EX-SYSTEM SERJ TANKIAN GIVES SOLO ALBUM UPDATE

Serj Tankian talks about operating his label Serjical Strike, and one of his prized bands, Bad Acid Trip, talks about their new album. Keywords: Dirk Rogers,…

Former System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian has been busy with various projects, but his new solo effort is just about done.

Tankian told us where he’s at in the process.

“We’re about to start mixing, so the recording phase is done, and it’s going to be released under my name and the title of the record is Elect The Dead which is named after a song on the record. It’s the last song on the record. Stylistically, it’s a rock record, but it’s got certain epic proportions.”

Tankian, known for some experimental musical works like Serart, said the music is rock, but with a very old angle.

“Friends of mine that have heard it say that it reminds them of the times of old before modern civilization and certain things of… I can’t really explain it. It’s a lot easier for me to talk about other people’s music than my own in some ways. It’s definitely got a lot of instruments a lot of… The sound is very deep. There’s a lot of layers of guitars, pianos, and acoustic guitars. There’s a lot going on.”

Tankian tells us that it truly is a solo project and that he did about 85 percent of the music on the album. He called on some of his old friends in System and in Guns N’ Roses for the parts he needed help on.

“I got my friend “Brain” (Guns N’ Roses) to do a lot of the drums, actually, and John Dolmayan from System did some of the drums, an opera singer friend of mine Ani Maldjian. She did a couple of tracks, back-up tracks, with a beautiful operatic, giant, voice.”

Brain, real name Brian Mantia, was a member of Primus and handles drum duties for Guns N’ Roses. Expect Elect The Dead to hit stores in September. Meanwhile, fans of System Of A Down and Tankian can find new music on the Bug soundtrack, which hits stores May 22. The movie hits theaters May 25.