Down with the System

The incredible first memoir by System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian

With nearly 40 million record sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, a Grammy win and a legion of fans, System Of A Down are one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. At their core has always been Serj Tankian, whose journey from the streets of Beirut to rock superstardom is as remarkable and unlikely as you’ll get.

By dint of luck, circumstance, struggle, and more than a little talent, Serj has had the chance to live an extraordinary life. In Down With the System, he retraces this remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him – about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. From teaming up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, arguing with LAPD officers over the best way to quell his rioting fans, and traveling with Anthony Bourdain through Armenia one meal at a time, Down With the System is an immigrant’s tale, an activist’s awakening, and rock memoir unlike any other.

Author Biography

Serj Tankian is the lead singer of the Grammy-winning rock band System of a Down. He is a solo artist, a composer, an activist, a painter, a poet, and a filmmaker. With System, he has headlined concerts around the world in front of audiences of up to 100,000 fans. Between his work with the band and as a solo performer, he’s sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. His songs have been streamed more than 6 billion times. The video for System of a Down’s hit single, “Chop Suey,” has been viewed more than 1.1 billion times, which made it the first metal song ever to reach a billion views. Along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis of Justice, which strives to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.