System of a Down

System of a Down are an Armenian-American heavy metal band from Glendale, California, formed in 1994. The line-up has been steady since 1997: Serj Tankian on vocals and keyboards, Daron Malakian on guitar and vocals, Shavo Odadjian on bass, and John Dolmayan on drums, who took over from original drummer Andy Khachaturian. All four are of Armenian descent. Their sound sits across alternative metal and nu metal, with a hard rock edge, and their lyrics often take on social and political subjects.

Their debut, System of a Down, arrived in 1998, followed by Toxicity in 2001, Steal This Album! in 2002, and the paired Mezmerize and Hypnotize in 2005. Three of the five albums entered the US Billboard 200 at number one. "B.Y.O.B." won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006, and "Aerials" and "Hypnotize" both topped Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. After a hiatus from 2006, they reunited in 2010.