On Elect, Tankian does what he's always done — expressed his thoughts on political issues and "life in general." He said that "romantic relationships, the war in Iraq, hypocrisy over genocide denial, film, other music, poetry and other artists" all had a bearing on the project. But Tankian's political musings aren't anything new; he's long been one of the artists whom fans have relied on to take a stand on political issues. These days, speaking out is in vogue, with several artists finally publicly chiming in with their views and ire over the current state of the world. But why did it take so long for others to join the crusade?

"Part of it is the backlash from commercial culture on people that speak out, and I felt a lot of that after September 11 when I wrote 'Understanding Oil,' " an essay he posted on System of a Down's Web site soon after the attacks on New York, he said. "We had a lot of people dropping [System single] 'Chop Suey' from radio at the time because of that essay. There was a strong reactionism prevailing in the country, based on what happened on September 11, which is understandable. Years later, when we can look at things with more intellect, in a more balanced way, and see how our democracy's been hijacked into abusing our patriotism to do things in other countries — like occupying other countries, wreaking havoc in other places based on oil concerns or strategic geopolitical concerns — then we're a little more aware. People are saying, 'Yes, our name was abused to do all of these things, but I am not for those things anymore.' And that's where we're at right now. Public opinion has drastically changed, and a lot of artists are speaking out, which is encouraging. But it's always easier to speak out when public opinion is on your side."

Beyond touring and working on his next LP, Tankian recently teamed up with Wyclef Jean on a track called "Trouble Again" for the ex-Fugee's forthcoming offering, Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, which is due December 4.

"He sent me the track and said, 'Check it out, and let me know what you think and if you want to do something on this,' and I thought it was a very progressive song," Tankian said. "I like progressive music — things that change, tempo changes, parts that change. I thought it was a really great song, and I did my own poetic, rhythmical talking — if you want call that rap, go ahead, but I wouldn't — and some other little taglines here and there."

By Chris Harris - MTV News

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