John Dolmayan
THESE GREY MEN
John Dolmayan anchors GRAMMY® Award-winning, multiplatinum Los Angeles quartet System of a Down. His deft performance, inventive rhythms, impeccable timing, and uncontainable spirit shine across the band’s five studio albums: System of a Down, Toxicity, Steal this Album!, Mezmerize, and Hypnotize. With worldwide sales of over 40 million albums, numerous drum magazine covers, countless high-profile guest appearances, sold out shows in front of millions of fans, and a 2005 “Best Hard Rock Performance” GRAMMY® win among four career nominations, his inimitable and distinct style resonates around the globe. It also powers his 2020 full-length solo debut, These Grey Men.
The instrument called to Dolmayan at just two-years-old. Of Armenian descent and born in Lebanon, he recalls, “sitting in the middle console of my mom and dad’s car listening to Chicago, driving around the city of Beirut with no stop signs.” Amidst Civil War and strife, he narrowly escaped a mortar blast through his bedroom at 3-years-old. The family found refuge in Canada before relocating to Los Angeles. Dolmayan “asked for a drum set every Christmas” until he finally got one at fifteen. His connection to the instrument strengthened the rhythmic backbone of System of a Down as the group reached unparalleled heights. When the iconic band went through periods of dormancy, the musician sought out fresh creative outlets. Splitting his time between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, long road trips offered time to contemplate music. During one of these moments, inspiration hit during early 2014.
It set the stage for him to assemble These Grey Men. The powerhouse project features collaborations with System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold, Sirusho, and many others on new interpretations of classics by Radiohead, Madonna, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Eminem, and more.
These Grey Men came to life “out of the necessity to give artistically, to create, and to reimagine,” according to Dolmayan.
Extending an invitation to join him, he leaves off, “We hope you enjoy the music and thank you for joining us on the journey.”
MEDIA PRAISE
“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.”
“Not to be outdone is drummer John Dolmayan…whose latest venture These Grey Men… a collection that moves all over the musical map and takes some thoroughly unexpected detours… The biggest headline from These Grey Men comes in the form of the two appearances from Serj, as SOAD’s frontman performing vocals on the Talking Heads’ ‘Road To Nowhere’ and David Bowie’s ‘Starman.’ They’re brave choices given the classic status of both, but bold and excellent in their execution, retaining the spirit of the originals while playing to the strengths of the artists tackling them.”
“The long-overdue solo debut from System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan is filled with great songs and truly timeless classics.”