Serj Tankian — Elect The Dead

System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian's first solo outing has so much in common with his main band that you'd be forgiven for assuming that the songs included here are SOAD B-sides. Indeed, many moments on Elect The Dead are reminiscent of the alt.metal quartet's last two albums, Hypnotize and Mezmerize, just softer and/or weirder. Tankian doesn't elaborate on his distinct vocal style so much as he reiterates it, sounding less passionate than he did with his earlier work. Where he would normally tackle a plethora of disparate topics, here he cobbles together benign political commentary and seemingly forced poetry with some amusing non-sequiturs tossed in for good measure. It's a shame to see such a talented musician put together such a hackneyed album. Even diehard fans will have to admit that this is merely System Of A Down without three of the four elements that make them interesting.