Serj Tankian, the longtime frontman of System of a Down and activist, just revealed the release of his new memoir, Down with the System. Hatchette Books will publish the new book on May 14. It delves far beyond his time with System of a Down. Tankian posted on X, “Boom—I wrote a new book.” “Working on this accidentally hatched philosophical memoir has been a lot of fun. It has allowed me to delve deeply into my personal motivations from a young age, my family history, and lessons I never realized I had learned.” In Down with the System, Tankian discusses his early years, when he was born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Lebanon, and moved to Los Angeles at the age of seven in order to flee civil strife. Tankian describes how he made the decision to forgo a secure career in business and law in order to pursue his musical dreams.
As a result, he formed System of a Down in 1994 alongside current band members Shavo Odadjian and Daron Malakian, and in 1997 John Dolmayan took over as drummer in place of Ontronik Khachaturian. The present lineup has remained consistent over the years, putting out five studio albums and taking home a Grammy in 2006 for the song “B.Y.O.B.” However, Tankian’s work is far more than just the account of System of a Down. It highlights his activism as well as his spiritual development. Tankian is a vocal artist who frequently denounces injustice and evil on social media and in his music. He recently criticized Imagine Dragons for scheduling a performance in Baku, Azerbaijan, in August. He urged the band to postpone the performance and think about it on social media, saying that “120k people in Nagorno-Karabagh were starving due to Azerbaijan’s petro-oligarchic dictatorial regime.
” After disclosing that the band had turned down his request, Tankian posted on social media, saying, “As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Nagorno-Karabagh with starvation already being recorded I am forced to publicize this letter and [Imagine Dragons’] disregard for this humanitarian catastrophe.” “Perhaps they felt it was against the law for them to perform, or perhaps they are indifferent.” Tankian is capable of using his voice. He is a person who has long since completely utilized the power of his platform, whether it is by using music to vent his fury or by publicly opposing injustice. Fans, both old and new, will be able to see into his approach and his hobbies through this new book, which should provide some insight into his personal journey. You can pre-order Down with the System: A Memoir (Of Sorts) from Hatchette Books, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon in the United States and the United Kingdom.
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