Daron Malakian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daron Malakian
Malakian performing with System of a Down in 2011
Background information
Born	(1975-07-18) July 18, 1975 (age 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal alternative rock nu metal
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter record producer
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1990–present

Daron Malakian (born July 18, 1975) is an Armenian-American musician. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and a singer for the famous metal band System of a Down. He is also the main singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter for his own band, Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway.

Daron is highly respected for his guitar playing. He has been recognized as one of the top hard rock and metal guitarists of all time by music magazines like Loudwire and Guitar World.

About Daron Malakian

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Daron Malakian was born on July 18, 1975, in Hollywood, California. He is the only child of Armenian parents, Vartan and Zepur Malakian. His father, Vartan, is a talented painter, dancer, and choreographer. His mother, Zepur, is a sculptor who used to teach art at a college.

From a very young age, Daron loved heavy metal music. When he was just four years old, a cousin introduced him to the band Kiss. He soon started listening to other legendary bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Daron originally wanted to play the drums. However, his parents bought him a guitar instead, joking that "You can't turn the drums off!" He picked up the guitar at age 11. He learned to play by ear and quickly became known as a skilled guitarist in high school. By age 16 or 17, he realized the guitar was a great tool for writing songs, which became his main passion. Later, he also enjoyed thrash metal bands like Slayer and Metallica, and groove metal bands such as Pantera. He also found inspiration in the Beatles, especially John Lennon as a songwriter, and other British Invasion bands like the Kinks and the Who.

Daron attended the Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School in Hollywood. His future bandmates, Shavo Odadjian and Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian, also went there. Serj Tankian, who would become System of a Down's lead singer, also attended the school, but he was a few years older.

Forming System of a Down

Daron met Serj Tankian in 1993. They were both rehearsing with different bands in the same studio. They decided to form a new band called Soil. Later, Shavo Odadjian joined them, first as their manager, then as a rhythm guitarist.

After Soil broke up, Daron, Serj, and Shavo (who switched to playing bass guitar) formed a new group. They named it "Victims of a Down" after a poem Daron had written. Shavo suggested changing "victims" to "system." He thought "System of a Down" would sound better and help their records be placed alphabetically closer to their favorite band, Slayer, in music stores! They added drummer Andy Khachaturian, who was later replaced by John Dolmayan in 1997.

Daron helped produce all of System of a Down's albums alongside Rick Rubin. He also started his own music label, EatUrMusic, in 2003, though it is no longer active.

Daron Malakian performing with System of a Down in 2006

Scars on Broadway Project

After System of a Down took a break, Daron started a new project called Scars on Broadway. This band included John Dolmayan, the drummer from System of a Down. They worked with other musicians like Danny Shamoun on keyboards and Dominic Cifarelli on bass. Daron played most of the instruments in the studio himself, except for the drums.

Scars on Broadway released their first album, also called Scars on Broadway, in 2008. It featured a popular song called "They Say". However, Daron decided to cancel the tour for the album, explaining that his "heart wasn't into touring" at that time. This led to a quiet period for the band.

Daron later made a surprise appearance at a Halloween party in 2009, performing with Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan. This was a special moment for fans, as it was the first time some System of a Down members had played together in years. Daron also played at a special benefit concert in November 2009, performing with other musicians like Deftones and his bandmates Odadjian and Dolmayan.

In 2010, Daron reunited with Scars on Broadway for live shows. He also contributed to Cypress Hill's album Rise Up and produced a song called "Trouble Seeker."

In November 2010, System of a Down announced they would reunite for a European tour in June 2011, including a performance at the Download Festival. While they played many reunion shows, they did not record new music at that time.

New Music and Albums

Scars on Broadway released a new song in July 2010. In February 2012, they shared a preview of another new song, "Guns Are Loaded."

In 2014, Daron played additional guitar on the song "Rebellion" for Linkin Park's album The Hunting Party. He also performed this song live with members of Linkin Park and Shavo Odadjian at a special concert in 2017.

On April 23, 2018, Scars on Broadway released the song "Lives," which explored Armenian history and culture. Their album Dictator followed on July 20, 2018.

The band's third album, Addicted to the Violence, was announced on June 6, 2025, and released on July 18, 2025. A first single from the album was also released on June 6, 2025.

Musical Style and Inspirations

Daron Malakian's music is influenced by many different genres, not just rock and heavy metal. He shared that he grew up listening to Armenian, Arabic, and Greek music. He especially admires the Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, who is considered a legend in Middle Eastern music. Daron says her music deeply influenced his own style and helped him fall in love with music.

He often uses Arabic scales in his guitar playing, which he finds very natural. While many American guitarists use blues scales, Daron's unique background brings a different flavor to his sound.

Daron Malakian's Music Albums

Daron Malakian has been a part of many exciting music projects. Here are the main albums he has released with his bands.

Albums with System of a Down

• System of a Down (1998)
• Toxicity (2001)
• Steal This Album! (2002)
• Mezmerize (2005)
• Hypnotize (2005)

Albums with Scars on Broadway

• Scars on Broadway (2008)
• Dictator (2018)
• Addicted to the Violence (2025)

Production Work

Daron Malakian has also helped produce several albums for other artists and his own bands. This means he worked behind the scenes to shape the sound and recording of the music.

See also

In Spanish: Daron Malakian para niños

• History of the Armenian Americans in Los Angeles