Famously known as the voice of System of a Down, Serj Tankian is a very unique character. An Armenian-American, while he has been writing songs with System of a Down for thirty years, as well as a solo artist for nearly twenty years, no one can deny one of the biggest attractions to Tankian is his notorious singing style. Something like no other, While System of a Down has not released a studio album in fourteen very long years, Tankian has forced his writing energies to solo work; on this path releasing four full-length studio albums and several EPs. Keeping busy, in 2024 he has already put out a book called Down With The System, softly launched a new coffee shop and art gallery space in Eagle Rock (Los Angeles) called Kavat Café / Eye For Sound Art Gallery, and now prepares for the release of another EP called Foundations.
His follow up to the 2021 EP Elasticity and 2022 EP Perplex Cities, Foundations arrives on September 27th through Gibson Records with five songs included. Lasting for a brief portion of time, even still, it is full of color. For example, “AF Day” begins with distorted guitars, is fast, and features a balance of screaming/sung vocals that take turns in various directions. Getting your adrenaline level, next “Justice Will Shine On” has quite a melodic and catchy beginning, however, do not let this fool you. Here, Tankian’s vocal style will follow by foot; with the chorus sticking to you, plus a conclusion that is simply brilliant.
Then there is “Appropriations” taking an entirely different turn. Calm and smooth at the start, it soon turns it on, swaying back and forth feeling between quiet parts, as well as intense music arrangements. This is while “Cartoon Buyer” features acoustic guitar and pretty straight vocals, all with a dramatic and melancholic touch. Which leads you right into the powerful “Life’s Revengeful Son” that keeps you on the edge of your set.
All together, Foundations as a collective tells a story worth listening to. With timeless and clever arrangements, this is an EP you must take your time listening to. You have to admit, there is a love-situation relationship when it comes to System of a Down. So, yes, you must be one of the people who love and enjoy Sera Tankian’s style to appreciate this. If you do, it is almost guaranteed you will love Foundations. With each song having its own character and mood, Cryptic Rock gives Foundations 5 out of 5 stars.
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