Edmonton Sun, Canada
June 23 2006
Speaking the truth
System of a Down out to raise awareness
By FISH GRIWKOWSKY, EDMONTON SUN FREELANCE
What you really need to know about System of a Down is that they’re
honestly the most important band on the third planet.
There may be better acts, but their elevated, chart-ravaging mix of
powerful instrumentation, wicked social consciousness and inventive,
multipart harmony has literally redefined what an American band can
aspire to. Born in Armenia and created in Hollywood, of all places,
no one this popular shows so much soul. The events of 9-11 and its
resultant tsunami of counter-attacks on the Middle East being a mere
blip in their eternal political advocacy against injustice – be it
illegal war, torture, civilian casualty, corporate rollbacks amid
record profits, violent pornography or even just simple Hollywood
fakery.
No one else makes fighting back so much fun. We’re lucky to have
them back Sunday at the Oiler rink – Rexall Place – so soon after
September’s mind-blowing arena show.
Like everyone in the band, bass-player/videographer Shavo Odadjian
began his life in Armenia and grew up on bands like Kiss and Dead
Kennedys and the wisdom of his grandmother who largely raised him.
Odadjian, swinging his pigtail beard around like a propeller, plays
with both a pick and his fingers. He came to System before it even
existed, managing Soil – the previous group of Daron Malakian and Serj
Tankian – but the three rolled it together in 1995, finally snuggling
with drummer John Dolmayan. After a tremendous run including being
only one of three bands to have two simultaneous No.
1 albums on the charts, thanks to Mesmerize/Hypnotize, singer/writer
Malakian in May announced the band’s hiatus following this tour. Good
place to start, don’t you think?
SHAVO: We’ve been a band for 12 years, almost. Five records, I
can’t even think about how much we’ve toured. After Ozzfest it’s a
blast-off. The four of us are friends and we’ve always had things we
wanted to do outside the band. Everyone’s going to go do their thing,
but once we come back, all the stuff we did will bring a new element
to the band. It’s like a research trip.
FISH: I was blown away when I first noticed how Mesmerize and Hypnotize
fit together, in terms of physical packaging and music.
SHAVO: Daron (Malakion) has a really amazing knack for arranging
stuff – that’s his gift. He worked his ass off trying to get that
thing right. It’s hard enough to do one record. But to do them one
after another as one record that fully makes sense?
FISH: You’re politically congruous with the rest of the band?
SHAVO: Yes, but I’m not as vigilant. Of course I have my own beliefs
and sometimes I disagree, just like everybody else. Our political
side is not where we try and ram it down your throat how to think
and how to be. We offer an alternative, and hopefully raise awareness
of issues the American press is not allowed to focus on. What we say
isn’t shocking in Europe. Over here, everything is monitored closely
by the government. It’s supposed to be a free country.
FISH: I call it a soft fascism. You can say what you like, to a
point. But that doesn’t change the fact rights are being eroded.
SHAVO: People say we’re haters of America. But we’re not. We wouldn’t
be in this country if we didn’t love it. But I grew up in New York
and Hollywood, so as a kid I got to see a lot of gangs, hookers, and
it made me who I am. I also saw my dad come here without a penny in
his pocket and be able to raise a family by working three jobs. That
inspired me. I always thought in the back of my head when I pull my
life together, I’m going to hook my parents up.
FISH: How did you repay them?
SHAVO: (Laughs.) They don’t know right now, but I’ve done little
things. They’re really proud, right? They won’t take a penny from me.
I give them an anniversary gift and they’re, ‘Oh! Why did you spend
so much?’ But I did stuff underhandedly. They’re not going to get
another mortgage payment bill. Thank God I wasn’t raised spoiled,
so I actually appreciate it now. They still work every day.
FISH: I’ve seen you – you work pretty hard onstage.
SHAVO: My favourite time. Since I was 14 I’ve worked. I worked hard
in college studying philosophy and psychology.
FISH: Because you’re an information gateway for people, do you feel
a sense of responsibility?
SHAVO: You can ask the same question about songwriting – a lot of
Armenians who didn’t like heavy music now do because of us. As long
as we’re happy and speaking the truth and doing it righteously,
then let it be. You can’t think about it too much.
FISH: You’re selling out huge stadiums worldwide.
SHAVO: In Europe, we headlined Download a year ago and that was
psychotic – 80,000 people! We played 9 p.m. on Sunday to a sea of
humans with no end.
FISH: How do you feel as one person in 80,000?
SHAVO: As long as I feel the energy and love, it can be 80,000 or
eight. But I feel on top of the world. It’s spiritual. But wait till
you hear the stuff I’m doing with the Wu Tang Clan. I’ve introduced
them to Mediterranean and Armenian music, and what we did to rock
we’re doing to hard-core hip hop. GZA and I are doing production in
early June. We’re going to be in a real band. It just doesn’t have
a name yet. But I’m really looking forward to it.
—
Gig: System of a Down
Venue: Rexall Place, Sunday
Vitals: Breakthrough album was 2002’s Toxicity, which debuted at No.
1 on North American charts.
Weekend/2006/06/23/1648777-sun.html