System of a Down and Faith No More

Prior to forming System of a Down lead vocalist Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian created Soil with other members Dave Hakopyan, Domingo Laranio and Shavo Odadjian. Hakopyan and Laranio however soon left making way for Lebanese-born drummer John Dolmayan and from the ashes of Soil came the light and sounds of System of a Down. In 1995 the band played at the Cafe Club Fais Do-Do nightclub in Los Angeles and released the now highly-sought-after Untitled 1995 Demo Tape.

The band subsequently released three more untitled demo tapes one in 1996, two in 1997 and played a number of notable Hollywood gigs including shows at Whisky-A-Go-Go and Viper Room. This led to System of a Down meeting famed producer Rick Rubin and signing with American/Columbian Records who released their eponymously-titled debut album in 1998. The album was supported by the singles “Sugar” and “Spiders” and garnered significant radio and MTV airplay.

As a result of this success the band secured opening slots for Slayer and Metallica and toured alongside Fear Factory and Incubus, before contributing to the TV show South Park’s “Chef Aid” album.

The band’s follow-up album, the ambitious “Toxicity” debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canadian charts, later achieving three-times platinum certification for over 12 million copies sold. It featured the singles “Chop Suey”, “Toxicity” and “Aerials” after which System of a Down toured alongside Slipknot across the U.S. and Mexico. The band’s third album “Steal This Album!” was a response to the lax internet copywriting laws regarding online music piracy, in the same vein as Abbie Hoffman’s counter-culture book “Steal This Book”.

In 2004 System of a Down returned with the two-part album “Mesmerize/Hypnotize” with the help once again of producer Rick Rubin. The first part of the album “Mesmerize” became the band’s second No. 1 Album after “Toxicity” and the single “B.Y.O.B” earned the group a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005, which questions the integrity of military recruitment in the U.S. The band is well-known for their politically and socially apt lyrics covering topics from bureaucracy to the War of Drugs. The second part of the album “Hypnotize” also debuted at No. 1 putting the group alongside the Beatles and 2Pac for two consecutive No. 1 albums in the same year.

Following a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song “Lonely Day” System of a Down announced a significant hiatus during which members pursued other bands and solo efforts. In 2010 the band returned playing a number of headlining European shows including Download Festival, Greenfield Festival, Rock am Ring/Rock im Park, and a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl in 2013.

Faith No More’s original line-up consisted of Billy Gould on bass, Mike Bordin on drums, Mike “The Man” Morris as vocalist, and keyboardist Wade Worthington, under the name Sharp Young Men. The band’s genesis is characterised by an inconsistent line-up and

Shortly after Morris suggested a name change to “Faith In No Man” but settled on “Faith. No Man” for the release of their first single “Quiet in Heaven/Song of Liberty” in 1982. Worthington departed the group and was replaced by Roddy Bottum, only for Bottum, Gould and Bordin to leave the band and start another with the name Faith No More.

The band’s particular sound is a conglomeration of many genres, combing heavy metal with funk, including progressive rock elements to create atmosphere, as well as some strong hip-hop vibes. Faith No More have acknowledged Theatre of Hate, PIL and Killing Joke as early influences in their music.

The band’s first full-length album “We Care a Lot” was a struggle to record due to financial struggles and sounded underdeveloped and incoherent, however their second “Introduce Yourself” released in 1987 on Mordam Records held a lot more promise for the band’s future, attracting a limited attention on MTV.

Mike Patton, an accomplished vocalist from the band Mr. Bungle, joined the band in 1989 and within two weeks had written the lyrics for the follow-up album “The Real Thing” which received a Grammy nomination. The album featured the track “Epic” which received considerable MTV airplay, and led to impressive shows at the MTV video awards and Saturday Night Live. The subsequent tour further promoted the album which achieved platinum status in the U.S., Canada and South America.

The band’s next albums “Angel Dust” represented an experimental shift in their music, whilst its successor “King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime” featuring the singles “Digging the Grave” and “Evidence” and became the favourite albums of the band among loyal fans. “Album of the Year” Faith No More’s sixth and most recent album signalled an 11-year hiatus for the band allowing the members to pursue their own projects. The band reformed in 2009 and have toured consistently for three years with a seventh studio album in the works.