Scars on Broadway, the self-titled debut album from System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan, is a mixed bag of terrific songs and forgettable filler. Totaling 15 tracks – many of them running three minutes or less – the album resembles a collection of snippets, sometimes evolving into indelibly melodic hard rock and sometimes failing to leave much of an impact. A tougher trimming would have helped Scars on Broadway’s overall quality, but even in its current form the record has enough strong moments to make it worthwhile.
Lyrics Less Important Than Hooks
In an interview to promote Scars on Broadway, frontman Daron Malakian confessed that as a songwriter he doesn’t have any grand thematic concepts or personal messages he’s trying to push across in his lyrics. That certainly comes through on the album, where lyrical depth takes a backseat to his melodies and hooks. For example, the hard-charging two-minute “Stoner-Hate” contains such odd lines as “California’s been invaded by a hippie psychopath,” which doesn’t make much sense – Does he mean Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger? – but becomes a compelling chant when it’s attached to Malakian’s guitar riff and Dolmayan’s pounding drums. Especially considered in conjunction with the brief running times of these songs, many of the tracks have an off-the-cuff feel, which perhaps is a way of alleviating the weighty expectations of many System fans who want to hear what Malakian would do outside of his old band’s framework.
Taking Aim at Politicians and the Greedy
With that said, though, when Scars on Broadway find a great piece of music, the tossed-off lyrics have the impact of desperate missives hurled at politicians and those who despoil the planet for their own greed. “Kill Each Other/Live Forever” is a good example of this, segueing from guitars to an affecting keyboard bridge while Malakian assumes the mantle of public conscience as he asks, “If we’re gonna kill each other, how we gonna live forever/If we’re gonna live forever, how we gonna kill each other?” The point of the lyrics seems to be juxtaposing two base human urges – the desire to kill others and the desire to never die yourself – to show how they simply cannot coexist in a civilized society.
Rocking While the World Falls Apart
Much of Scars on Broadway makes similar allusions to a world crumbling into disarray. “Babylon” starts off slowly until building to a frenetic chorus, balancing an Armageddon scenario with a tale of separated lovers. “Cute Machines” rides a snarling guitar figure for an opaque attack on technology – then again, it might simply be a satire on the dehumanizing aspects of modern society.
Part of the fun is not necessarily being able to pin down the exact meanings of Malakian’s words, which doesn’t matter when his band has arresting music to focus on. And while that doesn’t happen enough – a few too many of these tracks feel like underdeveloped outtakes – Scars on Broadway displays enough passion and chops to satisfy even those who will grumble that it’s not a System of a Down record. Maybe, but for a guy who claims he doesn’t have much to say, Malakian makes sure his music speaks for him.
Release date – July 29, 2008
