System of a Down Psychological Evaluations:
Case Studies In Rock & Revolution
Over a period of several days, all four members of the Los
Angeles-based heavy rock band System of a Down were psychologically
examined for concise profiling by an area expert. Subjects,
having recently completed ?Toxicity,? their "sophomore album"
(note: industry term), were probed on the complex relationship
properties linking the creation of inventive, melodic, fusion-minded
metal to the sub-conscious discourse between childhood,
ritual/habit, familial interplay and/or socio-political
ideologies.
Methods employed included the Schwartz & Bristol six
strata system of self-classification ("Rational," "Altruist,"
"Magician," "Innocent," "Orphan," "Wanderer" and "Warrior"),
interrogation via the traditional Jungian perception vs.
judgement dichotomy and an author-devised categorization
based on character/idol association as sub-divided into:
The Rational, The Artisan, The Guardian and The Idealist.
Examiner observed curious ties relating to heritage (in
this instance Armenian) and common goals of defining, rather
than following, supposed musical rules, borders or dictums.
Elsewhere examiner noted the foursome to be a disparate
mix of individuals, united by the Hegelian montage theory
reasoning the sum of four great parts to be infinitely grander
than any part in and of itself.
Reports on System of a Down singer Serj Tankian, guitarist
Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John
Dolmayan follow in turn:
* * *
Case No.: 4.987.11Q
Subject: Serj Tankian
Position: Singer
ANALYSIS: Subject Serj Tankian requests meeting at a local
playground so that he might "shoot hoops." Examiner notes
subject has a nice outside shot. Subject's warm, non-judgmental
demeanor vis a vis the brutality with which he sings in
System of a Down indicates, if not an interior struggle,
a complex duality. Subject may or may not have been influenced
by producer Rick Rubin's beard.
As with many perpetual searchers, subject Tankian strolls
a path towards tranquility not in and of itself flower-lined
or emotionally perfumed. A confessed devotee of the meditational
arts, subject is nonetheless felled by bouts of existential
angst, here centered, most old-worldly enough, on doubts
of the human animal's capacity to salvage intrinsic beliefs
in an increasingly self-conscious global village, "We pay
so much attention to our mind that we're losing touch with
our true vision, our instinct," he says. "Ever since the
day we were separated from the Earth, as a culture, as a
religion, we've become very left-brained, very logical.
We've lost something."
Subject freely drops political jargon ("cooperate Darwinism,"
"Chomsky-esque") and expresses clear skepticism regarding
modes and means of information dissemination, "We see the
same thing on every channel," he says. "It's all very devised.
It's very filtered.? Well-versed on pressing issues, he's
neither apathist nor activist but instead one fascinated
by the nature and conclusions of international transactions,
policies and ideologies. Awareness and keen knowledge of
national or global cause and effect traditionally signifies:
a.) sub-conscious desire to avoid examination of the self
b.) phobias regarding species extinction c.) revolutionary
aspirations (imagined or real) and/or d.) imminent career
as college professor.
As with Daron Malakian, this subject proves hard to classify
under the four principal character orders. His curiosity
regarding the validity and meaning of the methodology itself
is paramount to immersion in the questioning. Subject is
at times evasive, but not necessarily in standoffish manner.
Inference is that, to Tankian, nothing proactive stems from
absolute answers or even their quest. That established,
subject identifies with members of all four orders. As former
CEO of a marketing management software company, Tankian
logically identifies with Bill Gates, a Rational, but seems
more keenly attuned to or in reverence of Mother Teresa,
a Guardian, and Gandhi, an Idealist.
It's possible subject Tankian may be a "quadjunctionary,"
psychoanalytically defined as "pertaining to all four orders
but possessing a majority of none." Entered as evidence
to the above, subject's elusory response when questioned
on the nature and bias of System of a Down's curious euphony,
specifically: Is their music opti or pessimistic? "I think
it's neither," he says. "At some points it might be one
or the other but the sum total is neither."
Subject is questioned from the six stratas as defined by
Schwartz & Bristol("Altruist," "Magician," "Innocent,"
"Orphan," "Wanderer" and "Warrior"). Tankian's most telling
responses come amid the Altruist portion, a division tackling
interpersonal needs and offerings. Brief, almost Zen-esque
replies to the following: What do you ask most of those
around you ("a smile") and What do you offer in return ("a
smile"), soundly suggest an association with simplicity
as wisdom and the defeat of restrictive logic or malice
via universally understood, non-lingual communication.
CONCLUSION: System of a Down singer Serj Tankian is happily
trapped in an evolution towards the capacity for blind trust
that intrinsically mandates eternal questioning of self
and surroundings. Poetic in his musings, subject has faith
in the arts for cross-cultural discourse and reserves the
balance of his vitriol for stage and studio. In layman's
terms: Not that many people think, sing or front a band
like Serj Tankian. The guy whoops ass.
