below.
Serj Tankian recently told HardDrive Radio that he has named his new solo touring band the FCC. The letters do not stand for the dreaded Federal Communications Commission, but for something that they'll fine you for if you say it on the air. Tankian told The Pulse of Radio what he and the band came up with. "We just named the band, and I liked the idea of the FCC — you know, the FCC in the U.S. stands for the Federal Communications Commission, which is the governmental body that assigns penalties for cuss words," he said. "And I thought it would be great to make the FCC a cuss word, that way they can penalize themselves. So the FCC is, our interpretation, is the FLYING C***S OF CHAOS."
The lineup of the FCC includes PRIMUS guitarist Larry LaLonde as well as several friends of Tankian's who are unknown to the public but are "amazing musicians," according to the singer.
Contrary to earlier reports, former PRIMUS and GUNS N'ROSES drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia will not be in the touring band, although he did play on Tankian's debut solo album, "Elect the Dead", due out on October 23.
FAIR TO MIDLAND, who are signed to Tankian's Serjical Strike label, will open a few shows on Tankian's first-ever solo tour, which begins on October 12 in Chicago. More...
Mastodon Frontman Clashes With SOAD Bassist
Aaron Thompson of the Las Vegas Weekly reports: Turns out, Tommy Lee vs. Kid Rock was only the undercard on [MTV Video Music Awards] night.
According to a Metro police report released Monday, the September 10 fight that landed MASTODON frontman Brent Hinds in University Medical Center's intensive care unit with brain hemorrhaging, a broken nose and two black eyes began as a skirmish between Hinds and Shavo Odadjian, bassist for multiplatinum metal band SYSTEM OF A DOWN.
According to the police report — based on firsthand accounts and corroborated by hotel-security video footage — an inebriated Hinds was leaving Mandalay Bay around 3 a.m. when he encountered Odadjian and musician William Hudson at the hotel's west valet area. Hinds took off his shirt and hit Odadjian with it, then struck Hudson in both the face and chest, prompting Odadjian to advise Hinds "to relax," several times, according to the police report.
The police report then indicates both Odadjian and Hudson punched Hinds in the face, knocking him to the ground. An unidentified friend of Hinds, who reportedly witnessed the event, rushed to the musician’s aid and apologized to Odadjian and Hudson, saying Hinds was "just drunk," according to the police report. Odadjian and Hudson were both questioned by police on the scene.
No charges had been filed at press time, though the police report lists Hudson as a "suspect," facing a possible charge of "battery with substantial bodily harm." The police report lists Odadjian as a "witness."
According to the police report, tensions ran high after Hinds began drunkenly "annoying" Odadjian and Hudson inside the Palms following the conclusion of the VMAs.
Serj Tankian Names Touring Band "The FCC"
The Pulse of Radio (formerly Launch Radio Networks) reports: SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian has named his new solo touring band the FCC, according to HardDrive Radio. The letters do not stand for the dreaded Federal Communications Commission, but for something that they'll fine you for if you say it on the air. Tankian told The Pulse of Radio what he and the band came up with. "We just named the band, and I liked the idea of the FCC — you know, the FCC in the U.S. stands for the Federal Communications Commission, which is the governmental body that assigns penalties for cuss words," he said. "And I thought it would be great to make the FCC a cuss word, that way they can penalize themselves. So the FCC is, our interpretation, is the FLYING C***S OF CHAOS."
The lineup of the FCC includes PRIMUS guitarist Larry LaLonde as well as several friends of Tankian's who are unknown to the public but are "amazing musicians," according to the singer.
Contrary to earlier reports, former PRIMUS and GUNS N'ROSES drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia will not be in the touring band, although he did play on Tankian's debut solo album, "Elect the Dead", due out on October 23.
FAIR TO MIDLAND, who are signed to Tankian's Serjical Strike label, will open a few shows on Tankian's first-ever solo tour, which begins on October 12 in Chicago.
