主唱/键盘手：Serj Tankian
生日：August 21, 1967
出生地：Beirut, Lebanon
现居：Los Angeles, California
身高：6'1 feet [185 cm]
和声/吉他手：Daron Malakian
生日：July 18, 1975
出生地：Hollywood, California, USA
现居：Glendale, California
身高：5'6 feet [171 cm]
鼓手：John Dolmayan
生日：July 15, 1973
出生地：Beirut, Lebanon
现居：Las Vegas
身高：5'8 feet [176 cm]
贝斯手：Shavo Odadjian
生日：April 22, 1974
出生地：Yerevan, Armenia
现居：Los Angeles, California
身高：6'0 feet [182 cm]
System of a Down从组建开始就是这样一个另类。作为和Korn、Deftones、Limp Bizkit等Nu-Metal一批的乐队，SOAD从一开始就走出了不一样的一步。主唱Serj Tankian嘹亮而神经质的唱腔，Daron Malakian用旋律奇特而灵动的riff把SOAD和其他只会drop-D的乐队分离开来，而Shavo Odadjian和John Dolmayan组成的节奏部分则为Serj和Daron的疯狂提供了足够支持。
正如乐队的主唱Serj Tankian所说的“我们从每种音乐中提取一些东西，并尽量避免借鉴时的生搬硬套”。正是由于他们个性鲜明而又与众不同的音乐，使得他们的首张同名专辑成为了去年的最佳专辑之一。 1993年音乐人Serj Tankian(主唱)与Davon Malakian(吉他手)在洛杉矶首次见面，这次见面纯属巧合，因为当时俩人各自的乐队正在同一个屋子里进行彩排。正是在这次邂逅之后，他们组建了一个新的组合，名为Soil。Shavo Odadjian最初是这个新兴组合的经纪人，而到了1995年后，则充当起了乐队的贝司手。在经历了人员的几度更替之后，Soil乐队最终成为了目前的System Of A Down，并由John Dolmayan担任乐队的鼓手。
凭借其独特的演唱和充满激情的表演，System Of A Down乐队在洛杉矶迅速走红。此后，乐队成为了众多著名唱片公司如Universal、Roadrunner以及American等竞相签约的对象，而最终在1997年System Of A Down成为了American公司旗下的乐队。
自从1998年6月发行首张同名专辑以来，乐队已先后参加了两次OZZfest活动，并与Slayer、Fear Factory以及其他一些著名的乐队共同举行了一系列的巡回演唱会。通过其不懈的努力，System Of A Down乐队已经拥有了一大批忠实的歌迷，并且在不借助主流媒体宣传的情况下，实现了专辑的热销。
System Of A Down这一4人组合之所以会走到一起，原因在他们共同的音乐理念和相同的血统——乐队的4名成员均为亚美尼亚后裔。这一血统因素在他们的音乐中有清晰的反映(1915年土耳其政府屠杀了150万亚美尼亚人这一事件是他们音乐中反复出现的主题)。但是，他们的音乐并不仅仅局限于他们的血统问题，而是涉及了更为广泛和深刻的社会现象。乐队成员中的Ted Nugent是一个带有明显右倾色彩的人，而Tankian则对许多问题持有非常激进的观点。
有人评论System Of A Down可能是自Rage Against The Machine乐队以来，摇滚乐坛最具政治色彩的乐队。尽管你可能不会接受他们的观点，但是诸如“War?”以及“P.L.U.C.K”等歌曲仍具有令人无法抵挡的爆炸力。也正是由于其音乐上的卓然出众，才使得System Of A Down乐队成为去年夏季最为引人瞩目的新晋乐队。
Like many late-'90s metal bands, System of a Down struck a balance between '80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-'90s alternative rockers like Jane's Addiction. Their dark, neo-gothic alternative metal earned a cult following in the wake of the popularity of such likeminded bands as Korn and the Deftones. Vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan formed System of a Down in Southern California in the mid-'90s. They quickly earned a strong following in Los Angeles, largely based on strong word of mouth. A three-song demo began circulating through metal collectors, and their fan base soon spread throughout not only America, but Europe and New Zealand.
By the end of 1997, the group had signed to American, then distributed by Columbia Records. American/Columbia released the group's eponymous debut album in the summer of 1998, securing the band opening spots on the Slayer and Ozzfest tours. System eventually went gold, and set up the September 2001 release of the even more ambitious Toxicity. System's second effort was another heavy music triumph, shaming the majority of their nu-metal competition and running away with multi-platinum honors. The quartet didn't slow down. Malakian started the eatURmusic imprint and Tankian a label called Serjical Strike; Tankian also collaborated with Armenian avant-garde folk musician Arto Tuncboyaciyan in a project called Serart. In November 2002 System issued the bare-bones but no less powerful odds 'n' ends set Steal This Album!; they also remained politically active.
By 2004, System of a Down was back in the studio with Rick Rubin. The bold result of those sessions was a single, epic album released in two parts. Mezmerize/Hypnotize kept System's furious creativity alive, incorporating the wild vocal melodies, lyrical passion, and rabid structural shifts that had become their trademark. Mezmerize, or part one, appeared in May 2005, while Hypnotize, its final section, appeared later in the year, and both hit the top of the album charts.