As an Armenian-American who was born in Beirut, Serj Tankian never seems to run out of things to sing and write about. Tankian, the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist of the multi-platinum American rock band System of a Down, is currently touring as a solo artist in support of his album “Elect the Dead,” which peaked at #4 on the Billboard music charts in November 2007.

Tankian is also a co-founder of the Axis of Justice organization, whose purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice together.

System of a Down and Tankian are known for their aggressive and heavy-yet-melodic rock sound, anti-war stances, and lyrics that range from socially conscious and poetic to dark and bizarre.

Tankian recently sat down for an e-mail interview with The Arab American News:

Q: How long did you live in Lebanon and have you visited since you moved away?

 A: I was seven years old when we moved to the U.S. at the beginning of the civil war in Lebanon. I have vivid memories of Beirut and the beauty and multi-cultural diversity it represented. I have not been back. I had tickets for my parents to go back in 2006 and had to cancel them due to the Israeli bombing and invasion.

Q: Do you see many Arabic fans of your music or do you know how the music has been received by the Arab community?

 A: Yes. I’ve had nice long chats with lots of Arab fans from our shows. I’m not sure how we’ve been received by the Arab community. Well, I think. It’s hard for anyone to speak for or of a community, you know.

Q: You play a lot of concerts overseas, have you played in any Middle Eastern countries or do you have plans to?

A: I would love to play Beirut and the Middle East in general, yes. We’re trying to set up our first concert in Armenia right now and it’s a lot of work logistically, because it’s not set up for the type of concerts that we are accustomed to putting on.

Q: Have you and System of a Down always made political music or did you start out as more of just a regular rock band?

 A: We’ve always made music that speaks honesty from our hearts. Some of that music is political, some humorous, some romantic, some art for the sake of art, etc.

Q: You said your next solo album is going to rely less on guitar, but you still want it to convey the same emotion. How do you plan to undertake this challenge and what instruments do you plan to use most?

 A: A full 67-person orchestra and a jazz quintet. It will sound and feel more powerful than any rock band anywhere.

Q: You’re known for having one or more so-called “crazy” or “off-the-wall” songs or song titles on each of your albums. Do you think that the rest of your more serious or socially conscious songs are underrated by critics because of these songs? If so does that bother you at all?

A: Not at all. In fact, people take my music and myself way too seriously to be honest. Sometimes I sit down with journalists and they’re nervous in interviewing me, and I laugh because I go out of my way to make people comfortable.

Q: Will System of a Down get back together after your solo projects have run their course?

A: I don’t blame you for asking and I’m honored for the interest but the story has not changed: it’s an indefinite hiatus. If we decide to do something, the world will know, believe me.

 Q: What advice do you have for the Arab world as they continue to struggle with the issues of our time and a possible war with Iran?

 A: Well, I have lots of advice politically. The thing is there is no such thing as the Arab world first and foremost. Arabs are united in the U.S. and Europe, but the goals and geo-politics of Arab nations in the Middle East are anything but united or on the same plane. This is why other powers take advantage of that rift and are able to keep the rift going.  The West has created and helped keep Arab kingdoms (post-WWI) in place for its own geo-political interests.

Together those kingdoms and the West have helped put down Arab secular nationalist movements from the 50s on. This has created the need for the populace to search elsewhere for democracy and equality (Islam) in setting up an egalitarian society. The aggression against Iran by the U.S. should not be encouraged by Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations. The real war in this world is not political or religious. It’s a globalist-based class war integrating nations, cultures and religions. This is not to say there are not other reasons that people fight, of course.

Q: Do you feel that the world is on a one-way track to destruction with all the issues facing it like war, global warming, etc.?

 A: It depends on what you mean by the world. Civilization is currently scientifically unsustainable based on the accelerated rate of destruction of natural resources coupled with the accelerated rate of population rise. We need to search for a new “life.”

Q: If you had to pick one song of yours that you were most proud of as far as the impact of the lyrics, what would it be and why?

A: I don’t pick favorites. I don’t have a favorite ice cream or color either.