Serj Tankian Recalls Experience That 'Molded' System of a Down

Even the largest bands on this planet can pinpoint sure experiences that occurred within the early years that helped form them in the long term. Serj Tankian, particularly, recalled a tour with a sure artist that he thinks “molded” System of a Down early of their profession.

Simply after System of a Down’s eponymous debut album got here out in 1998, the fledgling band launched into a tour with thrash giants Slayer, who set out in help of their eighth file Diabolus in Musica. As Alice In Chains did earlier than them — who opened on the huge Conflict of the Titans tour a number of years prior — System of a Down felt extra stress to show themselves to the ruthless audiences that have been there to have their faces melted off.

“We have been fucking scared, bro, onstage,” Tankian admitted throughout a dialog with Knotfest, noting that it was additionally a particular time as a result of it was System’s very first tour. “It was bootcamp, simply surviving, studying how you can work an viewers. As a result of Slayer audiences will hate everybody else, clearly.”

“And Daron [Malakian] was all glammed out. I had, like, bizarre shit on my face. And they’d have a look at us, like, ‘Who the fuck are these fucking idiots?’ And we needed to impress from, like, not simply base zero level, however damaging level. We needed to rise up there and rating factors. And that, my buddy, was unimaginable bootcamp as touring artists. That actually, actually form of made us, it molded us.”

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Take a look at the total interview under.

Just a few years in the past, System drummer John Dolmayan supplied his tackle how they have been handled by Slayer throughout that tour throughout an look on Let There Be Speak [via Ultimate Guitar].

“They have been very accepting of us, very supportive, and the individuals have been tremendous good to us, and they’d really hear,” he mentioned. “Slayer audiences may be brutal. Tom Araya got here as much as us and mentioned, ‘Let me know in case you have issues,’ and they’d watch us each night time. They have been so good to us and supportive and good individuals, and I miss them dearly.”

System of a Down have slowed their touring down fairly a bit in recent times, having solely performed one present in 2023 at Las Vegas’ Sick New World Pageant. Their solely confirmed efficiency for subsequent 12 months will probably be on the similar pageant in late April, and whereas Tankian’s not totally certain that it is the solely present they will play, he just lately mentioned it is possible that it is going to be.