So, I decided to look this guy up because one of the members here is all giddy about him and another has some other quote in his sig (sorry, don't remember who the members are, I'll remember when I see their sigs). He has some girly stuff in his wikipedia article about being vegan. So I go to his website and there is some trailer for something [extraordinary I assume] and I'm immediately put off by his voice to some orchestral score. I figure that's a fluke so I youtube him and the same wailing voice is present in the top listed video.

Is this an artist that grows on you over time or just some niche guy that some love and others could[n't] care less about?

I really can't stand him, or what he stands for. I don't care for his voice, but apparently he has a fair amount of musical and lyrical writing talent. I wouldn't know, though; as I said, I don't care for him.

SAJN_Master/Rod-Nog/Victor Van Dort is the one to ask.

"First Obama was 'post-racial'. Then it was 'post-partisan'. Well, those turned out to be false but I think I've finally figured it out. He is America's first 'post-patriotism' president." - Serj Tankian

actually it's the same member... steven gave you some of his many names

All the people I've ever known who go out of their way to denigrate a single artist have been huge jerks in most other aspects of their lives.

Cosigned

I have always been a Serj fan from when he was in System of a Down up until his solo work. Now, Serj is my boss- and I'll be the first to admit that the Symphony show was not his best work, but I still enjoy that he's taking risks and doing what he loves.

His new album coming out is much more his style. He's sort of evolved his sound into this massive symphonic, electronic, ethnic, jazz, rock sound. It's a sound that's bigger than say muse or other big-sound bands, and his operatic voice really fits into the whole vibe. The album has sounds I've never heard before, so like him or not, he's an artist that enjoys trying new things and evolving his sound.

His first solo album played it safe to try and grab the SoaD fanbase, and now he's really doing what he loves. I totally get people who don't dig his voice though- even his friends do impressions of him that sound spot on and ridiculous. His voice is an acquired taste, and I think liking him as a person helps enjoy his music more. He's very polite, easy to get along with, and he just wants to spend his time making new sounds- sometimes they work, sometimes they don't, but I respect his work ethic above all else.

Why have you started doing this, by the way? I mean I've seen it twice now. Would[n't] it be easier on both you and your readers to just type "couldn't care less", seeing as how "could care less" is incorrect in the context anyway? It's sort of like if your wife said "Go do the dishes Wookie06, they're not going to wash themselves!" and you replied with "I'm too busy watching O'Reilly, those dishes are[n't] my problem!" and then your wife got confused because of the brackets, and I wouldn't blame her because that's not very logical at all, and said "Wait, so are they or are[n't] they? Damn it Wookie06, you're doing my head in!"

I did like quite a lot of System of a Down's songs, and even some of his later solo stuff. I always liked how in many songs there are many dramatic changes in tone and rhythm from calm to very energetic and then back. Not my favorite musician, but if I'd go to a dance floor (yeah, right), I'd much prefer SoaD over, say, Placebo or something.

I love System's early work, didn't get into their later stuff though, and had no idea Serj went off and did his own (I don't 'follow' music). Might have to check some of his stuff out.

Mac Danzig & Mike Tyson (he spits (ears) but doesn't swallow) want to have a word w/ you after you're done pretending that you've never heard of "System of a Down". They said something about kicking your ass for questioning their manhood. If by some miracle you make it out alive, there's a whole list of other people that are waiting to speak w/ you. Don't try to run because they've got Carl Lewis & at 48 he'll still catch you & beat your ass.

Oh I laaaaughed.

Kroko, don't you know how Wookie works yet?

SOAD is one of those bands I never got to see live and never will

I liked it better when he was with System of a Down, but it dont surprise me that he's a vegan now, maybe its better that the group went split up because Serj would probably convert the band into a stupid girly sounding EMO band.

Imagine a SOAD cover of an emo song

If I was exposed to such a thing I would be traumatized for a long time.

I shall expose you to this instead:

It's definitely a niche thing. I don't see many people who are into him and those who are, are massively so.

Never cared for him or system of a down. I generally avoid listening to bands who are so outspoken concerning politics and current events. Its like being fed music straight from NBC or Fox. (hip-hop being the exception since it plays more on social economic issues)

I don't think it is necessarily girly if you're a vegetarian for purely dietary reasons but, yeah, if it's because eating animals makes you sad that's pretty girly. I've heard of System of a Down. That's about as far as that goes. Mike Tyson could certainly kill me. As soon as he started threatening me with that voice of his I would probably die laughing before he lands a single blow.



