With a rubbery voice able to take on nearly any intonation, Tankian has always operated from a unique soapbox. Through a varied five-album career with SOAD, he has tackled social issues such as the persecution of his fellow Armenians, police brutality and pacifism, examining these topics with a type of schizophrenic and amusing perversity.
Tankian’s solo debut, “Elect The Dead,” is, for better or worse, exactly what one could expect. Vocals and lyrics are the main focus, with Tankian shifting out of conventional restraints to depict both men and women, rich and poor, suffering and privileged. Even though he recently turned 40, Tankian’s vocals have never been sharper, with wails more epic than on previous releases. Melodic sections remain as crisp as the 1999 single “Spiders,” which first initiated the world with the softer side of Tankian’s personality.
Lyrically, the album offers Tankian the artist room to breathe, as political tracks such as “Empty Walls,” a violent cry against the apolitical masses, and “Gratefully Disappeared,” a song of love and respect, sit comfortably on the same disc.
Although Tankian’s vocals evoke his classic delivery, the same cannot be said of the music itself. SOAD is a well-oiled machine, capable of shotgun runs and dynamic shifts that most rock acts only dream of. On “Dead,” Tankian handles most of the instrument duties himself, save for a few guest musicians and help from SOAD drummer John Dolmayan. Because there is no cohesive group work on the album, many of the tracks lack the vigor and groove that can only be attained with a tight, well-rehearsed unit.
Unfortunately, there can never be a review of this album without comparing it to that of SOAD’s catalogue. There is a lot of interesting material on this disc, but it pales when one considers what a full band could have accomplished. “Dead” is much more than a stopgap album while the band is on hiatus, but as the group progresses in the future, time will pit this disc far below the canon of SOAD material.
Bill Earl is at school in Ithaca, NY, where he’s rockin’ out and writin’ a blog for “The Ithacan” called Sharp Notes. Check it out at http://theithacan.org/blogs/sharpnotes.