Down with the System

March 4, 2024
System of a Down lead singer Tankian’s forthright debut recounts his intertwined evolutions as an activist and a musician. The grandson of Armenian genocide survivors, Tankian grew up in Lebanon in the late 1960s and early ’70s before his family fled the Lebanese Civil War for California in 1974. Both of those historical traumas shaped the artist and his progressive, antiwar, anti-genocide worldview. Inspired to “change the world around me with art,” Tankian imbued his music with commentary on the Armenian genocide, police brutality, and U.S. foreign policy. He chronicles the evolution of System of a Down from early jam sessions with his bandmates that “coalesced into... big, bruising, angry shards of progressive metal,” to the group’s breakout 2001 album Toxicity, whose release was complicated by Tankian’s remarks decrying U.S. foreign policy following the 9/11 terror attacks. Asserting that fame and fortune were “never my motivation,” Tankian is at his most impassioned and eloquent when discussing his activism and the complicated feelings about his Armenian roots that fuel it—“If you’re chased out of your homeland, a part of you is always trying to get back there, even generations later,” he muses. Heavy metal fans will welcome this expansive look at one of the genre’s key figures.

April 1, 2024
The frontman of the hard-rock band System of a Down looks back on his career through the lens of his Armenian heritage. "To understand anything about me, my life...you need to understand the Armenian Genocide," Tankian writes early in his candid memoir. Born in Beirut to an Armenian family with long memories of the Turkish slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, he moved with his family to Los Angeles at a young age. Anxious to make money as a young man, Tankian sold bespoke software to the jewelry industry. But music--and its opportunities to speak out about injustice--had a stronger pull, and he became the lead singer for System, a prog-metal act that rode the late-1990s nu metal wave to the top of the charts. Aside from the music, a major theme is Tankian's distrust of financial success and its seductions. Immediately after 9/11, he posted a critique of U.S. foreign policy that triggered an avalanche of criticism; he squabbled with System guitarist and songwriter Daron Malakian over creative issues; and he bristled at record-company notes--e.g., changing the title of the band's first single, "Suicide," to "Chop Suey!" Because the author discusses these moments from a position of earnest passion and frustration, he never comes off as a prima donna. More often, he discusses marshalling the strength and poise to speak up, whether to Atlantic Records honcho Ahmet Ertegun, who promoted Turkey's denial of the genocide; to U.S. leaders who punted on the issue for political expediency; or to the Armenian oligarchs plundering an already beleaguered country. Though System has released little new music in the past two decades, the text includes many interesting tales of side projects and activism, suffused with a disdain for conventional wisdom and an optimism around change. A passionate rock artist paying more than just lip service to politics.

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April 26, 2024

Grammy Award-winning group System of a Down, with their aggressive, chaotic, heavy metal sound, stood out from their musical peers in the late 1990s and 2000s. Lead singer Tankian tells his distinctive story in this memoir. With influences as eclectic as Jane's Addiction, Frank Zappa, and traditional Armenian folk music, the band consisted of four American musicians with Armenian heritage. Tankian was born in Lebanon, and he shares with readers that his formative years as an immigrant came with stresses and tragedies. System of a Down brought social and cultural concerns to the forefront, particularly those related to the Armenian diaspora, and also brought a thrilling musical experience to their audiences. Tankian is also an activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker who has a good feel for narrative, so his portrayal of his pre-rock star years is just as compelling as his life in fame. In fact, his rock star story doesn't show up until later in the book than readers might expect. VERDICT Fans of the latter-era metal scene will gain a lot from this music memoir. It's also ideal for readers involved in political and social activism.--Brett Rohlwing

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2025

Debut author Tankian, the front man, lead vocalist, and lyricist of the Armenian American heavy metal band System of a Down, offers a memoir that connects his musical development with the political history and spirituality that have shaped his life. The grandson of Armenian genocide survivors, Tankian was born in Beirut, Lebanon; when he was seven years old, he fled with his family to the U.S. to escape civil war. Tankian narrates his own work with aplomb, providing listeners with a detailed history of his family heritage and explaining how he used his musical platform to bring broader awareness to the Ottoman Empire's genocide of Armenian people. As he describes the band's evolution, Tankian demonstrates his deep knowledge of global and U.S. politics, Armenian history, and business, as well as his facility with music, art, and language. Though Tankian is primarily known for his music, his passionate memoir shines a light on his work as an activist, speaking out against genocide, war, and U.S. foreign policy. VERDICT This engaging audiobook expresses Tankian's love for his Armenian heritage and his family and his commitment to living life to the fullest. Highly recommended for any memoir or music collection.--Lacey Webster

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2025

Tankian, the front man and lyricist of the Armenian American heavy metal band System of a Down, pens a thought-provoking memoir that is as much about global politics, activism, and his Armenian heritage as it is about the band's evolution. Tankian offers a lively and thoroughly engaging audio narration of the book, allowing his deep-seated passion to shine as he describes his commitment to speaking out against injustices, war, and failures of U.S. foreign policy.

Copyright 2025 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.