Serj Tankian

This week on Loud Lit , Matt dives into Serj Tankian's powerful 2024 memoir, Down with the System . Behind System of a Down's wild, zany riffs and legendary vocals is a story deeply rooted in activism, heritage, and the fight for justice. We explore the band's unlikely rise to stardom, internal band friction, and Serj's lifelong mission to gain recognition for the Armenian Genocide that directly impacted his ancestors. Want to read Serj's story for yourself? Grab your copy of Down with the System at the Loud Lit Bookshop Page . Shopping small instead of defaulting to Amazon is a total punk rock move, and it directly keeps this show running! Listen to Matt's metal podcast, The Noise Report , or watch on YouTube Start your own podcast with Captivate !

Here's the new episode #120 The ATM Scorching 80's Rock Show 06-02-2026 New Lynch Mob, Tom Morello (feat. Serj Tankian), Saliva, Sparta, Stryper, A Perfect Circle, Havok & Falset. Local music from Alibis, Dead Mans Lullaby, Iron King Stag & Becoming Sons Track Listing: Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation (Live) Keel - The Right to Rock Enuff Z' Nuff - I Could Never Be Without You Tom Morello (feat. Serj Tankian) - Adjourn It Van Halen - Ant the Cradle Will Rock Armored Saint - Can U Deliver Helix - Never Want to Lose You Alibis - Mother D-A-D - Laugh 'n' a 1/2 April Wine - Sigh of the Gypsy Queen Cats In Boots - Coast to Coast Saliva - Sadistic Love Judas Priest - Desert Plains (live) Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name Sparta - Without Your Hands Motley Crue - You're All I Need Warlock - I Rule the Ruins Lillian Axe - Show a Little Love Dead Mans Lullaby - Back in the Dark Juggernaut - Hang Em' High Cheap Trick - The Flame Skid Row - Sweet Little Sister Axe - Young Hearts Stryper - I'm Alright (I'm Okay) Sanctuary - Future Tense McAuley Schenker Group (MSG) - Anytime A Perfect Circle - Starless Megadeth - Sweating Bullets Britney Fox - Long Way to Love Kane Roberts - Rock Doll Iron King Stag - For My Love Agent Steel - Evil Eye Evil Rainbow - Since You've Been Gone Quiet Riot - Mama Weer All Crazee Now Havok - Fifth Generation Warfare Mr. Big - Green Tinted Sixties Mind Accept - Turn Me On Becoming Sons - Hidden Truth Krokus - Screaming in the Night Fastway - Say What You Will Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls Falset - Happy Life Def Leppard - No Matter What The Great Kat - Metal Messiah Cinderella - Nobody's Fool

Join Justin as he chats with musician and artist Serj Tankian about composing for film, The Rains of Castamere, his memoir Down with the System, new music, and more! Serj Tankian bio: " Serj Tankian is an Armenian-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and primary lyricist of System of a Down, which was formed in 1994. Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down (System of a Down, Toxicity, Steal This Album!, Mezmerize, Hypnotize) and five solo albums (Elect the Dead, Imperfect Harmonies, Harakiri, Orca, and Elasticity), as well as collaborating with musicians such as rapper Tech N9ne and folk singer Arto Tunçboyacıyan. He also released Elect the Dead Symphony, a live orchestral version of Elect the Dead featuring the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. He is the founder of the record label Serjical Strike Records, and is currently represented by Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group. Tankian is regarded as one of the best vocalists in heavy metal, with praise given to his unusual delivery and his wide vocal range. In 2006, he was ranked No. 26 on the Hit Parader list of "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists". A study conducted by VVN Music found that Tankian possesses a high and diverse vocal range of 4.2 octaves. In 2002, he co-founded the non-profit political activism organization Axis of Justice, alongside guitarist and fellow activist Tom Morello. In 2011, he was awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal for his contributions to the recognition of the Armenian genocide and the advancement of music" Monsters, Madness and Magic Official Website . Monsters, Madness and Magic on Linktree . Monsters, Madness and Magic on Instagram . Monsters, Madness and Magic on Facebook . Monsters, Madness and Magic on Twitter . Monsters, Madness and Magic on YouTube .

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/719031 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts) Author: Serj Tankian Narrator: Serj Tankian Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 9 hours 57 minutes Release date: May 14, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 4.75 of Total 4 Genres: Arts & Entertainment Publisher's Summary: An exhilarating, thoughtful, and beautifully written memoir by musician, songwriter, and lead singer-lyricist of Grammy award-winning metal band, System Of A Down, Serj Tankian. Serj Tankian will be the first to admit that his band, System Of A Down, was “unlikely a chart-topper as had ever existed in modern music history: a band of Armenian-Americans playing a practically unclassifiable clash of wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies, with me alternately growling, screaming, and crooning lyrics that could pivot from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants in the space of a single line.” After all, as Serj concedes, “it’s not easy listening.” Even so, there’s no doubt that System’s music had struck a chord with millions of listeners across the globe ever since they burst on the scene in the mid-1990s. With nearly 40 million album sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, and a devoted legion of fans, the band dominated the alt-rock and metal scenes just as the world hurtled into a new millennium, redefining the very idea of what rockstars could and couldn’t talk about, could and couldn’t do, could and couldn’t represent. In DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock 'n' roll fable. It's an immigrant's tale, it’s an activist's awakening, and it's a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country’s civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of “Little Armenia,” learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead—a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin. Braiding together Serj’s thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM retraces Serj’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. It’s an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathless—and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/3676 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Down with the System Author: Serj Tankian Narrator: Serj Tankian Format: mp3 Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins Release date: 05-14-24 Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars, 12 ratings Genres: Entertainment & Celebrities Publisher's Summary: With nearly 40 million record sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, a Grammy win and a legion of fans, System Of A Down are one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. At their core has always been Serj Tankian, whose journey from the streets of Beirut to rock superstardom is as remarkable and unlikely as you'll get. By dint of luck, circumstance, struggle, and more than a little talent, Serj has had the chance to live an extraordinary life, and retraces this remarkable journey, exploring what it's taught him - about music, about art, about activism, and about himself.

On today's episode of the bespoke daily podcast, Matt and Jerry engage in conversation with Serj Tankian, the frontman of System of a Down, as he discusses his latest book "DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM!" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join host Mia Baxley and special guest Serj Tankian (artist, vocalist of System of a Down) as they discuss Serj’s pride in his Armenian identity and his lifelong dedication to global justice, human rights, and the memory of the Armenian Genocide. As a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, Serj gives a candid look into his childhood experiences, from leaving Lebanon during the Civil War (1975-1990) and adapting to life in Los Angeles, California to learning of his family’s survival of the Genocide through his grandparents’ retellings. The podcast also takes a brief look at System of a Down’s long career in musical advocacy and the band’s range of messages, including opposition to state-sponsored war and the US prison-industrial complex as well as the release in 2020 of an extended-play (EP) of two singles that engage directly with the problem of genocide -- “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz" -- to raised funds for Artsakh. To listen to the 2020 EP, “Protect the Land / Genocidal Humanoidz,” click here: https://open.spotify.com/album/00OQIrRjQgZmacSnjK8L7M?si=jrR1ZQKfTvqP_TVMw6GOfg&utm_source=copy-link You can follow Serj on Twitter at @SerjTankian

Tom is joined by System of a Down front man Serj Tankian talking about activism throughout their career.