“I’m gonna have to say Korn’s first record” – Serj Tankian reveals which nu metal album was the greatest

Serj Tankian, the vocalist for System of a Down, recently participated in Revolver’s “Greatest Interview Ever” interview series. Unlike a conventional interview, that series aims to find the answers to some more significant queries, such as the different highs and lows of an artist’s career and achievements. Tankian was questioned about his most embarrassing onstage experience during the interview. The multi-platinum nu-metal performer, activist, musician, poet, and other artist mentioned that a regrettable sequence of events took place at an undisclosed previous Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania gig. According to Tankian, Daron Malakian’s birthday bong hits were the reason the show got completely bonkers. Because he hadn’t smoked marijuana for a “long period of time,” his tolerance to THC had been greatly reduced. The band’s 1999 performance at the Graffiti in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, would have been the event he is referring to, as it was the only show they performed in the city on that specific date, and the 57-year-old’s birthday is August 21st.

On one of my birthdays, we were in Pittsburgh playing a show. In the early days of System, I’d have a drink or a smoke before going onstage — it would loosen me up and I’d be fine. Then I stopped smoking pot for a long period of time. On that birthday, Daron [Malakian] called me onto his bus and said, “Bro, let’s have a bong hit together before the show.” He regrets that bong hit forever at this point, because I got really stoned. I got so stoned that I heard all of our music as dance music when we got onstage. I couldn’t decipher the songs from each other, so therefore I didn’t know the lyrics to any of the songs. It was the fucking most embarrassing show ever. They’d be playing a ballad and I’d be screaming. Then they’d play a heavy song and I’d be mumbling — to the point where the audience were asking me to please not forget the lyrics to the next song. And anytime I would go to one of the guys for help with the lyrics, I’d see them mouthing the lyrics but not hear them — and then I’d just start laughing. But I was so stoned that I didn’t give a shit. Afterward, I felt bad for the band and the crowd. The band had never been so disappointed.

He was also asked which, in his opinion, was the greatest nu metal album.

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. I actually think people don’t think of System of a Down as nu-metal. But Korn, for sure.

Serj will release his new EP “Foundations” this Friday, September 27th.