* * *
Case No.: 2.989.261
Subject: Daron Malakian
Position: Guitarist, Vocals
Analysis: Subject Daron Malakian is met at his house. Examiner
is shown the subject's room, a dark hovel in dire need of
janitorial assistance. Both the bedroom and living room
are strewn with guitars and roadcases, symbolizing a strong
desire for perpetual inundation in work. Absence of order
(subject notes he's "no good at paying his bills") also
strongly suggests Malakian prioritizes creativity above
all else. Subject consumes a massive "cheese steak" during
examination process.
Malakian radiates the telltale unease and intensity of a
creative wizard. Examiner notes that at no time do his wheels
appear to stop turning, as though even mid-analysis he's
conjuring compositions or pondering certain licks, riffs
and time changes. Malakian admits to being " defensive and
aggro" when faced with critique of his work. "I take any
criticism very personally," he says. "How can I not? This
comes out of my soul. I'm like, 'Well, if you don't like
it, fuck you.'"
Subject does not retreat, but overtly responds to questions,
nevertheless displays a thick emotional shield. This behavior
may likely stem from Malakian's prior experience with the
psychoanalytical arts. Following System of a Down's initial
popularity surge, subject was subject to panic attacks and,
in therapy sessions that followed, lost faith in the practice.
"I've been wanting to do this since I was four," Malakian
asserts. "I didn't just wake up when I was eighteen and
decide I wanted to join a band. If you had asked me when
I was a kid what I wanted to do, I'd have said, 'Be on stage
playing music.' Then it actually happened.
"I was having panic attacks, seeing shrinks. It has a lot
to do with this being a business. Art and business to me
just don't mix. The therapy wasn't worth shit. You go to
a shrink and all they do is put you on a bunch of pills.
I was like, 'fuck that.' I did it my own way. I started
meditating."
Subject Malakian, a professed "people-hater," is logically
hard to pin one of the four fundamental orders upon. Among
those cultural icons he identifies with: Madonna and Charles
Manson (both Artisans), Gandhi (an Idealist) and Karem Abdul-Jabar
(a Guardian). Said methodology is thus deemed moot and subject
is instead defined by a most curious footnote from his formative
stage, "I used to fall asleep listening to Cannibal Corpse
and Deicide when I was a teenager," he says.
Malakian displays deep vulnerability when, in detailing
the primary pivotal event of his life thus far, the death
of his grandmother, he's asked how he dealt with the loss.
"A lot of fighting," he says. "I kicked a lot of peoples'
fuckin' asses. I realized that I had a lot of aggression
in me. I've had to learn to keep it in check. If someone
turns around to look at my chick, I want to fucking kill
them. If someone fucks with my homeboys, I want to fucking
kill them. I've got to keep it in check now."
Conclusion: System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian cautiously
welcomes those who welcome him but reserves heavy artillery
for those who'd wrong him or any loved ones. However misanthropic,
he's forever faithful to those permitted passage to his
exclusive sanctum. Would be fair to call a musical savant,
headstrong with a devout belief in his own capacity to create
titanic chunks of progressive metal. In laymen's terms:
subject is an uncompromising kick ass guitar player and
songwriter.
* * *
Case No.: 17.189.03Y
Subject: Shavo Odadjian
Position: Bassist
ANALYSIS: System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian is met
in his living room. Though sunny and warm outside, subject's
blinds are drawn. A vast library of DVD's, an impressive
home entertainment system, DJ equipment and other such gear
would indicate subject's child-like predilection for fiscal
indulgence in playthings. A colorful array of suspect, long
glass vases also dot his interior landscape. Subject expresses
an unusually deep reverence for actor Christopher Walken,
something classically indicating a fetish for enigma and
the occult.
Subject Odadjian is a case study in emotional duality and
prolonged adolescence. His immersion in sound and pursuit
of aural satisfaction stems as much from an innate drive
to mold progressive metal as it does from lingering boyhood
rock star obsession ("After I took tests as a kid, I'd always
draw big KISS logos on the back.").
Clearly headstrong and keenly focused in the musical scope,
subject seems elsewhere unsure or needing of group approval.
Example: Odadjian might compose and stand steadfast by intricate
and challenging basslines but may suffer unspeakable anxiety
when selecting from a takeout menu and seek second or even
third opinions regarding an ideal dish. Consistent with
this analysis, subject seems uncomfortable at the examination's
onset, initially wondering if there might be ?right? or
?wrong? answers.
Born and raised in Armenia 'till age five, subject Odadjian's
early musical memories, beyond the compulsory pot and pan
banging, are of watching in awe as curious images were bounced
from the cosmos. "I'd see Abba on the satellite," he says.
"And I'd sing all those songs, you know, 'money, money,
money.'"
More so than his bandmates, subject's upbringing seems to
have been somewhat emotionally sheltered. Dual maternal
ethos installation -- mother and grandmother -- as well
as the relative asylum of a private Christian school created
circumstances ripe for eventual upheaval. Abrupt change
came when, within scant years, subject transferred to public
learning facility and his grandmother passed suddenly. The
shift and loss seem clearly subject's benchmark episodes;
radical, formative events foretelling religious doubt and
forced acceptance of larger social structures.
