Review: Serj Tankian ‘Elasticity’ EP: System of a Down frontman releases first solo effort since 2013’s ‘Orca’.
System of a Down fans have had their patience tested over the last decade and a half, waiting for a follow-up to the group’s 2005 album Mesmerize.
An inability to find common musical ground made the bandmembers more concentrated on individual or side projects rather than their main gig, leading many to believe they might never make another album (although the group did surprise listeners after dropping two charity singles Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz in 2020 to somewhat muted fanfare).
Frontman Serj Tankian hasn’t rested on his laurels in the meantime, doing work for soundtracks in addition to his continued political activism (to be showcased in the forthcoming documentary Truth To Power ).
And now he’s back with his new solo EP Elasticity, featuring material that was originally intended for a new SOAD album, as he explained in a recent press release:
“When I conceived possibly doing another record with the guys from SOAD a few years back, I started working on a set of songs that I arranged in rock format for that purpose. As we weren’t able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with a SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker.”
The opening title track is a case in point, full of the familiar furor of his musical pedigree, while also adding elements of electronic music, which buttress his helium-esque soaring vocals and a driving, anthemic chorus.
Your Mom is a caustic and hilarious screed against extremists featuring lyrics that mix sincere rage with satirical barbs:
“Extremism, dressed like your Mom, against all known gods, Butchering, raping, killing, and burning, brutally beheading your enemies/What kind of retarded promises have led you to these prophecies.”
Rumi marks a melodic shift, a gentle ballad honoring Tankian’s son of the same name. Full of emotive piano and some of the singer’s most vulnerable wailing over lines like:
“Don’t dip your toes, go all the way/Be the change you want to see and be the man you want to be.”
How Many Times continues this more subdued sound, flecked by piano and symphonic synth strings, escalating slowly over a skittering drum pattern as Tankian rails against the dangers of history repeating itself.
Electric Yerevan closes out the EP, fueled by burrowing kaleidoscopic synths and chunky guitars over lyrics equating the need for basic public utilities in Armenia with essential human dignity:
“Mismanaged foreign monopolistic utility firms should always be made public before we all burn/For the cost of heating we take another beating, our wills are now seething, when will we all learn…We don’t want to be the bitch of any superpowers, color revolutions fade, we want cheap power”
All in all Elasticity is a solid, short-but-sweet collection of songs. It may lack the manic muscle and hyperactive delivery of vintage System of a Down, but it has more than enough charms to satiate their devoted following, as well as followers of his solo work.
