Serj Tankian - Elect the DeadFiled Under: Media

As promised in the previous blog post, here is my personal review of Serj Tankian’s (System of a Down’s frontman) solo debut, Elect the Dead. I will first review each song (going in order of track number), and then review the album overall.

1. Empty Walls (Second Single)

This is the song that everyone was waiting for when Serj released his first single “The Unthinking Majority”…it is the “rocker” and the flagship song that people will often associate with the album for years to come. Every moment of the song is great, and it provides much food for thought, with words like “When we decline, from the confines of our mind” it truly makes us question quite a few things. The video of the song is also top-notch, as it has Serj sitting in a room playing the piano in while children reenact events from 9/11/01 onwards.

Rating: 5/5

2. The Unthinking Majority

The first song to be released off of “Elect the Dead” is another great one. Another hard-rock type song. It was basically the song that made us all think…he might be on to something with this solo stuff. After 3 months almost since its release the song is still great.

Rating: 4.5/5

3. Money

Here is another wonderful song. It starts out with a little keyboard/piano, light rock action and out of nowhere breaks into a wild chorus which adds a beautiful contrast to the verses which are quite melodic and “sing-a-long type”. The meaning behind it is open for personal interpretation, and I personally can’t think of which one I like more. Only someone like Serj could execute a song like this properly.

Rating: 4.5/5

4. Feed Us

My favorite track on the entire album, this one just has it all. The social perspective that we all loved from System of a Down, a little acoustic guitar riff mixed with an electric, hard drums and just a diverse song all around. Serj’s vocals are top-notch here, probably the best on the album.

Rating: 5/5

5. Saving Us

The third song which was released by Serj Tankian, though not as a single, I suppose you can call it a “web-single” as it was released on last.fm and myspace. The video is beautiful, it depicts a hobo walking around a city, a sort of “alternate reality” which the people in the city hold up signs with random current sociopolitical issues. While the video is well done, the song is probably the weakest factor on the album, it certainly is a good song, but simply does not hold up when compared to the other songs.

Rating: 4/5

6. Sky is Over

Another incredible song, though quite short (2:57). Serj’s vocals are again beautiful, the whole song is just well put together, another diverse song and again another sociopoltical statement from Serj. The piano work is probably the best on the entire album and the guitar riffs are well done as well.

Rating: 5/5

7. Baby

This song got a great cheer from the crowd at Irving Plaza. It also starts out melodic, a bit of an acoustic guitar playing with some piano and launches into an awfully catchy chorus. The lyrics and the chorus are great as well, it is simply another masterpiece by Serj.

Rating: 4.5/5

8. Honking Antelope

I honestly have no clue where Serj thought of the title for this one, but his vocals and the guitar work are great. Keep in mind he recorded all of the instruments by himself at his own home studio, it just makes this song that more good. The flow to the whole song is good as well, but who knows what Serj was thinking with the song title.

Rating: 4.5/5

9. Lie Lie Lie

Instant classic, need I say more? Don’t worry, I will. Check this song out for yourself, it contains one of the most catchy chorus’s and just is a perfect song.

Rating: 5/5

10. Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition

My second favorite track on the album, it is a unique song with a intriguing title. All the SOAD junkies will remember the line from the opening of “War?” (only the music video). It also was the name of a few other songs and poems since WWII. I love this song personally, not only because of my anti-theist ways but because of the wild nature of it. The main verse is quite catchy and so is the chorus.

Rating: 5/5

11. Beethoven’s Cunt

You read that right, the song’s title has “cunt” in it. I personally don’t really get what the title has to do with anything that Serj discusses during the song. But I suppose we can come to expect that from any member of System of a Down. A certain line from the song is also quite thought-provoking “Civilization is on trial”, another “open to interpretation song” that we came to love SOAD for.

Rating: 4.5/5

12. Elect The Dead

The final track as well as the album name, this song is another masterpiece. It is basically the only slow paced song, the music mostly consist of Serj playing the piano, and a few rogue instruments playing to provide a little exta “oomph”. Serj puts his heart on the line with this song, and again it is open for your personal interpretation.

Rating: 5/5

Overall, Elect the Dead by Serj Tankian is probably the best album of 2007. It has a nice mix of songs that are quite diverse and have a sociopolitical theme throughout. The listener is the one who can make their own interpretations and get what they want out of it (and there certainly is much to get from it). An inspirational album to any questioning mind on a deep level while remaining an entertaining album on the surface.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Next up: The Nightwatchman - One Man Revolution

External Links:

Serj Tankian’s Official Website

Buy Elect the Dead

Tags: elect the dead, serj, serj tankian, tankian