Often the purpose of music is to inspire emotional responses, but it sometimes goes the extra mile to make a statement. For example, Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Care About Us” is a strong commentary against hate crime, Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” talks about liberating women from repressive relationships, John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” served as a stance again the ongoing Vietnam War, etc. Music has often served as more than a pleasure pill, granting the repressed a way to channel their feelings to the masses. In this regard, One such band that has created music of unique features with strong political statements underneath is System of a Down. Their music has transcended typical genre tropes by use of their raw lyrical sentiments. If political speeches reach a few kilometers, System of a Down’s music deafens the world with its “take off the blindfold” attitude.
Growing up in a Los Angeles Armenian-American community, all four members of the band inherited the generational scars inflicted by the “outsiders in America” narrative. The American exceptionalism that plagues the world with its radical manipulative configuration is perhaps what emerged as the core criticism in the band’s lyrics. Four members, Serj Tankian (Vocal), Daron Malakian (Lead guitarist and songwriter), Shavo Odadjian (Bassist and Background Singer), and John Dolmayan (Drummer), all raised in the same community with the same experiences, emerged as System of a Down in the late 90s. They immediately conjured an abrasive allure through their lyrics that did not sound like a plea, but rather a demand. This disregard for any apologetic tone to address ideal flaws was much unheard of before their music came to light.
System of a Down’s music did not shy away from what they wanted to assert. For example, their track B.Y.O.B sounds like a good heavy metal to headbang to, but the lyrics go way deeper into the questions of personal liberty as well as government’s oppressions, “Why don’t presidents fight the war, why do they only send the poor?” This is a question that has been asked for generations, but it sounds a lot more intense in the track’s setting due to its heavy instrumental nature. In the same song, the band also exposes the lies that are packaged to the masses as facts, “You depend on our protection, yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth”.
Their song “Chop Suey” is a disoriented track that is segmented into both fast-paced carnage as well a heartbreaking melody. When the song states, “Father into your hand I commend my spirit, why have you forsaken me?”, we find the existential dread in the shell of God’s indifference. In their track “Aerials”, the band talks about the duality of human character, “And we are the ones that want to choose, always want to play but you never want to lose”. “Hypnotize”, which was written as a reference to the Tiananmen Square protests, heavily criticizes media manipulation and government propaganda, “Mesmerized the simple-minded, propaganda leaves us blinded”.
System of a Down reciprocates the turbulence of human life and protests the repressive agendas that control it. But their music also stands on par with their lyrics. The heavy drum beating, crunchy guitar solos, and the ethereal voice of Serj Tankian mean that if someone wants to enjoy the songs without being distracted by political commentary, they will be more than satisfied.
Hailing in the 90s and early 2000s, the band went on a hiatus in 2006. Some suspect it was due to creative differences, some believe it was due to personal conflicts. The lead vocalist, Serj Tankian has reportedly been detached from the band for a long time. The good thing is, the band has recently done fundraiser concerts, and released two tracks in 2020. But they haven’t really made any full-length records after 2005. There are currently five albums available, and each delivers a strong adrenaline boost for whoever finds it suitable. System of a Down has remained, for almost three decades now, one of the juggernauts of the music industry and will go down as one of the most politically aware as well as musically interesting bands of all time.
Saugata Debnath can be reached at [email protected]