Heavy metal group System of a Down, usually referred to as SoaD or just System, was founded in Glendale, California, in 1994. Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (guitar, vocals), Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals), and John Dolmayan (drums), who took the position of the original drummer Andy Khachaturian, have made up the band since 1997.
With the release of five studio albums, three of which debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200, the band found commercial success. Four Grammy Awards have been nominated for System of a Down, and in 2006, their song “B.Y.O.B.” won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band had a break in 2006 and came back together in 2010. System of a Down hasn’t put out a full-length album since the Mezmerize and Hypnotize albums in 2005, with the exception of two brand-new tracks in 2020 (“Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”). The group has sold more than 12 million records worldwide, and “Aerials” and “Hypnotize,” two of their hits, peaked at the top of the Alternative Songs chart on Billboard.
