System Of A Down Info Page (original) (raw)

System Of A Down is made up of Serj Tankian on lead vocals and keyboards, Daron Malakian on vocals and guitar, Shavo Odadjian on bass, and John Dolmayan on drums and formed in 1994 in California. The band began with Malakian and Tankian forming a band called 'Soil' with drummer Domingo Laranio and bassist Dave Hakopyan. Soon, Laranio and Hakopyan left the band. After not getting anywhere as 'Soil', the band reformed as System Of A Down with Odadjian joining as the bassist (after working with Malakian and Tankian as their manager and promoter). After hiring Dolmayan as their drummer and impressing producer Rick Rubin, System Of A Down was eventually signed to Columbia Records. System Of A Down were summed up by a Rolling Stone reviewer as "...an absurdist blast of political rage, silly theater and shattered math metal."

System Of A Down released their debut LP System Of A Down (available for download at iTunes). The tracks "Sugar" and "Spiders" hit the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.

System Of A Down was certified gold.
The track "Spiders" from the group's first LP appeared on the Scream 3 soundtrack.

System Of A Down could be heard on the compilation Nativity In Black, Vol. 2: A Tribute To Black Sabbath on the track "Snowblind."

System Of A Down released Toxicity (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The LP was critically praised and consider the best LP of the year by _Spin_magazine. The tracks "Chop Suey," "Toxicity," and "Aerials" hit the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart for a week with Toxicity.
System Of A Down topped the Canadian LP charts with Toxicity. The LP also hit the Top 10 in Australia and New Zealand, and the Top 20 in the UK.

Toxicity was certified platinum.

System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance ("Chop Suey").
System Of A Down was certified platinum.

Toxicity was certified 2x platinum.

System Of A Down could be found on The Osbourne Family Album compilation with "Snowblind."

The video for "Chop Suey" was nominated for 2 MTV Video Music Awards including Best Rock Video andBest Editing.

System Of A Down topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for a week with "Aerials."

System Of A Down topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for 3 weeks with "Aerials."

System Of A Down released Steal This Album! (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The LP consisted mostly of tracks that were leaked onto the Internet after the success of Toxicity. The track "Innervision" hit the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts. A video for the track "Boom!" was directed by Michael Moore to protest George Bush's war in Iraq.
Toxicity was certified 3x platinum.

Billboard Year-End Charts

Steal This Album! was certified gold.
System Of A Down were nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist.

System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("Aerials").

Steal This Album! was certified platinum.

System Of A Down released Mezmerize (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The tracks "B.Y.O.B." and "Question!" hit the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.

System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart for a week with Mezmerize. System Of A Down became only the 5th act to have 2 studio LPs debut at #1 within the same year.
System Of A Down topped the LP charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand with Mezmerize - and #2 in the UK.

Mezmerize was certified platinum.
The video for "B.Y.O.B." was nominated for a MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction.

System Of A Down released Hypnotize (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The tracks "Hypnotize," "Lonely Day," and "Kill Rock 'N Roll" hit the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
System Of A Down were nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist.

System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart with Hypnotize. The LP sold over 320,000 copies its first week of released in the US.
System Of A Down topped the LP charts in Canada and New Zealand and hit the Top 3 in Australia, and Top 20 in the UK with Hypnotize.
Hypnotize was certified platinum.

System Of A Down topped the Billboard Modern Rock Track chart for a week with "Hypnotize."

System Of A Down won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("B.Y.O.B.").

It was announced that System Of A Down would be going on hiatus for at least 3 years.

After extensive touring since the release of their debut LP, System Of A Down's last performance together before their hiatus occurred in Florida mid-month.

System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("Lonely Day").

Entertainment Weekly: 100 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years included Toxicity at # 90.

While on hiatus, Malakian formed Scars On Broadway (along with Dolmayan) and released Scars On Broadway.

Rolling Stone: '100 Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)' included Toxicity at # 44.

Tankian released the solo LP Harakiri.

• July 19: Toxicity was certified 6x platinum and System Of A Down was certified 2x platinum.