EntertainmentPosted at: Sep 4 2025 7:58PM


No label wanted to sign System Of A Down band in its early days: Songwriter Daron Malakian

Los Angeles, Sep 4 (UNI) Daron Malakian, the songwriter, guitarist, and secondary vocalist for the highly renowned wacky Armenian-American metal band System Of A Down, recalled the band’s early days in the 90s, stating that it was very tough for them as no record label would sign them on account of their unique sound and Armenian heritage.
Malakian, speaking to Metal Hammer said “At first nobody wanted to sign us, because we didn’t sound like Korn or Limp Bizkit, and we were four Armenian guys! I mean, what the f*is an Armenian to somebody that lives in Kentucky?! They don’t even know what Armenians are!
“And we looked like we were just aliens to the local people, the way our stage presence was and the way our look was at the time. Serj (Tankian, SOAD lead singer) is a very different, unique kind of frontman. I’m the guitar player who sings and screams and does all the crazy stuff. People didn’t get it at first, but we got it.”
However, the band – now a household name and known for tracks like ‘Chop Suey’ and ‘BYOB’ – was determined to make it big, and did not let anything stop them.
“We just went out and did what we did. We were young and hungry, we believed in what we were doing. You’ve got to understand, we were an army before we were signed, we were f***** tearing down the Sunset Strip,” said Malakian.
“Our shows were packed when we weren’t signed. It started with our group of friends, but that shit grew and grew and grew, and we became the biggest band on the Sunset Strip.”
While the band’s sound – which is noted to be highly avant-garde, and unpredictably chaotic, yet having catchy melodies and pop style chorus - did not fit in with the nu metal bands of the time such as Korn and Limp Bizkit, who were the chart toppers from late 90’s to early 2000’s, they were lumped into the same scene as Linkin Park, Slipknot, Godsmack, Disturbed, among others.
Though SOAD have long made their distaste of the label clear, Markian said that he’s nonetheless thankful for that association, which was a key factor in their rise.
“We were lucky that there was a scene. We were able to play, and play in front of audiences that came to see those other bands. But I don’t think anybody sounds like we did. I don’t think we felt like we didn’t belong and I don’t feel like we did belong. But there are so many genres and then there are subgenres of the subgenre, it just gets lost.”
While the band is noted for their highly political lyrics, with tracks such as ‘BYOB’ (Bring Your Own Bombs as opposed to the actual abbreviation Bring Your Own Beers) critiquing the US war in Iraq, and the glorification of war, or ‘Hypnotize’, which refers to the Tiananmen Square Massacre of 1989, Markian said that SOAD is not political.
“I appreciate you saying that, because what you’re saying is what I feel. People would get really stuck on the politics. The band members, don’t all agree on one thing when it comes to politics.
“I think when there are members of the band that are a little outspoken about their politics, people think that everyone’s politics are the same as what Serj is saying or whatever John (Dolmayan, SOAD drummer) is saying. But there are more layers than just politics. There’s plenty of your lyrics that are clearly not political!”
Commenting on the songwriting dynamic in the band, he noted that it was highly improvisational, stating “That’s hard for me to answer, because I feel like my songwriting process is quite different to a lot of artists.”
The band, which has sold over 40 million albums, and released five albums, has been on a hiatus for over two decades, having last released ‘Hypnotize’ in 2005.
While the band has mulled over the possibility of a new album for years, nothing came to fruition, as Serj Tankian was far more involved in his solo career with none of the other three showing any signs of being in a hurry.
The band did, however, release some new music in 2020, issuing two new tracks ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’ and ‘Protect the Land’ in reference to the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War five years ago, between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“I get caught up in my own head, in my own world, and it’s not a priority to me. So, I got to make it a priority and start recording. I just need to motivate myself to do it.” UNI ANV SSP
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