Daron Malakian

Daron Malakian is a composer, guitarist, vocalist, and record producer, best known as a founding member of System of a Down. Introduced to heavy metal at four years old when he first heard Kiss, Malakian began playing guitar at 11, developed his own style by 15, and is now cited by Loudwire as one of the “Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time.” Malakian also founded Scars on Broadway. Over the years, he has collaborated with bands like Metallica and Linkin Park, and he remains recognized as a distinct guitarist in modern rock and metal. Starting in the spring, Malakian and fellow System of a Down band members have announced 8 stadium shows in South America with over 350,000 tickets all sold out, in addition to sold-out shows at MetLife Stadium, Soldiers Field, and Rogers Stadium in the US.Tour dates can be found here. ------ Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team: LMNT Electrolytes https://drinklmnt.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Athletic Nicotine https://www.athleticnicotine.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Squarespace https://squarespace.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA' ------ Vivo Barefoot http://vivobarefoot.com/tetra Use code 'TETRA25' ------ Sign up to receive Tetragrammaton Transmissions https://www.tetragrammaton.com/join-n... 00:00 Early Musical Influences 00:57 Discovering Rock and Vinyl 03:10 Family and Artistic Background 04:25 Cultural Roots and Musical Inspirations 09:40 Life in Iraq and Moving to the US 16:21 Forming Early Bands 28:41 The Birth of System of a Down 01:02:44 John Joins the Band 01:03:15 First Album: System of a Down 01:05:48 The Unique Sound of System 01:12:31 Touring with Slayer 01:15:50 Challenges in Europe 01:22:28 Second Album: Toxicity 01:29:25 Writing Chop Suey 01:38:57 Steal This Album 01:49:59 Mesmerize and Hypnotize 02:05:01 Reflecting on the Band's Evolution 02:12:23 Current Projects and Future Outlook