The system fighting

As the century nears its formidable end, our global experience of universal proportions, predicted by many greats, will arrive at our solar system, to our system of a down.”

So said Serj Tankian on the back of System Of A Down’s debut album. The Los Angeles four-piece stick out like a sore thumb in the modern metal world. Not heavy enough to ‘rawk’ and not poppy enough to be ‘nu’, they’ve succeeded in crafting their own highly unique niche within the genre, winning over millions of fans worldwide in the process. Their debut self titled LP was released in ’98 and, although little known on this side of the Atlantic, was an absolute stormer of raw, crass energy that went platinum in the USA, spawning such almighty hits as ‘War’ and ‘Sugar’.

However, System’s stop/start, bass-heavy, highly political and socially conscious brand of rock took a further album to reach its full potential in Europe. Toxicity, released in 2001, marked a watershed for System, becoming popular to the point of cult status and earning them a deserved place amongst the heavyweights of the genre, including a headlining slot in Ozzfest 2002. Although nothing quite like this had been heard by mainstream metal fans before, Toxicity went on to become one of the staple rock buys of the year. Let’s face it, there aren’t many bands who can get away with the line “pull the tapeworm out of your ass, Hey” as a metaphor for socio-political climes. System rank as a band who, while ridiculously popular, remain the antithesis of pop.

I spoke to John Dolmayan (drums) backstage at this year’s Ozzfest at Punchestown to get the low down on the rock band with the punk ethos.

“I don’t really like to categorise our music as metal,” he says. “Our roots are in metal for sure, but I think that we transcend that boundary. As opposed to maintaining one genre, being labeled by and stuck into it, we just go with it. We’ve been described as a lot of things that I don’t necessarily agree with. I believe people are always trying to pigeonhole our band because we do something different – be it in the political vein or whatever. We try not to categorise ourselves in any way.”

The sound progression from the debut to Toxicity was a subtle yet significant one. Where System Of A Down was threadbare and ferocious, Toxicity was manic and powerful but just a bit more polished, while still retaining the passion, energy and exuberance of their earlier days.

“We wanted to achieve a really raw sound with our first album,” says Dolmayan, “the closest example to our live sound that we could get onto record. I think that when you compare it with a lot of our contemporaries’ albums that came out at around the same time, you’ll find that, whatever volume you play our album at, it still sounds good. I think our second album did the same thing except we used more sound layering; and also, we were more prepared for the practicalities of recording. We weren’t rookies anymore. However, I don’t think it made any difference that Toxicity took off the way it did. If we made this album and only sold a hundred copies, I wouldn’t be any less proud of the music that’s on it.”

Believe it or not, the System boys have little interest in the decadent trappings of a platinum album.

“We’re not really partyers in our band. We’re pretty chilled people. The ’80s are over!” he laughs. “That was the party time! We missed all that. We’re more family orientated. We’re not in the vibe of destroying things and being reckless or stupid. We know how to have a good time, and yes, sometimes drugs and alcohol are involved,” he smirks, “but not to the extremes that other people take them. We’re not rock stars in that respect.”

Come on! You have sold copious numbers of records. Whaddya mean you’re not rock stars?

“I think a lot of people forget that all we’re doing is playing music. It’s a pleasure for us to do that, it always has been, we’re very lucky to have our job and have people support us in that, but it doesn’t make us any better or worse than anybody else. We’re just lucky. If you start treating people like shit just because you’re in a position to be able to doesn’t make you a good person. That’s not the way I would allow myself to be treated and I wouldn’t want to treat anyone else that way either.”