Serj Tankian Talks About Album Process
The Pulse of Radio (formerly Launch Radio Networks) reports: Since he played almost every instrument on his debut solo album by himself, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian told The Pulse of Radio that his biggest challenge was making the record, titled "Elect The Dead", sound like there was a band playing on it. "That was the trick really, because usually with bands, you tend to record the drums first and then overlay everything on top of it," he said. "Since I was doing this mostly by myself, I kind of had to go the other route. The arrangement kind of just worked, and when I listened to it at the end I'm like, 'God, it sounds like the drums were there from the beginning. That's neat!'"
"Elect The Dead" arrives on October 23. The first single is "Empty Walls".
Tankian did enlist SYSTEM drummer John Dolmayan and former GUNS N' ROSES and PRIMUS drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia to play on the album. Mantia will also be part of Tankian's touring band.
Tankian begin his first solo tour on October 12 in Chicago, finishing up on October 28 in San Francisco.
Serj Tankian Will Not Play SOAD Songs On Tour
Serj Tankian has announced that he won't be doing any System Of A Down songs on his upcoming tour, to promote debut solo album 'Elect The Dead'.
SOAD Frontman To Film 'Praise The Lord' Video
System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian will film a video for his solo track "Praise The Lord, Pass The Ammunition" on Monday, August 27 in Hollywood, California with director Greg Watermann (Mudvayne, Lamb of God). According to a MySpace bulletin from Watermann, "The story is a wacky art-performance, starring [Serj's] brother Sevag. He's the MC for the controversy happening on stage while hardcore fans are losing their minds in the audience."
Greg continued, "We need all kinds of people and all ages for this video, everything from the choir to the mosh pit. And yes, you'll get to hear the song — it's amazing. Serj says it's the craziest song on the disc... that's why he gave it to me. We'll be limiting it to the first 100 guys and 100 girls who send us their information. It's going to be out of control."
To participate in the video shoot, send your name, telephone number and MySpace URL to serjvideo@gregwatermann.com.
Serj Tankian's solo debut, "Elect the Dead", will be releasd on October 23 through Serjical Strike/Reprise.
System Of A Down Guitarist Talks About New Band
SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist Daron Malakian has posted this message on the SCARS ON BROADWAY MySpace page:
"Hey everyone. I just wanted to give you all an update on what's goin' on with my new band SCARS ON BROADWAY.
I have partnered up with John Dolmayan (SYSTEM OF A DOWN) who is playing drums, and I'm on vocals and guitar, etc. Accompanied by some great musicians, we are preparing to go into the studio really soon to record our debut album. John and I are really excited about this new project and can't wait to get on stage and perform live for you guys.
Till then, keep a close eye on the SCARS ON BROADWAY MySpace page and official website for the latest news and music...and prepare to be SCARRED FOR LIFE!
Daron Malakian"
SOAD Frontman Discusses New Album
SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian recently spoke to Kerrang! magazine about his forthcoming solo album, "Elect the Dead", due out October 23 via Serjical Strike/Reprise Records.
Serj: "It's definitely a rock record," explained Tankian. "It's a moving album with lots of up's and down, starts and stops and tempo changes. It's depressing but it's uplifting, it's jazzy but it rocks. Making it felt similar to making the first SYSTEM record — I felt the exact same energy, that sense of open experimentation, the idea that 'Wow, I'm actually doing this…' I was living, eating and shitting this music every day. I'd wake up in the morning and the thought of working on a song was so powerful I couldn't focus on anything else."
Kerrang!: What can listeners expect from the album?
Serj: "Well, it doesn't sound like anything I've heard before, even SYSTEM. Maybe there are the odd similarities on the heavier moments, which are inevitable because of my voice, or maybe within the politics of the lyrics of a song such as 'The Unthinking Majority'. But even then, the music is more trippy. I originally wanted to call the album 'The Flying Cunts of Chaos' but strangely everyone discouraged me…"
Kerrang!: Have you always wanted to do a solo record?
