System of a Down is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s around Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan. The group is known for an explosive sound blending metal, punk, alternative rock, Armenian influences and deliberately unpredictable passages, driven by abrupt rhythmic shifts and a highly distinctive vocal identity. With albums such as Toxicity, Steal This Album!, Mezmerize and Hypnotize, System of a Down became one of the most distinctive and influential metal bands of the 2000s.