Like everyone in the band, bass-player/videographer Shavo Odadjian began his life in Armenia and grew up on bands like Kiss and Dead Kennedys and the wisdom of his grandmother who largely raised him.

Odadjian, swinging his pigtail beard around like a propeller, plays with both a pick and his fingers. He came to System before it even existed, managing Soil - the previous group of Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian - but the three rolled it together in 1995, finally snuggling with drummer John Dolmayan. After a tremendous run including being only one of three bands to have two simultaneous No. 1 albums on the charts, thanks to Mesmerize/Hypnotize, singer/writer Malakian in May announced the band's hiatus following this tour. Good place to start, don't you think?

SHAVO: We've been a band for 12 years, almost. Five records, I can't even think about how much we've toured. After Ozzfest it's a blast-off. The four of us are friends and we've always had things we wanted to do outside the band. Everyone's going to go do their thing, but once we come back, all the stuff we did will bring a new element to the band. It's like a research trip.


FISH: I was blown away when I first noticed how Mesmerize and Hypnotize fit together, in terms of physical packaging and music.

SHAVO: Daron (Malakion) has a really amazing knack for arranging stuff - that's his gift. He worked his ass off trying to get that thing right. It's hard enough to do one record. But to do them one after another as one record that fully makes sense?

FISH: You're politically congruous with the rest of the band?

SHAVO: Yes, but I'm not as vigilant. Of course I have my own beliefs and sometimes I disagree, just like everybody else. Our political side is not where we try and ram it down your throat how to think and how to be. We offer an alternative, and hopefully raise awareness of issues the American press is not allowed to focus on. What we say isn't shocking in Europe. Over here, everything is monitored closely by the government. It's supposed to be a free country.

FISH: I call it a soft fascism. You can say what you like, to a point. But that doesn't change the fact rights are being eroded.

SHAVO: People say we're haters of America. But we're not. We wouldn't be in this country if we didn't love it. But I grew up in New York and Hollywood, so as a kid I got to see a lot of gangs, hookers, and it made me who I am. I also saw my dad come here without a penny in his pocket and be able to raise a family by working three jobs. That inspired me. I always thought in the back of my head when I pull my life together, I'm going to hook my parents up.

FISH: How did you repay them?

SHAVO: (Laughs.) They don't know right now, but I've done little things. They're really proud, right? They won't take a penny from me. I give them an anniversary gift and they're, 'Oh! Why did you spend so much?' But I did stuff underhandedly. They're not going to get another mortgage payment bill. Thank God I wasn't raised spoiled, so I actually appreciate it now. They still work every day.

FISH: I've seen you - you work pretty hard onstage.

SHAVO: My favourite time. Since I was 14 I've worked. I worked hard in college studying philosophy and psychology.

FISH: Because you're an information gateway for people, do you feel a sense of responsibility?

SHAVO: You can ask the same question about songwriting - a lot of Armenians who didn't like heavy music now do because of us. As long as we're happy and speaking the truth and doing it righteously, then let it be. You can't think about it too much.

FISH: You're selling out huge stadiums worldwide.

SHAVO: In Europe, we headlined Download a year ago and that was psychotic - 80,000 people! We played 9 p.m. on Sunday to a sea of humans with no end.

FISH: How do you feel as one person in 80,000?

SHAVO: As long as I feel the energy and love, it can be 80,000 or eight. But I feel on top of the world. It's spiritual. But wait till you hear the stuff I'm doing with the Wu Tang Clan. I've introduced them to Mediterranean and Armenian music, and what we did to rock we're doing to hard-core hip hop. GZA and I are doing production in early June. We're going to be in a real band. It just doesn't have a name yet. But I'm really looking forward to it.

By FISH GRIWKOWSKY - Edmonto Sun

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