System of a Down

Tankian / Malakian alt-metal; Chop Suey! is the structural spike.

Formed 1994. Self-titled debut and Toxicity fused Serj Tankian’s theatrical vocal, Daron Malakian’s riff cuts, odd-time drums, and Middle Eastern melodic ornaments. Chop Suey! (2001) is the citation—tempo and intensity change mid-song without a bridge cliché. They sit beside Linkin Park on early-2000s charts with less hip-hop and more prog abruptness.