History of System of a Down in Timeline

System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band created in 1994 in Glendale, California. The lineup solidified in 1997 with Serj Tankian (vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (guitar, vocals), Shavo Odadjian (bass), and John Dolmayan (drums), who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian. Known for their politically charged lyrics, unconventional song structures, and blend of various musical styles, including heavy metal, alternative rock, and Armenian folk music, System of a Down has achieved critical acclaim and commercial success. They are celebrated for their unique sound and socially conscious themes.

1992: Tankian and Malakian Meet

In 1992, Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian met while working on separate projects at the same recording studio.

1994: Band Formation

In 1994, System of a Down formed in Glendale, California. The band's initial lineup was taking shape.

1994: Hakopyan and Laranio Leave Soil

In 1994, after one live show and one jam session recording, Dave Hakopyan and Domingo "Dingo" Laranio left the band Soil.

1995: Performance at Cafe Club Fais Do-Do

In early 1995, System of a Down, under the name Soil, performed at the Cafe Club Fais Do-Do in Los Angeles. Shortly after the event, System of a Down created Untitled 1995 Demo Tape.

1996: Demo Tape 2 Release

In 1996, System of a Down released Demo Tape 2.

September 12, 1997: Signing with American/Columbia Records

On September 12, 1997, System of a Down celebrated their signing with Rick Rubin's American/Columbia Records with a performance at The Roxy Theatre with Human Waste Project.

1997: Khachaturian's Departure and Dolmayan's Arrival

At the beginning of 1997, System of a Down recorded Demo Tape 3. In mid-1997, drummer Andy Khachaturian left the band due to a hand injury and was replaced by John Dolmayan.

1997: Lineup Consolidation

In 1997, John Dolmayan replaced Andy Khachaturian as the drummer, solidifying the band's lineup: Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian, and John Dolmayan.

1997: Rock City Awards

In 1997, System of a Down won the Best Signed Band Award from the Rock City Awards.

June 1998: Release of Debut Album

In June 1998, System of a Down released their debut album, System of a Down. Singles "Sugar" and "Spiders" became radio favorites, and their music videos were aired on MTV.

November 1998: Appearance on South Park's Chef Aid Album

In November 1998, System of a Down appeared on South Park's Chef Aid album, providing the music for the song "Will They Die 4 You?".

1999: B-Sides

From 1999 to 2000, several B-sides from System of a Down, such as a collaboration with the Wu-Tang Clan, titled "Shame", were created and released as EPs.

2000: B-Sides

From 1999 to 2000, several B-sides from System of a Down, such as a collaboration with the Wu-Tang Clan, titled "Shame", were created and released as EPs.

September 3, 2001: Riot at Album Launch Concert

On September 3, 2001, System of a Down's planned free concert in Hollywood to launch their second album was cancelled due to overcrowding, leading to a riot where fans destroyed the band's touring gear and clashed with police.

2001: Tour with Slipknot and Alleged Assault

In 2001, System of a Down toured with Slipknot in the United States. Following a performance in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Shavo Odadjian was allegedly harassed and physically assaulted by security guards, leading to a lawsuit. They also went on the Pledge of Allegiance Tour together with Rammstein in 2001.

2001: Toxicity Album Success and Controversy

In 2001, System of a Down's album, Toxicity, debuted at No. 1 on the American and Canadian charts. The song "Chop Suey!" was briefly taken off the radio due to politically sensitive lyrics following the 9/11 attacks.

2001: Toxicity II Leak

In late 2001, unreleased tracks from the Toxicity sessions were leaked onto the Internet, dubbed Toxicity II by fans. These unfinished tracks were later released as Steal This Album! in November 2002.

November 2002: Release of Steal This Album!

In November 2002, System of a Down released their third album, Steal This Album!, which resembled a burnable CD. The name was a reference to Abbie Hoffman's book, Steal This Book.

Steal This Book (50th Anniversary Edition)

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2002: Jack Black Covers Chop Suey!

In 2002, Jack Black performed a cover of "Chop Suey!" on Channel [V] Australia.

2002: Continued Airplay

Throughout 2002, System of a Down received constant airplay in the United States with "Toxicity" and "Aerials".

2004: Recording of Double Album

In 2004, System of a Down recorded a double album, which they released in separate installments six months apart as Mezmerize and Hypnotize.

