Serjical Strike Street Team

Band Spotlight SERJ TANKIAN "ELECT THE DEAD"Activist, poet, musician, and inspirational figure to millions, Serj Tankian has done it all. When the world heard that System of a Down was going on hiatus late last year, many fans were crushed by the uncertainty of the bands future. The band explained that there was no bad blood between them, and they simply wanted to take a break and persue their own projects. Suddenly the world shifted it's attention from worrying about System of a Down and focused on the long awaited solo album from Serj Tankian, "Elect the Dead".Tankian says he had no clue he was about to make a rock record when he began to record at his home studio in Los Angeles last summer. "I was writing more traditional type songs on my piano and acoustic guitar, with a classical, almost operatic flavor; and lo and behold, it ended up being a rock record. Funny what happens when you add distorted guitars and drums," he says. "There are political songs, funny songs, love songs, songs about painful experiences, vanity, and the environment. It has a deep melancholy that runs from the personal to the global, with a glimmer of hope in the solidarity of spirit."Tankian produced "Elect the Dead" himself and played most of the instruments, though the album does feature guest drummers John Dolmayan (SOAD) and Brian "Brain" Mantia (GUNS N' ROSES, PRIMUS). "The singularity of vision is strong when you work alone," he says. "I was a bit skeptical about producing it myself, but I knew how I wanted it to sound. And as I kept going, I realized it was coming together really well so I just finished it on my own. But I had to be careful to push myself like an outside producer would until it was great. I had the same energy and enthusiasm making this album as I did making the first SYSTEM record."Look for "Elect the Dead" in stored October 23rd, 2007. For more information visit www.serjtankian.com