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Having a say the Armenian way |
Posted by Moonette on Friday, December 16, 2005 - 01:56 AM
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FOR a band priding themselves on expressing political beliefs and denouncing the cult of celebrity, it's curious that System of a Down have chosen Paris Hilton's and Lindsay Lohan's favourite Hollywood hang-out, the Roosevelt Hotel, to meet the world's media.
"This is all surreal for us," bassist Shavo Odadjian laughs about the palatial surrounds.
"We've been around since 1994 now, and we're just four weird Armenian dudes playing weird music. People always said, 'No one's gonna get that'."
Clearly a lot of people have. After forming at a Californian Armenian school, the band were signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in 1997, where they have now cleared more than 5 million albums. Their new double album, Mezmerize/Hypnotize, released in two instalments, debuted at number one. Twice.
Daron Malakian, the band's chief writer and co-vocalist, says they were playing to packed houses for two years before generating major-label interest.
"We knew we had something special because we were selling-out clubs well before we were signed," he says. "We did a lot of good dinners."
System of a Down, their debut album, arrived in 1998. Endearingly, Odadjian vividly recalls the night the band first heard their first single, Sugar, on the radio.
"We were at a gig in LA, at the Whiskey," he explains. "We knew the exact time it was going to be played, so when it was time, we ran outside and jumped in our car and turned on the radio. It was great!"
The day before the band's breakthrough, 2001's Toxicity - a primed record of accessible pop music disguised as chaotic metal - was released, a free show was planned in LA. Fate lent a helping hand when 5000 more fans than anticipated turned up and police cancelled the show. Chaos ensued when disgruntled fans destroyed equipment and turned on roadies.
"You couldn't pay for publicity like that," laughs Malakian. "Our techs were doing interviews on CNN!"
For frizzy-haired frontman Serj Tankian, who until Mezmerize/Hypnotize was the band's public face, Malakian's increased role as singer-songwriter - he wrote more than 30 songs for the double album - has led to a rethink of his own role.
"Daron's progressed a lot since the first record," Tankian agrees. "I'm not comfortable being 'the lead guy' anyway."
Tankian, who describes SOAD's music as "a violin in a hurricane", says the band rarely outsources any of its activities. Odadjian directs all of their videos. The Mezmerize/Hypnotize artwork was even completed by Malakian's father.
"It makes sense," Malakian says. "Everything I do comes from my dad. He's 60, he grew up in Iraq, he's not tainted by pop culture."
So what's the concept?
"We've no idea," Tankian shrugs with a laugh.
System of a Down's pet political project, the Turkish Government's refusal to acknowledge the "Armenian genocide" that saw the killing and displacement of millions of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915, is documented on Hypnotize's Holy Mountain.
"It's disheartening for Armenians," drummer John Dolmayan says. "This is a holy place for us; it's rumoured Noah's Ark landed there, and most of my family from the area was killed."
In spite of this, SOAD insist they are neither a "political" band, nor a metal act.
"When I'm asked whether we're metal," Malakian notes, "I say, 'Do you have to ask Judas Priest if they're metal?' If you have to ask, probably not."
And on the heavy amount of recreational activities they reportedly indulged in on their Australian tour earlier this year?
"We crack more jokes than people would think," Tankian says with a grin. "We're not saving lives, we know that."
Hypnotize is out on Sony BMG.
Source: http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/having-a-say-the-armenian-way/2005/12/15/1134500941654.html
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Comments
DianaL510
16.12.05, 04:03
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Ooh! First comment! Good article, although I thought it was a bit scattered... I'm not sure exactly what it was supposed to be about, but yeah... it was good.
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leannelovesserj
16.12.05, 04:12
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"We're not saving lives, we know that." Actually, that's not really true......... SOAD has helped ALOT of people, including me and many other fans....
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Fentagon
16.12.05, 05:32
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I once ate an entire circus
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xoxoSOADxoxo
16.12.05, 05:49
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Great article!!!!
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koerschner
16.12.05, 07:06
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The article starts out sounding like one of those that critisizes SOAD for becoming too Hollywood/celebrity-ish, but then goes on to support SOAD and everything they're doing, so that's a bit confusing. I'm glad it doesn't criticize SOAD because then, we'd have all those people on the forum cussing up a storm. I love how Serj describes their music: a violin in a hurricane.
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koerschner
16.12.05, 07:06
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And I have to admit, SOAD does seem to have saved my life, so I will have to say that Serj is not really right.
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S.O.A.D.orV.O.A.D.
16.12.05, 07:08
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yeah very good article
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innozent
16.12.05, 07:11
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Soad has definitely saved my life!
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innozent
16.12.05, 07:48
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Maybe not that dramatic but they've definitely helped me.
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shavosofficiallover
16.12.05, 08:10
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hahhaha daron
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Lanthiriel
16.12.05, 13:06
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They have saved me too! :) And I am totally in on the violin in a hurricane thing. A very good description indeed ^^
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whiskass
16.12.05, 14:12
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^^ i love that as well.. nice article
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TITONIK
16.12.05, 15:54
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THEY SAVED US ALL I THINK...
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meofcourse
16.12.05, 17:28
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cool. Say, can any one else NOT get on the forums..?
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Apple1
16.12.05, 17:37
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They definately saved my life. I was going suicidal till I heard them. Now, I have a dream and a goal.
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darontotallyrocks
16.12.05, 17:56
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wow cool article indeed! and i can't get on the forums either at the moment meofcourse!
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dryden
17.12.05, 23:44
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ummm cool? yea..
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XamyXhypnOtizedX
18.12.05, 09:05
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good article "This is all surreal for us," bassist Shavo Odadjian laughs about the palatial surrounds. LOL "We were at a gig in LA, at the Whiskey," he explains. "We knew the exact time it was going to be played, so when it was time, we ran outside and jumped in our car and turned on the radio. It was great!" lo nice So what's the concept? "We've no idea," Tankian shrugs with a laugh. rofl "When I'm asked whether we're metal," Malakian notes, "I say, 'Do you have to ask Judas Priest if they're metal?' If you have to ask, probably not."lol "We crack more jokes than people would think," Tankian says with a grin. "We're not saving lives, we know that." WRONG they had saves many lifes here :] they are very funny guys lol xD
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