Of the four principal character orders, subject overwhelmingly
identifies with an aggregate of Artisans. Among those names
eliciting instant, excited response: "Magic" Johnson, Elvis
Presley, Picasso, Hugh Hefner and Mozart. However vocationally
disparate (note: Christopher Walken is also and Artisan),
subject's selections indicate creative virtuosity and a
universal embrace of expression as release. Odadjian's secondary
appreciation for Guardians, notably George Washington and
Karem Abdul-Jabar (subject is apparently a Lakers' fan),
disclose pride in self as ethically grounded.
Logically, when questioned from the six stratas as defined
by Schwartz & Bristol ("Altruist," "Magician," "Innocent,"
"Orphan," "Wanderer" and "Warrior"), subject's key responses
fall within the Orphan segment. Reaction to his grandmother's
unforeseen death is explained as follows, "I totally lost
faith, faith in everything. I was pissed. I used to pray
every night and I haven't ever since. Not once. It doesn't
mean I don't believe in God anymore, but I believe in my
God."
CONCLUSION: System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian brims
with zeal and is smartly aware of any inner pockets that
might be jaded. Subject approaches life firstly with exuberance,
is perpetually curious and so open to both hurt and learning.
His association with music as suspended youth is tempered
with a mature sense of its power to exorcise pesky personal
demons. In laymen's terms: Shavo Odadjian is having a pretty
good time and plays a whoop-ass bass.
* * *
Case No.: 1298.986J
Subject: John Dolmayan
Position: Percussionist
ANALYSIS: Subject Dolmayan, despite being a "rock &
roller," agrees to meet in the most un-rock A.M. hours,
signaling motivation and order, again, something most un-rock.
Subject maintains a meticulous room -- collections of comics,
compact discs and novels are painstakingly organized for
optimum efficiency. Subject's walls are covered in whimsical
works of art, an ironic indicator of vicarious fancy for
a man clearly rooted in reality. Later it surfaces that
his bunk on System of a Down's "tour bus" is similarly arranged
with soothing tokens and diversions, "I put up pictures
of things I enjoy, things that comfort me," he says. "If
you don't feel at home, you will get very uncomfortable."
Not twenty minutes into the examination, as dialogue turns
literary, Dolmayan gifts the examiner a copy of James Clavell's
"Shogun," tellingly indicating the cultural clash love epic
as an inspirational favorite. Subject himself was born into
war-torn Lebanon to a sax-blowing father who chose family
over music, discouraging young John from pursuing the rhythmic
arts as a vocation lest he suffer invariable hardships,
"He knows what a musician's life is like," Dolmayan says
of his paternal unit. "He had no clue I would be in a signed
band one day, he figured I'd be struggling my whole life."
Clearly Dolmayan's jazz-deluged upbringing could and should
be cited when attempting to explain his unorthodox drumming
flare. Subject's eclectically populated personal hero Pantheon
furthermore elucidates the point: Keith Moon, Maynard Ferguson,
Jaco Pastorius, The Dickies, Billy Idol and Rush. Idolatry
aside, subject rightfully asserts System of a Down the result
of disparate roots blending mysteriously. "There's no way
we can be imitated," he maintains. "We have so many influences
-- we barely know what they are. How could someone copy
us?"
Of the four fundamental character orders subject Dolmayan
is principally a Rational with a secondary association as
Artisan. His primary alignment with the likes of Douglas
MacAuthur, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein would imply
a methodical mentality with emphasis on goal-sighting and
eventual conquest and/or the ability to judiciously problem
solve. "You have to have discipline in drumming,? he says.
?Timing is very important, but I don't want to be a robot.
I like the fact that every now and then I'll go off time
a little bit, every now and then my rolls aren't perfect."
Subject is questioned from the six stratas as defined by
Schwartz & Bristol ("Altruist," "Magician," "Innocent,"
"Orphan," "Wanderer" and "Warrior"). Beneath the Innocent
banner, a realm delving into childhood issues, Dolmayan
is asked when he first recognized drumming as his calling.
"Probably when I was one or two." he says. His early understanding
of personal destiny strongly suggests fate's intervention
in placing him behind the traps in System of a Down.
Dolmayan would seem the least politically motivated member
of the quartet. While clearly aware of and in tune with
global maladies, his wishes are immediate. As with many
Rationals, he's acutely aware of his own power to affect
change and so is logical and relative when asked which problem
in the world he most complains about. "I've been looking
for a '69 Dodge Charger for a while now," he says. "I can't
find one. We've got a pretty good life here man. There's
people out there who can't see, can't hear, don't have food.
What I have are inconveniences."
CONCLUSION: Subject John Dolmayan cherishes order but understands
and treats with reverence System of a Down's musical chaos.
While his Rational instincts anchor a curious band given
to amble, his Artisan element understands the importance
of stretching out and travel beyond the known. In laymen's
terms, the guy whoops ass on drums.
© by System Of A Down
[taken from systemofadown.com]
|