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Daron Vartan Malakian (Armenian: Տարոն Վարդանի Մալաքյան) (born 18 July 1975 in Hollywood, California, USA) is the lead guitarist in the Armenian-American band System of a Down. Malakian has written most of the band's music, and, more recently, has taken on a large share of the vocal work for the band as well. Like the rest of the Hollywood-based band, he is of Armenian ancestry, but is the only member to actually have been born inside the U.S. (Los Angeles). He placed 30th in Guitar World's List of "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists Of All Time.
Early life
Daron was born on July 18, 1975 in Hollywood, California, USA as an only child to Vartan and Zepur Malakian. At a very early age, Daron got into heavy metal music; his distant cousin played him a KISS record when he was four years old and he was hooked. Daron started listening to Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead and Ozzy Osbourne among others. He always wanted to play the drums, but his parents got him a guitar instead because "You can't turn the drums off." By the time he was a teenager, he got into heavier metal bands such as Slayer, Venom, Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura and Cannibal Corpse. At around 17 he started getting into The Beatles and cites John Lennon as one of his biggest influences on him as a songwriter. Daron went to Rose & Alex Pilibos' Armenian school in Little Armenia, Hollywood, which bandmates Serj Tankian and Shavo Odadjian also attended. Daron is still a big Slayer fan, as is band member Shavo Odadjian who sometimes wears Slayer t-shirts to shows. In his childhood, he also became a fan of the LA Kings Hockey Team.
Personal life
Malakian now lives in Glendale, California in a home by himself; he also has families in Iraq and Iran. He enjoys collecting candles, Persian rugs, Middle Eastern smoking devices, instruments, and skulls. Daron has been voted fourth best guitarist of the year by Metal Edge Magazine. Daron has stated in an interview that he hates the nu metal label more than anything, saying
“ A lot of bands followed Korn. We're not one of those bands but I have respect for Korn for being original. I just think it’s a shame that so many people felt they had to go and mimic that. Everyone tells us we have our own sound. I think that we have enough trust in our fans from touring for enough years to know that they're expecting something different from us, which is cool because it leaves the door open for us to go anywhere we want. ”
Side Projects
In December of 2005, Daron said in an interview that he "could release ten solo records tomorrow.". He also said, " I have tons of material laying around. After these albums," (Mezmerize and Hypnotize) "I'm gonna go off to learn how to brain and do something on my own, just like Serj. And no, System of a Down are not breaking up. We're just gonna do like KISS and put out our own solo records or something like that."
"Scars On Broadway". The logo for Daron's new band.
"Scars On Broadway". The logo for Daron's new band.
Malakian is currently in the early stages of forming a new group "Scars On Broadway" with long time friend Skit. He has stated that he's still getting the band together but some music should be surfacing by Summer 2007. [2].
On what direction his album will take, Malakian states: "It will probably be something electronic mixed in with traditional Armenian and thrash/death/black and doom metal influences. When, or even if, the music comes out it will still be structured, just like System of a Down's music is." This solo album, possibly named Scars On Broadway, should be launched just after Hypnotize's tour. This electronic idea was demonstrated in all 2005 concerts in which Malakian, instead of merely singing the chorus to the song Sugar or War?, as well as "Old School Hollywood" from Mezmerize, distorted his voice electronically with a Vocoder.
Scars on Broadway currently consists of Malakian himself, and fellow SOAD members, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan.
Musical equipment used
From System of a Down's formation, up until their third album, Steal This Album!, Daron used Drop C Tuning tuning on his guitars. On the band's double album "Mezmerize/Hypnotize", Daron changed to Drop Db (from sixth string to first, Db, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb) tuning. (except for the tracks "Dreaming" and "Question!", which are played by Daron in Drop C, while the acoustic guitar in "Question!" was played in Standard Tuning as well.) He gave the reason for the change in tuning. Daron said that he wanted his guitar to attack a little more.
Guitars
* Various Ibanez Iceman IC400 guitars, with custom graphics done by his father, Vartan Malakian, as well as using Gibson Burstbuckers and Duncan SH-6 Distortion pickups in almost all of the guitars.
* Various Gibson SG guitars
* Gibson SG\Les Paul 62' Reissue
* Les Paul Standard
* Jackson Randy Rhoads Flying V
* Hardtail Fender Stratocaster
* For a list of all the guitars he used and when their appearance was click here
Birth name Daron Vartan Malakian
Born 18 July 1975
Origin Flag of United States Hollywood, California, USA
Genre(s) Alternative metal
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s) vocals
guitar
Years active 1993 – present
Associated
acts System of a Down
Scars on Broadway
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