SYSTEM OF A DOWN: 'Question!' Single To Go For Radio Adds This Week

July 17, 2005

SYSTEM OF A DOWN have selected "Question!" as the second single from their already platinum record, "Mezmerize". The album which was released on May 17, and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard/SoundScan charts. "Question!" will go to radio on July 19, and follows the Top 5 smash, "B.Y.O.B."

Lyrics and music for "Question!" were written by Serj Tankian with additional music by Daron Malakian, and is a haunting song that examines mortality. According to Tankian, "I wrote 'Question!' last year and I think it's one of the better songs that I've written for the band. The subject of death is universal — what is death? What happens afterwards? To me, it's very mystical."

In addition to writing more than half of the lyrics for both "Mezmerize" and its companion disc "Hypnotize" (out late this fall),Tankian played acoustic guitars, piano, and synths on the discs. Utilizing his state-of-the-art and well-appointed home studio, he also handled the string arrangements for the six songs that required them on the new release. "I enjoyed working out the patterns for violins, cellos, violas, and other instruments," Tankian says. "We mocked up the arrangements using samples, then got a real string section into the studio."

On "Question!" and "Mezmerize/Hypnotize" as a whole, the working relationship between Tankian and Malakian involved a great deal of reciprocity. According to Malakian, "I might have a great chorus but I don't think the verse is that great, so I'll ask Serj to make the verse better. He does the same thing with me on songs that he writes."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN shot the video for "Question!" earlier this month in Los Angeles with SYSTEM's bassist Shavo Odadjian and Howard Greenhalgh (SNEAKER PIMPS, MUSE, STING) co-directing. The video was written by and based on a dream that Odadjian had, and is a surreal, high-concept fairytale.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN will kick off their North American tour on August 4 in Los Angeles. Over the course of the tour, SYSTEM OF A DOWN will headline some forty arena dates with THE MARS VOLTA as the tour's special guests.

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