Elect the Dead - Serj Tankian

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Cuddly kittens, freshly baked muffins and playing frisbee on the beach. These are not images conjured up on Serj Tankian's debut solo album.

As System of a Down fans know, the bearded singer and occasional New Zealand resident prefers to deal with really serious topics - things like politics, religion and war.

"Don't you see the bodies burning, desolate and full of yearning?", he asks on Elect the Dead's first track, Empty Walls. Pass the razor blades, Serj.

Yep, Elect the Dead very similar to Serj's day job. The majority of the album's 12 tracks are based on Serj's theatrical vocals and a series of scattered riffs - a winning mix on frenzied tracks like The Unthinking Majority and Money.

And album highlight Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition is a slice of manic folk-rock with a bizaree rap-rant about "kings" and "prophets" that works a treat.

But the music isn't schizophrenic enough to enlighten the heavy-handed subject matter - especially on filler like Saving Us - and too often Serj ends up preaching, rather than entertaining.

That's something System of a Down would never let happen.

- © Fairfax NZ News