System of a Down

System of a Down (sometimes referred to as S.O.A.D., SOAD or just System) was formed in 1995 in Hollywood, California.

The band consists of Serj Tankian (Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar), Daron Malakian (Guitar, Vocals), John Dolmayan (Drums) and Shavo Odadjian (Bass). Former members include Andy Khachaturian.

Malakian and Tankian were together in an earlier incarnation of the band, called Soil, which Odadjian managed.
They are all from Armenian families.

System of a Down's lyrics are often politicized and/or abstract. System of a Down is a part of the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by Tankian and Tom Morello of Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine. Their claimed purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

In May 2006, the band announced they were going on hiatus, for "We've done System for over 10 years, and I think it's healthy for us to get away from it for a while and come back to it later on. So, this is probably going to be... well, it's not a farewell tour, but it's going to be a little while before we go out again. I'll always be a member of System of a Down. That will never change. There's no rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are."

So far 5 albums have been released, all produced by Rick Rubin and System of a Down :
- System of a Down - System of a Down (1998)
- System of a Down - Toxicity (2001)
- System of a Down - Steal This Album! (2002)
- System of a Down - Mezmerize (2005)
- System of a Down - Hypnotize (2005)

And the less popular Non-Album-Tracks album:
- System of a Down - The Rarities
- System of a Down - The B Side
These were not released.