It's never Been East to Describe System of a Down's music. Its contradictory mix of  styles is by turns abrasive and dissonant, gentle and melodic, often within the same song. For those who ponder such things, Daron Malakian the group guitarist has a candid Explanation. "People sometimes say our music is kind of 'schizophrenic,'" says Malakian. "And, yeah, it is kinda of schizophrenic. That's because we live in a crazy fucking society." On System's newest album, Mesmerize/Hypnotize, Malakian plays an even greater role as a lyricist, singer and multi-instrumentalist, and the result is an album that superpasses its ambitious predecessor.

For one thing, Mesmerize/Hypnotize is a double album, albeit one whose 2 discs...
"People's attention spans don't run too long these days," Malakian says, explaining the unusual release schedule.
"I want to release this in a way that will do each song justice. You put too many songs on your record and it ends up like family with too many kids: some of them get neglected."

It's important to look beyond the superficial details. As much is true when it comes to Malakian, Consider his home, nestled in a comfortable L.A. suburb.

Inside, the place feels like a household after mom and dad have gone off on a long vacation, leaving their teenage son to run amok.
The family room is littered with guitars, amos, keyboards, turntables and DJ gear, video-game consoles and a big-screen TV, with cables running helter-skelter across the luminous black tile floor.

It was in this smoky technology-littered lair that much of Mesmerized/Hypnotized was written and conceived. "I haven't been out of the house in 2 weeks," confesses Malakian, who's a bit of a homebody and a workaholic.
"I don't go to parties. I don't drink, so I don't go out and buy the gang beers. I basically stay home and work on music. I guess you'd say I'm a gearhead. Its not just
guitars; I have five or six drum sets, a bunch of keyboards ... It's like Guitar Center exploded and all the cool stuff dropped in my backyard. I'm a really lucky guy. I have to admin."

in addition to assuming a larger share of the vocal and lyric-written duties, Malakian played 90% of the bass parts, as well as guitars and keyboards.
"I've always written lyrics," he says "Like' Prison Song' and 'Deer Dance,' to name a couple. I've written almost every system chorus, but I wrote more verses this time, too. I've always considered myself a songwriter, but this time I really focused on being the best songwriter I can possibly be. Sometimes you do it by getting into a character. Sometimes you just drive around town. Songwriting to me is just as mysterious as serial  killing."
 

Thanks for Alan Paul for giving SOADFans permission to post part of the interview.

To read the rest of this interview, pick up a copy of the July 2005 Guitar World,
    on sale now. for information, visit www.guitarworld.com

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