Maps of Music

Elect the Dead (2007)

Where the lyrics of Elect the Dead take you, and where it was really made.

The embargoed disc sent to journalists and reviewers was labeled "Smart Talk", a coded reference to Tankian's own name.

Key places

Where Elect the Dead was recorded (2007)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — The album was recorded at Serjical Strike Dungeons in Los Angeles. The point is placed at the city center, not at the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Elect the Dead is the debut solo studio album by Armenian-American rock musician Serj Tankian
• Released October 22, 2007 through Reprise Records and Tankian's Serjical Strike Records
• Guests include Ani Maldjian (coloratura), drummers John Dolmayan and Brain, guitarist and bassist Dan Monti
• A string section featuring Antonio Pontarelli also appears
• Tankian is best known as lead singer of the heavy metal band System of a Down

Background

• Tankian stated that some songs were new and others had developed earlier
• An acoustic version of "Blue" appears on the special edition bonus disc
• The original "Blue" appeared on System of a Down's fourth demo tape in 1997, with no other known recordings
• The title track was also recorded by System of a Down during the 2005 sessions for Mezmerize and Hypnotize, though this version remains unreleased
• In 2009 Tankian toured with an orchestra, performing symphonic versions of most songs from the album

Recording

• The album was recorded at Serjical Strike Dungeons in Los Angeles
• Tankian described the sound as very wide, with many different instruments
• He said the excitement of making it matched the excitement of making System of a Down's first record

Cover

• Artwork and album packaging design by Sako Shahinian
• Digipack packaging design by Keith Aazami
• Photography by Greg Watermann

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon, to Armenian parents.
• Moved to Los Angeles at age 7 during the Lebanese Civil War.
• Known as lead vocalist and primary lyricist of System of a Down, formed in 1994.

Career

• Five albums with System of a Down; five solo albums including Elect the Dead (2007), Imperfect Harmonies (2010), Harakiri (2012), Orca Symphony No. 1 (2013), and Elasticity (2021).
• Co-founded the activist organization Axis of Justice with Tom Morello in 2002.
• Composed music for film and television, including I Am Not Alone (2019) and Netflix's Down to Earth with Zac Efron.
• Published the memoir Down With the System in 2024.

Recognition

• Ranked No. 26 on Hit Parader's "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists" (2006).
• Awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal in 2011.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released October 22, 2007 through Reprise Records and Tankian's own Serjical Strike Records
• Debut solo studio album of Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System of a Down
• Serjical Strike Records shared the release with Reprise
• Collectible versions included an instrumental disc offered by Reprise and Serjical Strike Records
• A separate "final master" disc was intended for specific journalists and reviewers under embargo

Records

• Opened at number 4 on the Billboard 200 with 66,000 US units sold, according to the trade listing
• The Billboard 200 placed the album at number 4 in its first week on sale, a debut chart result

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The embargoed disc was labeled "Smart Talk", a coded reference to the artist's own name
• The song "Lie Lie Lie" is the theme of the TV series Fear Itself
• The System of a Down demo version of "Blue" has bass and drums and runs a minute longer than the acoustic version
• In February 2010 Tankian recorded most of the album's songs live with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, which became Elect the Dead Symphony

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

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