Down with the System

A Memoir (of Sorts)

By: Serj Tankian

Narrated by: Serj Tankian

THE *INSTANT* NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
USA TODAY BESTSELLER

An exhilarating, thoughtful, and beautifully written memoir by musician, songwriter, and lead singer-lyricist of Grammy award-winning metal band, System Of A Down, Serj Tankian.

Serj Tankian will be the first to admit that his band, System Of A Down, was an unlikely chart-topper. After all, as Serj concedes, “it’s not easy listening.” Even so, there’s no doubt that System’s music had struck a chord with millions of listeners across the globe ever since they burst on the scene in the mid-1990s. With nearly 40 million album sales, three albums topping the Billboard charts, and a devoted legion of fans, the band dominated the alt-rock and metal scenes just as the world hurtled into a new millennium, redefining the very idea of what rockstars could and couldn’t talk about, could and couldn’t do, could and couldn’t represent.

In Down With the System, Serj presents readers with a memoir that is far more than just a rock 'n' roll fable. It's an immigrant's tale, it’s an activist's awakening, and it's a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. And all of this comes down to the fact that Serj himself has had the chance to live an extraordinary life—thanks to a combination of luck, circumstance, struggle, talent, and spiritual awakening.

Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grows up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country’s civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. As a young man, he is immersed in the SoCal community of “Little Armenia,” learning more and more about the brutal genocide faced by his ancestors while helping his parents adapt to the constraints and contradictions of the American Dream. Then, during a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead—a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band, hitting number #1 on the Billboard album charts the morning of 9/11, and then having the hit single from the same album banned from radio two days later.

In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he evades glass bottles hurled at a cancelled show by angry Slayer fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin.

Braiding together Serj’s thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, Down With the System retraces Serj’s remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it’s taught him—about music, about art, about activism, and about himself. It’s an unforgettable ride that will leave you breathless—and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.

Beautiful memoir, deeper than I expected

I loved this memoir. It first caught my attention because I'm a fan of SOAD, but this is much more than a music bio. Serj Tankian also shares his experiences as an immigrant, an activist, and an artist. I will acknowledge that some awkward sentence breaks or pauses and mispronunciations could be mildly distracting at times, but I would never have anyone else narrate this other than Serj himself. It all added to the book's charm.

Fascinating and informative

I’ve been a fan of Seth’s music for years, but was excited to learn about his activism and his history. It was also intriguing to learn about the ups and downs of System of a Down and all his other projects. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes music, politics, activism, and recent geopolitical history.

Historical and just amazing

I have always been a System of a Down fan since I was a kid! As I got older I loved and respected Serj but could never put my finger on what drew me to him. This book summed up my decades long love and respect I have for Serj. I learned so much and scream to anyone that’ll listen to buy this book. I am so glad I did.

Life, journeys and art

A fascinating story of life, immigration, global politics, family, injustice, justice, rock and roll and the background of the global force, Serj Tankian. A must read.

Swimming through the void, we hear the word We lose ourselves, but we find it all

I haven’t enjoyed an audio book, narrated by the author this much since Kitchen Confidential.

It just felt like I was sitting down with an old friend. Not a lecture, just a man speaking his truth.