- published: 22 Nov 2008
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System of a Down, often shortened to SOAD or System, is a four-piece Armenian-American rock band formed in 1994 in Glendale, California, in the United States. The band currently consists of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (vocals, guitar), Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals) and John Dolmayan (drums).
The band achieved commercial success with the release of five studio albums, three of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and their song "B.Y.O.B." won the Best Hard Rock Performance of 2006. The group went on hiatus in August 2006 and reunited in November 2010, embarking on a tour for the following three years. System of a Down has sold over 40 million records worldwide.
Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian attended Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School as children, although due to their eight-year age difference they did not meet until 1992 while working on separate projects at the same recording studio. They formed a band named Soil with Tankian on vocals and keyboards, Malakian on vocals and guitar, Dave Hakopyan (who later played in The Apex Theory/Mt. Helium) on bass and Domingo "Dingo" Laranio on drums. The band hired Shavo Odadjian (another Rose and Alex Pilibos alumnus) as manager, although he eventually joined Soil as rhythm guitarist. In 1994, after only one live show, and one jam session recording, Hakopyan and Laranio left the band, feeling that it was not going anywhere.
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling overhead with no sight
While you are talking all detached, so tell us
Where you're going to the bottom
Do you hear us we are rotting?
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now!
Ceremonies have killed religions for they provide
The masked comforts to delusionals, they're all in fright
The true believer's head was bathed in sunlight
While you are walking all detached, so tell us
Where you're going to the bottom
Do you hear us we are rotting?
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now, not even god!
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect them to go when the bombs fall?
Where do you expect us to go when the bombs fall?
Superstition taking all of us for a ride
Mimes overtaken by the signs of the Right
The bombs are falling over our head with no sight
While you are talking all detached, detached, detached, detached, detached,
We're going down in a spiral to the ground
No one, no one's gonna save us now! (not even god!)
No one saved us, no one saved us
No one saved us, no one's gonna save us now