Whiskey a Go-Go,Nov. 14th 1997

Anyway you put it System of a Down are certainly creating quite a "buzz" in the music world. Just recently they won the the Best Signed Band out of LA Award from Rock City News (www.rockcitynews.com ) and Kerrang! magazine has said they are creating the biggest street buzz of any band since Korn. As soon as you hear these guys you'll know exactly why. If you have their demo and think it's good, you've only just sampled a little taste of what System offers. If you haven't heard it yet, just wait until you hear their new material, it is UNREAL!! Their reputation is based upon their live show, it is dubbed "The Dark Red Experience". On the night of Nov.14th 1997 at the Whiskey a Go-Go in LA I had the pleasure of seeing SOAD live for the first time. Needless to say I was expecting alot from this band and they certainly met and even exceeded every expectation I had for them. Their demo tape had been implanted in my stereo since the day I got it, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to encounter on that brisk November night. Serj, Daron, Shavo and John appeared on stage around 12:20am, the lights were lowered, and some Armenian style music was playing over the PA. Serj had his arms outstretched, becoming one with the music and suddenly they erupted into demo track and crowd favorite "Know". John's thick drumming pummeled into the air, Daron pulverized his guitar, and Shavo pounded with booming accuracy on his bass, then Serj screamed the opening words "Cursed Earth!!!!" and at that moment I knew that SOAD are real, they are going to explode!! To explain their new material is like trying to explain thier live show, it is something that needs to be heard or seen to be comprehended. Honestly I can tell you this that it is some of the most amazing and original material I've ever heard in my entire life. I swear I've never heard a band that can execute tempo changes and make i work as brilliantly as SOAD. Some of the material sounds like a few different songs weaved together to make a perfect whole song. In their songs they'll take a heavy riff and either suddenly change tempos and play something that's 10 times heavier, or they go down to a dark, slowed down evil soundscape, filled Eastern European folk melodies, with tons of Mediterranean style vox and really obscure keys. As for Serj's vocal style, you've never heard anything like it before, the man can do it all. All the members do their part and do it to perfection, combining into a band with the most amazing potential. Not only do they have the music but they have that charisma, the aura about them that every great band posseses. Not only that but the guys are really cool and they truly care about their fans. I hadn't even mentioned this but the concert I went to, Serj and Daron were really sick and had been puking all day. Regardless they went on anyway because they felt they owed it to the fans and they were still awesome. Currently they are recording their debut album for Columbia Records which will hit the shelves around April/May of '98. With Rick Rubin at the producing helm and Sylvia Massey mixing and engineering it should be one of the greatest albums ever, you won't want to miss it. If you want to see for yourself exactly what the Dark REd Experience is all about be sure to check them out when they come to a venue near you. So spread the System, everywhere you go. Many people nowadays are complaining about how music's all the same, this band just rips off that band, lack of innovation, etc. NOw there's a band that is truly going to add something new and unique in the world of music and that band is System of A Down. Hop on board the System, everyone's invited, fasten your seatbelts and get ready this is going to be one hell of a ride!! So come on everyone and sing along with Serj, Daron, John, and Shavo as they lead the battle cry of "We Will Fight the Heathens" into the next millenium. Maybe the future isn't looking so dim after all.


A big thanx to Dave Harte for this review.