Serj: "Yes. But it's funny though because I came to music late, so I never expected to have a career in music. My parents tried to convince to take up an instrument as a kid and my Dad is a beautiful, beautiful singer — my voice is shit compared to his. They bought me a guitar that I never played because I was always more into my studies. Then in college something switched inside of me, I took up the keyboard and I went at it like someone who has never eaten before who has suddenly been presented with unlimited food. I went nuts for music. And now here I am making a solo record…"
Kerrang!: Have you found working alone to be a liberating experience?
Serj: "Absolutely. With SYSTEM you're working towards a common shared goal and you're utilizing four different energies that you wouldn't by yourself. For example, Daron (Malakian, guitarist) would want to bring in his own songs and have a certain amount of control and all of that stuff. So there are always varying opinions, tastes and decision-making capabilities to consider and we have done that with five albums over ten years, but now I'm able to do something that I don't have to compromise on at all. Not that SYSTEM OF A DOWN have ever been a compromising band of course, it's just that there are four opinions to consider, whereas I feel now that the sky is the limit. I feel this album has no barriers between the listener and me. It's more direct."
Kerrang!: Is it also true you have recently legally become a citizen of new zealand?
Serj: "Yes, after recording the album I withdrew and took off there for three months, which I had to do to gain citizenship. I'm such a crazy workaholic that it was hard stepping away from my work in L.A., but it was great because it allowed me to reflect. It made me think 'Wow man, I have this amazing life'. To be able to have made a lot of my dreams come true is amazing and from here on in it's all gravy. I get to do what I want to do my way without compromise or negotiation. It's a greater position of strength than I've ever had and listening to the record now it feels like a fun trip!"
SOAD Frontman Selects First Single From Solo Album
Launch Radio Networks reports: SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian has set "Empty Walls" as the first rock radio single from his debut solo album, "Elect The Dead". The track will make its way to stations on September 10. Another song, called "The Unthinking Majority", will surface a little earlier on college radio and metal specialty shows. The album itself will arrive on October 23 through Tankian's Serjical Strike label.
Tankian told Launch why it was the right time for him to step out on his own with a solo project. "We've been a band for 11 years, put out five records, and myself personally, I felt I needed to do other things," he said. "I've been wanting to put out a solo record for many, many years and it's not about just the vanity of putting out your own record kind of thing. It's more about having songs and having a vision and having a place to voice that. So I've been looking forward to doing that and it's making me really happy doing that right now."
Serj Tankian Readies Solo Album For October
Billboard.com reports: System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian steps center stage this fall with a new solo album, "Elect the Dead," due Oct. 23 via Serjical Strike/Warner Bros. The 12-track set features contributions from SOAD drummer John Dolmayan and former Primus stickman Bryan "Brain" Mantia, along with guitarist/bassist Dan Monti, opera singer Ani Maldjian and some string players.
The album is ripe with outrage both political and personal, including references to "bodies burning" on the shred-fest "Empty Walls" and how "antidepressants make life more tolerable" on "The Unthinking Majority." Tankian later declares, "We are the cause of a world that's gone wrong" on the eerie "Honking Antelope."
Other tracks blend the stop-on-a-dime rhythmic changes of System Of A Down with acoustic guitar strumming and Eastern European-tinged melodies, often in the course of one song.
"Saving Us" begins softly before exploding into a heavy, impassioned chorus and later, a double-time beat and a detuned guitar riff, while "Lie Lie Lie" matches its lyrical themes of incest and murder with appropriately ominous music.
"There's romantic songs, love songs, pain songs... a gamut of what I was feeling in the last year-and-a-half," Tankian told Billboard.com in April. "The whole album is this deep, human pain that kind of is looking for redemption."
