Elect the Dead

Infobox Album
Name = Elect the Dead
Type = Album
Artist = Serj Tankian


Caption =
Released = Start date|2007|10|22
Genre = Alternative metal, experimental rock, art rock
Length = 45:03 (standard edition) 47:52 (Japan)
59:00 (limited edition)
53:52 (iTunes)
Label = Serjical Strike/Reprise
Producer = Serj Tankian
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hifpxz8hld0e~T1 link]
*IGN.com rating-10|7.1 [http://music.ign.com/articles/829/829188p1.html link]
*Billboard.com (favorable) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i7b7f6bee78014d1741a570207ff7cd8d link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|2.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/16797401/review/16928118/elect_the_dead link]
*Music Emissions Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.musicemissions.com/artists/albums/index.php?album_id=7507 link]
*NME rating-10|6 (10/27/2007, p.39)
*Kerrang Rating|4|5
*Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau|dud [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=serj link]
*AbsolutePunk.net (69%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?p=7904869&posted=1#post7904869 link]
*Time Off Rating|3|5 [http://www.timeoff.com.au/index.php?area=Archive&pg=42&subarea=37&sel=7348&showcontent=7348 link]
Last album =
This album = "Elect the Dead" (2007)
Next album = "Lie Lie Live" (2008)
Misc = Singles
Name = Elect the Dead
Type = studio
single 1 = The Unthinking Majority
single 2 = Empty Walls
single 3 = Lie Lie Lie
single 4 = Sky Is Over
single 1 date = August 7, 2007
single 2 date = September 10, 2007
single 3 date = December 24, 2007
single 4 date = February 2008 [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=88584 SERJ TANKIAN Paints Grim Picture With 'Sky Is Over' - Jan. 16, 2008] ] Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate Cover
Type = album


Lower caption = Alternate cover of Elect the DeadExtra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = album


Lower caption = cover of special edition

"Elect the Dead" is the debut solo album by System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian. He played most of the instruments himself but did receive help from System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan and former Primus drummer (and current Guns N' Roses drummer) Bryan "Brain" Mantia, along with Dan Monti on guitar and bass, opera singer Ani Maldjian and some string players, Antonio Pontarelli among them. [http://soadfans.com/Serj_tankian.htm Serj Tankian biography on SOADFans fansite] ] The album was leaked on October 18, 2007. The official tour for Elect the Dead commenced on October 12 with a show at Chicago's Vic theater.

The first concert had roughly 1,000 people attending, in a medium sized venue. Although Serj had stated he would not be performing any of System of a Down's material, he had performed Charades, a song co-written by Daron Malakian, the guitarist of System of a Down. Although it is originally a song restricted to piano and vocals, Serj used his backing band, The Flying Cunts of Chaos (F.C.C.), to provide guitars, drums and bass.

Tankian has stated that while some of the songs are new, a lot of them have been with him for a while. The first singles off the album were "The Unthinking Majority" and "Empty Walls". The song "Saving Us" was released on Tankian's Last.fm page [ [http://www.last.fm/music/Serj+Tankian/_/Saving+Us Serj Tankian's artist page on Last.fm] ] and his MySpace. [MySpace-music|serjtankian|Serj Tankian] The video for "Feed Us" was released on the Swedish [ [http://www.mtv.se Swedish MTV] ] and UK [ [http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtv2/music/18102007/377636/hear_serj_tankians_album_here UK MTV] ] MTV. Serj appeared on MTV's You Rock The Deuce to promote Elect The Dead. He participated in a number of skits featuring himself playing the roles of producer, director, and other various duties. These skits were originally intended for the electronic press kit of the album, but later found their way to the Internet.

Three different promo versions of the album have surfaced to the public. The instrumental promo (PRO-CD-102124), issued by Serjical Strike/Reprise Records and intended for the music and movie industry, contains instrumental versions of the 12 regular album tracks. Another promo version, issued by Reprise Records and made only for individual reviewers, features the regular album in final master form. This promotional CD-R, which was labeled "Smart Talk" as a codename for "Serj Tankian" to prevent leaking by unauthorized persons, also indicates that the album was finalized prior to Start date|2007|08|20. [ [http://aycu34.webshots.com/image/39153/2002058948060913209_rs.jpgPicture of the Elect The Dead promo CD-R] ] Before this a similar but undated promo, also under the name 'Smart Talk', was issued featuring the final versions of the songs, albeit not yet mastered. [ [http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y226/SpaceErased/smarttalkelectthedeadunmasteredcdr.jpgPicture of the Elect The Dead Final Mixes Not Mastered promo CD-R] ] Whilst the printed track list on this version is identical the released album, tracks 10 and 11 are in fact juxtaposed on the promo itself.

The album has been met with very positive reception by both critics and fans alike.Fact|date=May 2008 However, to this day, it has yet to receive gold certification.

"Beethoven's Cunt" is currently being offered as a downloadable track to the video game Rock Band.