Because I have used that expression and inadvertently left the "n't" off of it twice I think even though it obviously doesn't work that way. Other members make the same mistake occasionally. This always draws out a slew of members that proclaim that mistake as one of their pet peeves and, let's face it, watching fellow massassians get all worked up into a tizzy is pretty fun. So putting the brackets there just lets them know I haven't forgotten about them.

So you're saying that SAJN and the other guy that has some quote in his sig about "Can you even think of an appropriate title for that thread?" is the same guy?

On a tangent, is it now somewhat common for people to have multiple accounts? I know that used to be a big no-no.

I thought SAJN working for Serj was common knowledge.

I've never listened to any of his stuff (except maybe part of a youtube video SAJN posted once) and haven't listened to SoaD. I'm pulling up iTunes right now to listen to some samples completely out of context.

No they aren't. Nobody who turns a ****ing dietary decision into a culture is even a person. Nobody cares.

See Kroko? Just your run-of-the-mill trollin' and you fell for it =p

I'm not even sure what genre to put them in, but if your into hard rock (I would[n't] call it metal) you should check out their first CD (With the hand on the album cover)

I've heard it referred to as death metal

I never said that Vegans were "tough". I simply showed that being a Vegan doesn't prevent one from being "tough" & certainly doesn't make one "girly". Not everyone that's a Vegan is a part whatever "culture" that you're referring to (a common misconception). Your opinion on dietary choices preventing someone from obtaining the status of "person" is stupid. I care & you obviously care enough to respond.

Thrawn[numbarz] quoted Serj Tanikan not Serj Tankian

i thought basic reading skills were required for being in the army

I disagree but thanks for clarifying.


I wouldn't personally buy one of their albums but I do like a few of their older songs (e.g: Chop Suey!). I think that w/ people like Serj (SoaD) & Zack (RATM) the attraction has at least as much to do w/ their message than w/ their vocal ability (although I would say that I think that Serj sounds great in many of their songs). I haven't personally listened to any of his music outside of SoaD yet.

Oh, yeah, that's so obvious. I can't believe I didn't notice the slight transposition of two letters in such vastly different names of people I have no knowledge about. Other than at least one of them has made some girly vegan comments.

I completely do not care at all about the message in RAtM or SoaD's lyrics. But I DO enjoy cherry-picking lines to enjoy despite the message.

I've tried on many occasions to listen to System of a Down, and each time my conclusion is the same: they're garbage. Tired lyrics about all the problems in our world that everyone's already aware of. Boring melodies (if you can call them that) that are poorly recorded to boot.

I'm the same when it comes to bluegrass music. A lot of it is religious but I tend to enjoy a it despite that.

What does SAJN do for Serj?

cabana boy

FYI just incase anyone was wondering- he's never been a vegan. He was a vegetarian, even throughout the SoaD days- now he eats fish sometimes. So, pescatarian?

Also, as for the symphony stuff- I just saw some clips from a show he played in Moscow last night- he's clearly getting more comfortable playing with a symphony. (The DVD he released was an event he planned to be a one time thing- now he's touring with orchestras around the globe)




Also, just because I like this clip. Papa Tanks and Baby Tanks going at it.




A bit of everything I guess. I did the design and layout for his last record (the Symphony one), I just did the artwork for a new single that he's releasing, and right now I'm working with Warner Bros. Records on his new website to be opened in mid-july. I'm also working on a contest that we will hopefully use when we launch his new website to build a bigger online community for him.

Some days I get to sit around and putz around on my laptop all day and some days I get to go out to shows or photo shoots and do cool stuff- but overall it's a very cool job. I don't really know my official job title, but I do 'a bunch of stuff'.

(Also as Jon'C guessed, massive epic blowjobs- on a daily basis.)



I can't argue about the boring melodies. I personally think all of their songs have catchy melodies and great hooks, but that's obviously just me being a huge gay for System. As for poorly recorded- perhaps their first two albums, but once they blew up they had some of the best production in music period. Mezmerize and Hypnotize are superbly recorded (which is why a lot of SoaD fans hate their later music. They're music is TOO clean and melodic.)

1st Album


2nd Album


3rd Album


4th Album


5th Album

Every time I see the man I get a conflict of emotion. At first, I laugh hysterically thinking of the Hangover, then I feel really sad because of what happened with his daughter not too long ago. No one should have to go through that, not even him.

hmmm! live and moving targets!