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May 13 2005

MALAKIAN: ‘I’M NOT THE LEADER’

SYSTEM OF A DOWN Guitarist Daron Malakian refuses to be considered as
the band’s frontman, and insists the secret of their success is their
sense of democracy within the group.

The Armenian American rockers, whose new album Mezmerise is released
on Monday (16MAY05), all play an equal role in making their music
work, from writing the songs to creating the look of their
electrifying stage shows.

Malakian explains, “Even if I write most of what you hear, I don’t
want to step on anyone’s feet.

“Everyone has to feel involved. I’m not the leader of System Of A
Down. Nobody is.

“If Shavo (Odadjian) isn’t playing bass, he makes up with having a
great imagination for what the stage should look like or putting a
video together.

“Serj (Tankian) and I let him go ahead. We all run everything by each
other and help each other. It’s a big part of our success.”