Serj Tankian

The Profile

Serj Tankian is an Armenian-American musician, composer, poet, and activist, best known as the lead vocalist of System of a Down. His solo career spans rock, electronic, and orchestral works, including Elect the Dead (2007), Imperfect Harmonies (2010), Harakiri (2012), and Orca: Symphony No. 1.

Lead vocalist of System of a Down; solo albums include Elect the Dead, Imperfect Harmonies, and Harakiri; performed Elect the Dead Symphony with orchestra; integrates political and social themes with rock, electronic, and orchestral elements; composed the orchestral work Orca: Symphony No. 1.

Five DeBaser reviews chart Serj Tankian’s path from Elect the Dead through the orchestral Elect the Dead Symphony, the exploratory Imperfect Harmonies, and the rock-leaning Harakiri. Reviewers praise his commanding voice, political bite, and orchestral/electronic experiments, while a few miss SOAD’s heavier edge. Overall verdict: ambitious, engaging, and often triumphant.