Rnz: Music 101

Serj Tankian is the frontman of System of a Down, a band of Armenian-Americans that started in the mid-nineties, who play an incredible clash of growling aggressive metal and Armenian folk melodies. It's a sound that has struck a chord with millions of fans across the globe, yet Serj chooses to spend a lot of his time living in New Zealand. He talks to Charlotte Ryan about his colourful life as a young immigrant to Los Angeles, and the risks and reward of being part of an avant-garde, political band. Serj Tankian's memoir is Down with the System.