Daron Malakian

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Malakian's musical journey began in earnest after meeting Serj Tankian in 1992 through a mutual friend. They formed a jam band called Soil, which featured bassist Dave Hakopyan and drummer Domingo Lareno before Shavo Odadjian joined as bassist. Following Soil's breakup, the trio created 'Victims of a Down,' a name derived from a poem Malakian wrote. The moniker was changed to System of a Down primarily to avoid confusion with another band, rather than primarily to avoid a negative connotation. The group recruited original drummer Ontronik 'Andy' Khachaturian, who was replaced by John Dolmayan in 1997. Beyond performance, Malakian co-produced System of a Down's albums with Rick Rubin, except for the debut album and Toxicity, and established his own label, EatUrMusic, in 2001, with the first act being not Amen.

In Their Own Story

In 2008, after experimenting with various musicians for nine months under Malakian's direction at his home studio and Sunset Sound, Scars on Broadway released their self-titled album. The record featured hit single 'They Say,' written by Malakian, who played nearly all instruments except drums, which were handled by John Dolmayan. Despite the release, Malakian abruptly canceled all scheduled concert and TV appearances shortly before the tour, stating his heart was not into it. This sudden withdrawal sparked rumors of a breakup, silencing him for over a year. He reemerged in 2009 at Shavo Odadjian's Halloween party, performing 'Suite-Pee' and 'They Say' with Dolmayan and Franky Perez. Later that November, he joined them at the Chi Cheng Benefit concert to play 'Aerials' and 'Toxicity,' marking a significant return to the stage.

Reader's Guide

Daron Malakian's primary role involves leading guitar work and songwriting for System of a Down while sharing vocal duties. His side project, Scars on Broadway, saw him take full control as lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist during their debut era. Fans should note that early 2003 demo tapes credited to Scars on Broadway are not affiliated with his later official project, despite producing the future System of a Down hit 'B.Y.O.B.' Malakian's discography includes the 2018 album Dictator and the 2025 announcement for Addicted to the Violence, set for release on July 18, 2025. His live performances often feature collaborations with former bandmates like Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan, such as their reunion at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2017 to honor Chester Bennington.

Did You Know?

• Malakian's band was originally named 'Victims of a Down' before being changed to System of a Down primarily to avoid confusion with another band, not primarily to avoid a negative connotation.
• He began playing guitar at age 11 because his parents refused to buy him drums, stating 'You can't turn the drums off.'
• The song 'B.Y.O.B.' was written by Daron Malakian and first appeared on System of a Down's 2005 album 'Mezmerize'; there is no substantiated 2003 Scars on Broadway demo tape that produced it.
• Malakian canceled his entire 2008 tour for Scars on Broadway because he felt his 'heart wasn't into touring,' leading to the band going on hiatus.
• He has not consumed alcohol since age 21 but admitted in a 2006 interview that he smokes 'an insane amount of weed.'

Early Influences and Musical Foundations

Born to Armenian parents Vartan and Zepur Malakian, Daron was raised in a creative household where his father worked as a painter, dancer, and choreographer from Mosul, Iraq, and his mother was a sculptor. At age four, a distant cousin introduced him to heavy metal via a Kiss record, sparking an interest in bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Ozzy Osbourne. Although he wanted to play drums, his parents bought him a guitar at age 11 because 'You can't turn the drums off.' He learned by ear for the first year and a half, gaining a high school reputation before realizing at 16 or 17 that it was a songwriting instrument. His influences expanded to include thrash bands like Slayer, Venom, Metallica, Pantera, and Sepultura, as well as British Invasion acts like the Beatles, The Kinks, and The Who, with John Lennon cited as a major songwriter influence.

Formation and Evolution of System of a Down

Malakian attended Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Los Feliz, where future bandmates Shavo Odadjian and Ontronik Khachaturian also studied; Serj Tankian attended but was years older. They formed the jam band Soil in 1993 before evolving into System of a Down. Malakian co-produced their albums with Rick Rubin and produced for bands on Serjical Strike Records. In 2003, he founded EatUrMusic, though the label is now inactive with unknown status. His songwriting contributions have been central to the band's identity, blending personal heritage with political themes. Despite hiatuses, Malakian has remained a constant creative force, producing tracks for other artists like Cypress Hill's 'Trouble Seeker' in 2010 and providing additional guitars for Linkin Park's 'Rebellion' on The Hunting Party album.

Solo Ventures and Scars on Broadway

Scars on Broadway was officially formed after System of a Down's hiatus, with Malakian and John Dolmayan experimenting with musicians for nine months in 2007–2008. The lineup included Danny Shamoun on keyboards, Dominic Cifarelli on bass, and Franky Perez on guitar for live shows. Their eponymous 2008 album featured the hit 'They Say.' Following the tour cancellation in October 2008, Malakian stayed out of public view until a surprise appearance at Shavo Odadjian's Halloween party in 2009. In August 2009, Scars on Broadway toured Iraq without him, with Franky Perez noting 'the Scars tunes sound amazing but they're not the same without D...' Malakian reunited with the band for a show at the Troubadour on May 2, 2010. The group released new material periodically, including the song 'Fucking' in July 2010 and the album Dictator on July 20, 2018.

Critical Acclaim and Guitarist Legacy

Daron Malakian's technical prowess has earned him significant recognition across major music publications. Loudwire ranked him 47th in their 'Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time' list, while MusicRadar placed him at number 11 in their poll for 'The 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever.' Additionally, he secured the 30th spot on Guitar World's list of 'The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time.' Despite these accolades, Malakian has stated he does not pretend to be a 'Mr. Guitar Virtuoso,' emphasizing his identity as a songwriter first. His legacy is further cemented by collaborations with major acts like Linkin Park, for whom he performed 'Rebellion' at the 2017 Hollywood Bowl tribute to Chester Bennington alongside Shavo Odadjian.