Serj Tankian

Early
Serj Tankian was born on August 21, 1967, in Beirut, Lebanon. He and his family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1975. In Beirut. He earned a degree in Marketing and Business from California State University, Northridge and started his own software company before beginning his music career. In 1993, he founded his first rock band, Soil (not to be confused with SOiL) with Daron Malakian, Domingo Laranio, Dave Hakopyan, and later, Shavo Odadjian. Two years later, in 1995, after one supposed jam session recording and one live show, Dave and Domingo left. Shavo (who went on to become the bass player) brought in drummer Andy Khachaturian. The four of them then named themselves System of a Down.

During System of a Down's days, he was the vocalist in other bands for certain songs such as Mushroom Cult by Dog Fashion Disco and lent his vocals to the song Mein by Deftones. He produced "Enter the Chicken" by Buckethead, and provided vocals to the Buckethead songs We Are One, Coma, and Waiting Here. With Serjical Strike Records, he endeavours to offer those musicians often ignored by the mainstream a possibility to release their music and be heard. The first release of Tankian's new label was Serart, a project consisting of Tankian himself, and Arto Tunçboyacıyan, an Armenian friend of Tankian's.

He originally began System of a Down to voice his views on politics, but felt that the band was not getting the message across. However, contrary to popular belief he stated in a recent interview that he did not leave the band and they have not split up, but decided to embark upon a solo career to open upon his own personal views.

The F.C.C.
The F.C.C. (standing for, The Flying Cunts of Chaos) is Serj's backing band when he plays live.


 * Members
 * Serj Tankian - lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, rhythm guitar
 * Dan Monti - lead guitar, backing vocals
 * Larry "Ler" LaLonde - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
 * Mario Pagliarulo - bass, backing vocals
 * Troy Zeigler - drums, backing vocals
 * Erwin Khachikian — piano, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals

System of a Down

 * 1998: System of a Down
 * 2001: Toxicity
 * 2002: Steal This Album!
 * 2005: Mezmerize
 * 2005: Hypnotize

Serart

 * 2003: Serart

Axis of Justice

 * 2004: Concert Series Volume 1

Solo

 * Albums
 * 2007: Elect the Dead
 * 2009: second studio album
 * EPs
 * 2008: Lie Lie Live
 * DVDs
 * TBA: untitled live DVD

Singles

 * 1 Only released as a digital download single
 * 2 Still active on charts.

Albums

 * Performing and/or writing
 * 1999: Limp Bizkit featuring Serj Tankian - "Don't Go Off Wondering" (Demo) - Demo for Significant Other
 * 2000/2006: Hed PE featuring Serj Tankian and Morgan Lander - "Feel Good" - Broke and The Best of Hed Planet Earth
 * 2000: Tony Iommi featuring Serj Tankian - "Patterns" - Iommi
 * 2000: Snot featuring Serj Tankian - "Starlit Eyes" - Strait Up
 * 2001: Dog Fashion Disco featuring Serj Tankian - "Mushroom Cult" - Anarchists of Good Taste
 * 2003: Serj Tankian - "Bird of Paradise" - Bird Up!: The Charlie Parker Remix Project
 * 2004: Saul Williams - "Talk to Strangers" - ''Saul Williams
 * 2003: Kittens for Christian featuring Serj Tankian - "Had a Plan" - Privilege of Your Company
 * 2005: Buckethead featuring Serj Tankian - "We Are One" - Enter the Chicken and Masters of Horror Soundtrack
 * 2005: Buckethead featuring Azam Ali and Serj Tankian - "Coma" - Enter the Chicken
 * 2005: Buckethead featuring Shana Halligan and Serj Tankian - "Waiting Hare" - Enter the Chicken
 * 2006: Deftones featuring Serj Tankian - "Mein" - Saturday Night Wrist
 * 2007: Les Rita Mitsouko featuring Serj Tankian - "Terminal Beauty" - Variéty
 * 2007: Serj Tankian - "Bug Theme" - Bug Soundtrack
 * 2007: Serj Tankian and Petra Jolly - "Innermission" - Bug Soundtrack
 * 2007: Serj Tankian - "The Essenece of Tequila" - Stranglehold
 * 2007: Serj Tankian - "Chicakong" - Stranglehold.
 * 2007: Wyclef Jean featuring Serj Tankian and Sizzla - "Riot (Trouble Again)" - Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant
 * 2008: Praxis featuring Serj Tankian - "Sulfur and Cheese" - Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness).
 * 2008: Serj Tankian - "Beethoven's C---" - Rock Band
 * 2008: Bitter:Sweet featuring Serj Tankian - "Drama" (Serj Tankian version) - Drama
 * 2008: The Nightwatchman featuring Serj Tankian - "Lazarus on Down" - The Fabled City

Live performances

 * 1999: Fear Factory featuring Serj Tankian - "Cars"
 * 2000: Incubus featuring Serj Tankian — Live Improvisation
 * 2000: Metallica featuring Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian - "Mastertarium" ("Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" part)
 * 2003: Metallica featuring Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian - "Creeping Death" - Reading Festival 2003
 * 2006: Buckethead featuring Shana Halligan and Serj Tankian - "Waiting Hare"
 * 2007: Tool featuring Serj Tankian - "Sober" (improvisational version) - Big Day Out 2007 (Auckland only)
 * 2007: Fair to Midland featuring Serj Tankian - "Walls of Jericho" (improvisational version) - Coachella 2007
 * 2007: Foo Fighters featuring Serj Tankian - "Holiday in Cambodia" - 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
 * 2008: The Nightwatchman (acoustic) featuring Serj Tankian - "Lazarus on Down" - Big Day Out 2008 (Auckland only)

Remixes

 * 2005: M.I.A. - "Galang" (Serj Tankian Remix) - Galang '05
 * 2006: Dredg - "Ode to the Sun" (Serj Tankian Remix) (Unreleased)
 * 2006: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Who Shot Ya?" (Serj Tankian Remix) - Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure

Awards

 * In 2005, Serj Tankian won the award for Best Alternative Act with System of a Down in the Europe Music Awards
 * In 2006, System of a Down won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for "B.Y.O.B."
 * In 2006, System of a Down won the "MTV Good Woodie Award" for their song "Question!".
 * In 2006, System of a Down was #14 on the VH1 Top 40 Metal Songs with "Toxicity".
 * In 2007, System of a Down was nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "Lonely Day".