John Dolmayan Releases High-Voltage "Starman" Feat. Serj Tankian
Above: John Dolmayan; credit: Greg Watermann
JOHN DOLMAYAN
—ICONIC DRUMMER OF SYSTEM OF A DOWN—
RELEASES HIGH-VOLTAGE VERSION OF DAVID BOWIE’S “STARMAN” FEATURING SERJ TANKIAN
TODAY, FEBRUARY 14
MARKS SOPHOMORE SINGLE FROM DEBUT SOLO ALBUM
‘THESE GREY MEN’
OUT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
LOS ANGELES (February 14, 2020) – John Dolmayan, the iconic drummer of GRAMMY® Award-winning, multiplatinum Los Angeles quartet System Of A Down, has released “Starman,” a high-voltage rendition of David Bowie’s 1972 hit. The song marks the second single from Dolmayan’s These Grey Men album and features System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian.
The forthcoming eight-track album, out Friday, February 28, is an eclectic collection of reimagined songs Dolmayan was inspired by during many drives between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. These Grey Men features additional special guest artists including M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold and Tom Morello, among others, with a bulk of the album recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606.
Pre-Order These Grey Men here.
“While I was driving, I’d put on satellite radio and listen to whatever came on,” says Dolmayan. “Oftentimes, I’d hear something and ask myself how I would play or arrange it. I actually started to make a list of about 30 songs I might cover someday. I just got inspiration from desert driving and listening to music. System wasn’t making music at the time, but I needed an outlet for my artistic energy. So, I whittled down the list and reached out to some artists I wanted to work with.”
Through the album are standouts including powerful renditions of notable song’s such as the leadoff single, “Street Spirit,” a lively cover from the Radiohead catalog that catapults the song into a new dimension with M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold on vocals and a blistering guitar solo from Tom Morello. Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone noted, “Dolmayan’s cover itself is a complete transformation of ‘Street Spirit,’ making it a larger-than-life arena rocker that still retains the same pathos as the original. The track ends with the delirious buzz of Morello’s guitar.”
Other tracks that break into new sonic territory include the high-voltage revamp of David Bowie’s “Starman” that rejoins Dolmayan with System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian. Dolmayan’s commanding drumming also links with Tankian on a spirited arrangement of Talking Heads’ “Road To Nowhere.”
Of the album’s track listing, James Hickie of KERRANG! noted, “they’re brave choices given the classic status…but bold and excellent in their execution, retaining the spirit of the originals while playing to the strengths of the artists tackling them.”
Above: album cover art for ‘These Grey Men’
Over a span of five years, Dolmayan carefully assembled what would become These Grey Men joined by James Hazleyon guitar, Tom Coppossela on bass, and Danny Shouman on keys for the bulk of the project. Choosing eight diverse classics from the popular music canon, Dolmayan recorded his parts at Dave Grohl’s legendary Studio 606 and personally arranged strings at Toys of the Masses.
Produced by John Dolmayan with James Hazley, the title for These Grey Men, was birthed from conversations with a close friend, a former U.S. Navy S.E.A.L.
“A buddy of mine is a former Navy S.E.A.L., and he was staying at my house when I was making the album,” Dolmayan says. “He’s a very introspective guy and a really good person. We’d have these long conversations. He told me S.E.A.L.s would always try to be nondescript. You would never notice them in a room. In other words, they were ‘Grey Men.’ He said, ‘They’re kind of invisible—similar to a drummer’. We thought it would be a great title, because many people don’t necessarily notice the drummer unless there’s a mistake.”
Track listing for These Grey Men:
“Road To Nowhere”
(Talking Heads cover featuring Serj Tankian)
“Starman”
(David Bowie cover featuring Serj Tankian)
“What I Know”
(Two Door Cinema Club cover featuring Jonathan Dorr)
“Runaway”
(Del Shannon cover featuring Franky Perez)
“Street Spirit”
(Radiohead cover featuring M. Shadows and Tom Morello)
“Hung Up”
(Madonna cover featuring Sirusho)
“Beautiful Thieves”
(AFI cover featuring Jonah Perry Nimoy)
“Rock Bottom”
(Eminem cover)