Here is the track list for "Elect the Dead":
"Empty Walls"
"The Unthinking Majority"
"Money"
"Feed Us"
"Saving Us"
"Sky Is Over"
"Baby"
"Honking Antelope"
"Lie Lie Lie"
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"
"Beethoven's C*nt"
"Elect the Dead"
System of a Down Is Alive And Well, Says Bassist
Launch Radio Networks reports: SYSTEM OF A DOWN has been on hiatus since last year, with its members working on various side projects. This has naturally led to rumors that the band was breaking up permanently. But bassist Shavo Odadjian told Launch that SYSTEM OF A DOWN is far from over. "SYSTEM is alive and well," he said. "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."
Odadjian is launching a new online initiative called urSession.com (pronounced "your session"), a web-based music community that also doubles as a record company. The site is scheduled to go live within a few weeks.
The bassist is continuing his career as a video director and working on a side project with the WU-TANG CLAN's RZA that's called ACHOZEN.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist Serj Tankian will tentatively release his first solo CD, titled "Elect the Dead", on October 23.
Guitarist Daron Malakian has formed a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY with SYSTEM drummer John Dolmayan, who is also launching an online comic book retailer at Torpedocomics.com.
SOAD Bassist To Direct Bad Brains Video
System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian has been tapped to direct the first video from the upcoming record from Bad Brains. The record is titled Build a Nation and is due out June 26, 2007. Shavo adds:
"I've been a fan of the Brains ever since I can remember. They are iconic pioneers of punk, not just the music but the attitude. The energy that comes off their stage is like no other. HR's performances have effected not only my band, but almost every heavy band in our era. Another major inspiration is their message of trying to promote righteousness and living the righteous way. I am going to rock this video for the Brains and try to capture their intense energy. It's a big responsibility... I'm honored."
The band has also begun announcing dates for their upcoming world tour. The first block of confirmed shows is now available:
May 25, 2007 Berbati's Pan Portland OR
May 26, 2007 Berbati's Pan Portland OR
May 27, 2007 Sasquatch Festival George WA
June 24, 2007 NY School Of Rock Festival Asbury Park NJ
June 25, 2007 NY Boat Ride New York NY
July 29, 2007 The Rogers Picnic Toronto CANADA
August 5, 2007 Virgin Festival Baltimore MD
System Of A Down Not Returning Any Time Soon
SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian plans to release his first solo album this fall, while the rest of his bandmates are also working on individual projects. But as for when SYSTEM itself will get back together, Tankian says it's not really on anyone's radar. "I don't know," he said. "That's the truth. I mean, we've taken an indefinite hiatus and we just said, you know, when we're all ready to come back and take time from our own things and do something together we will, if and when we want to. And it's been left at that."
Tankian plans to issue his debut solo album, titled "Elect The Dead", this fall. The vocalist told Billboard.com that he played most of the instruments himself, but had help from SYSTEM drummer John Dolmayan, former GUNS N' ROSES and PRIMUS drummer Brian "Brain" Mantia and others. More...
System Of A Down Bassist's To Help Unsigned Bands
Launch Radio Networks reports: SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian is launching a new online music initiative called urSession.com. According to a press release, the site is an "innovative digital community and record label designed to give independent and unsigned acts a promotional platform to showcase their talent, receive community feedback, monetize their art and land a record deal." The site will go live on June 14 and will be the first online label to sign artists based on audio and/or video performances uploaded by the artists themselves and voted on by members of the urSession community.
Odadjian said in a statement, "urSession will help revolutionize an artistically stagnant music industry and impact significant change. This isn't about a couple of suits in their ivory tower force-feeding the population a steady diet of bland and blander music. It's about the power of community pushing the envelope to help drive a more evolved level of talent."
Odadjian is named as the co-founder and president of the site, while its CEO and other co-founder is Narb Avedissian.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN has been on hiatus since last summer. Odadjian has also directed videos and played with members of the WU-TANG CLAN during the break. Singer Serj Tankian has overseen his Serjical Strike label, while guitarist Daron Malakian has started a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY and drummer John Dolmayan is launching an online comic book store called Torpedo Comics this November.
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