History Music / SystemOfADown

Here you go, create another fable!"''

!!Tropes found in their music:

* ArcNumber: 36 had always had its title since it was written and demoed back in the 90s, but the band specifically held over releasing it until it could actually be the 36th album track they released (It became this as the 9th track on Steal This Album). The band slightly changed the title from its original 36 to .36 to symbolise it was the 36th track. This numbering doesn't count demo tracks, bonus tracks or B-Sides, which would obviously push the numbers up.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE2r7r7VVic The video for "Boom"]] was shot by Creator/MichaelMoore during the ''massive'' worldwide anti-war protests in 2003. Most of the lines are sung by random protesters.

** On the first album, the dramatic power ballad "Spiders" is followed by the bouncy comedy song "DDevil".

* NonAppearingTitle: "Stealing Society", "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song", "B.Y.O.B.", "Chop Suey", "Chic 'n' Stu", "36", "U-Fig".

* RapMetal: Delved into this when they did a version of "[[Music/WuTangClan Shame on a Nigga]].

* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Like one of their [[Music/DeadKennedys influences]], System of A Down are seemingly fairly cynical on the outset when they're not just being outright weird, making songs about genocide, destructive foreign policy and the parasitic nature of capitalism, but also demonstrate a hope that we can progress past these errors to a better future, landing them somewhere in the middle.

** [[WordOfGod Daron admitted]] that "Suite Pee" was just a bunch of random lines strung together. Ditto "Sugar" and "Darts." Serj, meanwhile, stated in an AMA that "Vicinity of Obscenity" was inspired by Dadaism, making it a more deliberate example.

** The demo of the Prison Song also has band members discussing "the second one can be a little longer but the first one has to be shorter", not to mention the producer saying "That's a great song", and Serj saying "Thank you".

* ThrashMetal: Not SOAD's defining trait but they are capable of producing those intense high speed riffs characteristic of thrash, especially in "Prison Song", "Jet Pilot", "Cigaro", "Sad Statue", and "BYOB."

* ThrashMetal: They are capable of producing those intense high speed riffs, especially in "Prison Song" and "BYOB."

* ExcitedShowTitle: ''Steal This Album!'', "Chop Suey!", "Question!"

* CutSong: Demo Tape 3 had "Ginger" aka "To The Sky", a jam session that appeared as the third track on the promo releases, but was removed from the final release.
** The self-titled album was initially going to included "Storaged", as seen on [[https://www.discogs.com/System-Of-A-Down-System-Of-A-Down/release/10028342 this in-house promo]]. It was replaced by a newly written song, "Suggestions". It did however appear on the Japanese version (along with Marmalade) as well as the US version of the Sugar single. It was belatedly released in the UK as the b-side of the "Toxicity" 7" single.
** The entirety of the "Toxicity II" bootleg was outtakes from Toxicity. All but two of these ("Cherry" and "Outer Space") were reworked, together with a few others, as "Steal This Album".
** The "Mezmerize/Hypnotize" sessions produced an additional track, "Hezze", which has never been released, but is a holy grail to collectors since it was announced.

* ThePeteBest: Original drummer Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian was there right up until the band got signed and recorded the internal demo for their first album (Demo Tape 4), but had to leave due to an injury.

* ''Music/{{Mezmerize|Hypnotize}}'' (2005)[[/index]]
* ''[[Music/MezmerizeHypnotize Hypnotize]]'' (2005)

[[Index]]

* ''Music/{{Mezmerize|Hypnotize}}'' (2005)[[/Index]]

* ''System of a Down'' (1998)

* ''Music/{{Mezmerize|Hypnotize}}'' (2005)

Their lyrics often revolve around themes of isolation, insanity, and criticisms of modern society. Some of their songs have absurdist lyrics, others are sung as if speaking directly to the listener and feature terse statements and lots of questions/demands, and others yet are more sarcastic and satirical. [[SignatureStyle Probably their most well-known attribute]] is their rapid tone/tempo/time signature changes, giving the music a schizophrenic feel (most noticeable in songs like "Question!," "I-E-A-I-A-I-O," "B.Y.O.B.," and, of course, [[SignatureSong "Chop Suey!"]]).

System of a Down is an Armenian-American rock band formed in 1994 consisting of lead singer/keyboardist Serj Tankian, backup vocalist/guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, & drummer John Dolmayan, formerly drummer/one-time vocalist Ontronik Khachaturian. The band's name was derived from a poem written by Malakian titled "Victims of a Down"; they modified the name as Odadjian believed the word "system" would have wider appeal and so [[AscendedFanboy the band's records could be shelved closer to their musical idols]], {{Music/Slayer}}.

* ''Steal This Album!'' (2002)

* RecycledTheme: The leaked ''Toxicity'' outtake "Desecrate" (also known as "Defy You") and "Nuguns" on ''Steal This Album'' share the same instrumental, but entirely different lyrics.

* AerithAndBob: Serj, Daron, Shavo and...John.
** The band's original drummer, whose real name was the impossibly bad-ass Ontronik Khachaturian, simply went by "Andy", making him an Aerith AND a Bob.
** Daron is something of a subversion - it doesn't sound unusual to people in the UK and Australia, where the identically pronounced Darren is a common name (and thus often taken to be a variant spelling). However, it's a coincidence, as the two names originate from different parts of the world.