System of a Down Singer Takes Solo Route

Going solo was not a stretch for Serj Tankian of the Los Angeles hard rock group System of a Down.

I was a solo artist before I was in a band, says Tankian, who’s just released his first solo album, Elect the Dead. “I have a studio, I have my label, I always write for pleasure. I’ve been writing music for a long time, and I have hundreds and hundreds of unreleased songs.

I’m known to be the guy from the band, but that’s only part of what I do with music.

Tankian played most of the instruments on the politically charged Elect the Dead himself, although he gets some help from System bandmate John Dolmayan and Primus’ Bryan Brain Mantia.

With System of a Down on indefinite hiatus, Tankian is touring to support Elect the Dead. He’s also shot videos for each of the album’s songs and is showing them on a variety of Internet sites.