In a recent sit-down with Revolver, Serj Tankian discussed his new memoir, Down With the System, recent ventures into music, achievements, his coffee brand Kavat, and named Korn’s debut self-titled as the greatest nu metal album of all time.
“I’m gonna have to say Korn’s first record, because it seems like that was the time that the term ‘nu metal’ was created,” Tankian told Revolver. “I actually think people don’t think of System of a Down as nu metal. But Korn, for sure.”
Ooh, boy. The age-old argument on what constitutes nu metal and who belongs where seems to be never ending, with both fans and haters alike joining in to give their two cents. Hell, it seems you can’t go two months without it becoming a hot topic on the nu metal subreddit farming hundreds of responses. To this day you’ll see fans still fighting for the honor of Slipknot and Deftones to be spared of the terrible fate of being labeled as a nu metal band, or for the privilege of other bands to finally be counted amongst the flock.
“What exactly is nu metal?” might just be one of the most divisive questions of all time as far as musical debate goes.
In truth, the “nu metal” net seemed to be cast among nearly every band that was coming out around the time of the late 90s and early 2000s, with some exemplifying it far more than others. Personally I do consider System of a Down to be one of the most important nu metal bands, and it’s impossible to deny their influence on the genre and those within. I hope that, in some way, Tankian can see that and just how important a band System was for so many of us.
Tankian’s memoir, Down With the System, was released back in May and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, check out his cafe/art gallery Kavat, and his new EP Foundations is set for release this Friday, September 27th.