May 17, 2005: Release of Mezmerize

On May 17, 2005, System of a Down released their album Mezmerize to favorable reviews. It debuted at No. 1 in the United States, Canada, Australia and all around the world. "B.Y.O.B." was the lead single.

November 22, 2005: Release of Hypnotize

On November 22, 2005, System of a Down released their album Hypnotize, which debuted at No. 1 in the US. With this release, System of a Down joined The Beatles, 2Pac, and DMX as the fourth artist to have two studio albums debut at No. 1 in the same year.

2005: Tankian Offered to Step Down as Vocalist

In May 2024, Tankian revealed in his memoir, "Down with the System," that back when System of a Down was on hiatus in 2005, he offered to step down and suggested the band find a new vocalist due to his back injury and disinterest in touring. The band did audition an unnamed singer without Tankian's knowledge, they discarded the idea and continued onward with their original vocalist.

2005: Release of Mezmerize and Hypnotize

Since 2005, following the release of the albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize, System of a Down has not released any new material.

May 2006: Announcement of Hiatus

In May 2006, System of a Down announced they were going on hiatus, which was expected to last a few years.

May 2006: "Toxicity" Listed in VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs

In May 2006, VH1 listed System of a Down's song "Toxicity" in the number 14 slot in the 40 Greatest Metal Songs.

May 2006: Publication of Biography

In May 2006, a biography of System of a Down, entitled System of a Down: Right Here in Hollywood, was published by Ben Myers.

System of a Down: Right Here in Hollywood

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August 13, 2006: Final Performance Before Hiatus

On August 13, 2006, System of a Down gave their final performance before their separation in West Palm Beach, Florida.

2006: Grammy Award and Hiatus

In 2006, System of a Down won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "B.Y.O.B.". Subsequently, the band went on hiatus.

2006: Grammy Win for B.Y.O.B.

In 2006, System of a Down's song "B.Y.O.B." won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.

2006: Dolmayan Suggests Band Should Have Parted Ways

In January 2023, Dolmayan claimed that Tankian "hasn't really wanted to be in a band for a long time" and "quite frankly, we probably should have parted ways around 2006."

2007: Serj Tankian releases "Elect the Dead"

In 2007, Serj Tankian embarked on a solo career and released his debut album, Elect the Dead. Tankian continued to release solo albums, recording them mostly by himself, even after System of a Down reunited for tours.

2007: Grammy Nomination Loss

In 2007, System of a Down's song "Lonely Day" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards but lost to "Woman" by Wolfmother.

2007: US Publication of Biography

In 2007, the biography of System of a Down, entitled System of a Down: Right Here in Hollywood, was published in the U.S.

System of a Down: Right Here in Hollywood

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November 29, 2010: System of a Down Announces Reunion

On November 29, 2010, System of a Down officially announced their reunion after several weeks of internet rumors. The reunion included a string of large European festival dates in June 2011.

2010: Band Reunion

In 2010, System of a Down reunited after their hiatus.

May 10, 2011: System of a Down Reunion Tour Begins

On May 10, 2011, System of a Down commenced their reunion tour in Edmonton, Alberta.

June 2011: System of a Down to Reunite at European Festivals

In June 2011, System of a Down reunited to perform at a string of large European festivals, including the UK's Download Festival, Switzerland's Greenfield Festival, Germany's Rock am Ring/Rock im Park, Sweden's Metaltown, Austria's Nova Rock Festival and Finland's Provinssirock.

September 28, 2011: System of a Down South America Tour Begins

On September 28, 2011, System of a Down's first tour through Mexico and South America began in Mexico City.

October 7, 2011: System of a Down South America Tour Ends

On October 7, 2011, System of a Down concluded their first tour through Mexico and South America in Santiago, Chile.

March 2012: System of a Down Headlines Soundwave Festival

In March 2012, System of a Down headlined five dates at the Soundwave festival.

2012: Morrissey Praises Lonely Day

In a 2012 interview with The Village Voice, singer Morrissey stated that "Lonely Day" was the last song he absolutely loved.

August 2013: System of a Down Plays at Reading and Leeds Festivals

In August 2013, System of a Down played at the UK's Reading and Leeds Festivals, among other festivals and venues that year.