The song "Blue", which appears on the special edition bonus CD, is a reworking of the System of a Down demo song "Blue" that appeared on the Columbia promo tape which was given away before the release of the band's debut album.

Track listing

tracklist
all_writing = Serj Tankian

title1 = Empty Walls
length1 = 3:49

title2 = The Unthinking Majority
length2 = 3:46

title3 = Money
length3 = 3:53

title4 = Feed Us
length4 = 4:31

title5 = Saving Us
length5 = 4:41

title6 = Sky Is Over
length6 = 2:57

title7 = Baby
length7 = 3:31

title8 = Honking Antelope
length8 = 3:50

title9 = Lie Lie Lie
length9 = 3:33

title10 = Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
length10 = 4:23

title11 = Beethoven's Cunt
length11 = 3:13

title12 = Elect the Dead
length12 = 2:54

title13 = The Reverend King
note13 = Japanese Bonus Track
length13 = 2:49tracklist
headline = "Special Edition" Bonus Disc

title1 = Blue
length1 = 2:45

title2 = Empty Walls
note2 = Acoustic
length2 = 3:46

title3 = Feed Us
note3 = Acoustic
length3 = 4:21

title4 = Falling Stars
length4 = 3:05tracklist
headline = "iTunes Edition"

title13 = The Reverend King
length13 = 2:49

title14 = Blue
length14 = 2:45

title15 = Falling Stars
length15 = 3:05

title16 = Lie Lie Lie
note16 = Music Video
length16 = 3:33

Chart Positions

Music videos

Music videos were made for every song on the standard edition of the record, each directed by a different director. Tankian explained: "I asked each of the directors for their visual interpretation of my work. They were asked not to write treatments and that they could make whatever they liked. The results have been overwhelmingly amazing!" [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=79584 SYSTEM OF A DOWN Frontman To Post Videos For Each Track On Forthcoming Solo Album] ] . Some videos were initially released exclusively to Deluxe Members who purchased the Limited Edition of Elect the Dead. All of the videos (except "Money") have since been publicly released on his [http://www.serjtankian.com/ official website] and his [http://youtube.com/user/serjtankian YouTube Channel] .

The videos that came out publicly and their directors are:

Personnel

*All songs written & performed by Serj Tankian (guitars, bass, piano, vocals, synthesizers, drum programming, melodica, bells, and various tone generating beautiessic)
*Stunning suppository soundssic (BMI)
*All songs recorded at Serjical Strike Studios
*Produced by Serj Tankian
*Engineered by Dan Monti and Serj Tankian
*Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studios in New York, NY

Elect the Dead

*All drums recorded at The Pass in Los Angeles, CA
*Drum engineer Krish Sharma
*Assistant drum engineer Bo Joe
*Drum technician at The Pass Sako Karaian
*Mixed by Neal Avron at Paramount Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA
*Mix assistant Nicholas Fournier
*Drumming on tracks 1, 3, 7-9, 11 by Brain
*Drumming on track 2 by John Dolmayan
*Drumming on tracks 4 and 5 by Brain and John Dolmayan
*Drum programming on track 6 by Dan Monti
*Additional guitar on tracks 1-4, 6, 8, 11 by Dan Monti
*Additional bass on tracks 2, 6-9, 11 by Dan Monti
*Additional solo guitar on track 5 by Diran Noubar
*Additional vocals on tracks 5 and 9 by Ani Maldjian
*Additional cello on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12 by Cameron Stone
*Additional violin on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 by Antonio Pontarelli
*Additional synthesizers on track 6 by Dan Monti and Fabrice Favre

Bonus disc

*Drums on track 4 recorded at The Pass in Los Angeles, CA
*Additional engineering on track 1 by Thom Russo
*Drum engineer on track 4 Krish Sharma
*Assistant drum engineer on track 4 Bo Joe
*Drum technician on track 4 Sako Karaian
*Tracks 1-3 mixed by Serj Tankian and Dan Monti
*Track 4 mixed by Neal Avron
*Track 4 mix assistant Nicholas Fournier
*Drumming on track 4 by John Dolmayan
*Violin solo on track 4 by Antonio Pontarelli
*Additional guitars on track 4 by Dan Monti
*Additional violin on tracks 2-4 by Antonio Pontarelli
*Additional cello on tracks 2-4 by Cameron Stone

Additional credits

*A&R Craig Aaronson and George Tonikian
*Original artwork provided by Sako Shahinian
*Album packaging design by Sako Shahinian
*Digipack Album packaging design by Keith Aazami
*Photography by Greg Watermann
*Worldwide management Dave Holmes and Darin Harmon
*Booking (US) Don Muller at CAA
*Booking (Europe) Emma Banks at CAA
*Legalsic Don Passman and Gene Salomon at Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc.
*Business management David Weise at DW & Associates
*John Dolmayan appears courtesy of Columbia Records

References

External links

* [http://www.serjicalstrike.com/site/ Serjical Strike Records]
* [http://www.serjtankian.com/ Serj Tankian Official Website]
* [http://board.serjtankian.com/ Serj Tankian Official Board]