System of a Down is a popular and renowned Armenian-American Heavy Metal Band that was formed in the year 1994. The band is made up of Serj Tankian, the lead vocalist and keyboardist, Daron Malakian, a guitarist and a vocalist, and Shavo Odadjian, a bassist and a backing vocalist, John Dolmayan, who is a drummer having replaced Andy Khachaturian in the year 1997.
The band has had lots of achievements all through their career, in which they have released several albums that have become a hit and become award-winning albums. To know more about the System of a Down and their net worth, keep reading this article.
Inception
System of a Down band was founded in the year 1995 in Los Angeles in the United States. The founding of this heavy metal band came after a meeting between the lead singer Serj Tankian born in 1967, with the guitarist known as Daron Malakian, born in 1975. This meeting between the two happened in 1993, and it was the root of the invention of this band.
They were all playing with other bands before coming to a realization that they had similar interests in music. Following the meeting, they got joined by Andranik ‘Andy’ Khatchadurian, who was a drummer and together they formed a band known as ‘Soil’.
Not before long, the trio was joined by Shavo Odadjian, born in 1974, after which, upon joining, they formed another born going by the name ‘System of a Down’ (SOAD).
The name of this band, i.e. System of a Down, was derived from a poem by Daron Malakian known as ‘Victims of a Down’. The change in the band members only happened in 1997 when Andy Khachaturian got replaced by John Dolmayan, born in 1973 in Canada.
Evolution
The influence of this band, SOAD is very broad in which it touches on rock, thrash metal, punk, death metal, and Armenian folk music together with some elements of Jazz music. This has, therefore, led the band to have many fans and supporters as most people feel that the band is doing atleast one thing they love.
Their first registered demo by the band was their compositions which included ‘Soil’, ‘Temper’, and ‘Honey’. Following this, they drew much attention from the fans due to the unknown formation. In the year 1997, they gained momentum following a concert in Hollywood known as ‘Viper Room’. Following this, they have signed with Rubin’s label American and Columbia records.
After getting a record producer by the renowned producer, Rick Rubin, they commenced recording their tracks, after which they released their debut album in 1998 known as ‘System of a Down’, which was greatly received by the public.
System of a Down got much success earning the band several concerts together with touring with Slayer and Metallica. Later on, they released their second album known as Toxicity in 2001, which debuted at No. 1 in the American and Canadian charts. The greatest hit single in the album was the ‘Chop Suey’ that made more than 12 million sales of its copies.
The band released their third album in the later part of 2001, known as Steal This Album after the sessions of the Toxicity album got leaked on the internet without yet being released. The band stayed for a long time without recording a new album or single after they were moving to different places globally.
Nevertheless, in 2005, they released 2 CDs, with the first being known as ‘Mezmerize’ released in May 2005 while the second one was known as Hypnotize released in November 2005. They later released promo singles known as ‘vicinity of Obscenity’ and ‘Kill Rock ‘N Roll’.
Awards and Achievements
System of a Down has accomplished quite a lot in their career. They have released six albums, including the self-titled debut in 1998, which was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2005.
The band is also known for their heavy metal sound and political views, often incorporating these topics into their lyrics. System of a Down is one of the best-selling bands of all time, with over 30 million albums sold worldwide.
They have been nominated for four Grammy Awards and have won one for Best Hard Rock Performance for the B.Y.O.B. single in Mezmerize album.
Net Worth of System of a Down in 2024
As of December 2024, System of a Down has an estimated net worth of $25 Million. This band has had much success from the albums they have released, with most containing top singles that became hit songs and topped the charts of both the United States and Canada.
The band has also made much of its fortunes from the several concerts it has had in several areas, together with the more than 30 million albums they have sold globally.
In conclusion, System of a Down has touched on several music genres and is hence loved by different music lovers globally. They noted that they make music because they love it and never focus on aggression. The band has always remained committed, earning much reputation and popularity globally.