2013: System of a Down Plays U.S. Performance at Hollywood Bowl

In 2013, System of a Down played their only U.S. performance at the Hollywood Bowl on July 29, and tickets sold out hours after going on sale on March 22.

November 23, 2014: System of a Down Announces Wake Up The Souls Tour

On November 23, 2014, System of a Down announced the Wake Up The Souls Tour to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

2014: Dolmayan starts Kickstarter for Cover Project

In 2014, Dolmayan started a Kickstarter to fund a cover project, titled "These Grey Men", alongside friend James Hazley.

April 23, 2015: System of a Down Performs First Show in Armenia

On April 23, 2015, System of a Down performed a free concert in Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, which marked their first show in the country, as part of the Wake Up The Souls Tour.

November 2016: John Dolmayan Reveals System of a Down Is Working on New Songs

In a November 2016 interview with Kerrang!, drummer John Dolmayan revealed that System of a Down was working on more than a dozen songs for a follow-up album.

July 2, 2017: Shavo Odadjian Comments on New Album Status

On July 2, 2017, in a video Q&A session with fans, Shavo Odadjian said that he doesn't know when the next album is gonna be and that "it's not happening."

December 2017: Serj Tankian Comments on Uncertainty of New Album

In a December 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Serj Tankian said that System of a Down wrote some new material but was uncertain of what to do with it, citing a lack of commitment to longform touring.

2018: Scars on Broadway Release Sophomore Album "Dictator"

In 2018, Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway released their long-awaited sophomore album, titled Dictator. The band had been dormant and after one self-titled album, Dolmayan left the band before the album's release.

February 28, 2020: Dolmayan Releases "These Grey Men" Album

On February 28, 2020, Dolmayan released his album, titled These Grey Men. It consists of covers/reimaginations of songs by artists such as Radiohead, AFI, Madonna, and Talking Heads, among others.

November 5, 2020: System of a Down Releases "Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz"

On November 5, 2020, System of a Down released their first songs in 15 years, "Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz", in response to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The songs aim to raise awareness and funds for Armenia Fund and humanitarian needs for displaced families from the war.

December 2020: Serj Tankian Comments on Future of System of a Down

In December 2020, Serj Tankian told Triple J that the band is focused on what's going on in Armenia with a huge humanitarian catastrophe and raising funds to determine if this will lead to anything else or not.

December 17, 2020: Serj Tankian Announces Solo EP "Elasticity"

On December 17, 2020, Serj Tankian announced in a Rolling Stone interview that he would release an EP by the name of Elasticity under his own name.

2020: Kerrang! Ranks Chop Suey! as Greatest Song

In 2020, British music magazine Kerrang! ranked "Chop Suey!" as the band's greatest song.

2020: Release of New Songs

In 2020, System of a Down released two new songs: "Protect the Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz".

February 2021: Serj Tankian Releases "Elasticity" EP

In February 2021, Serj Tankian released his solo EP, "Elasticity", which includes songs he had written for System of a Down that the band opted not to record. The EP was originally planned for release in October 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Kerrang! Lists Bands Influenced by System of a Down

In 2021, Kerrang! listed ten bands that, in their view, would not exist without System of a Down: Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, Maximum the Hormone, Portrayal of Guilt, Beartooth, Bad Acid Trip, AC×DC, American Standards, Avenged Sevenfold, Tesseract, and Viza.

January 2023: Dolmayan Claims Tankian Doesn't Want to be in a Band

In January 2023, Dolmayan claimed that Tankian "hasn't really wanted to be in a band for a long time" and that System of a Down should have parted ways around 2006. He also mentioned the band's difficulties in making a new album due to certain rules that made it difficult to maintain the integrity of what System of a Down stood for, but said the chemistry to play live together as a band is still great.

May 2024: Tankian Reveals Offer to Step Down in Memoir

Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)

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2024: Tankian Open to New Singer

In 2024, Tankian appeared on the Broken Record podcast and suggested that he would be open to the band continuing with a new lead singer.

2024: System of a Down Performs Gigs

In 2024, the band performed two gigs: in the former case, they made their second headline appearance in a row at Sick New World on April 27; in the latter one, they co-headlined (together with Deftones) a standalone concert at the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, making it the first-ever ticketed concert to take place at the venue.