System Of A Down guitarist and vocalist Daron Malakian has issued a harsh public message directed at global leaders who initiate military conflicts while shielding their own families from the front lines.
On April 3, the musician took to Instagram to share a brief video clip of himself flipping off the camera. While the gesture itself was straightforward, the accompanying caption carried a heavy, politically charged message that directly referenced the lyrics of his band’s iconic 2005 anti-war anthem, “B.Y.O.B.“
“This one goes out to presidents and politicians who start wars and don’t send their sons, daughters, and loved ones to the battlefield”, Malakian wrote. “Why do they always send the poor?!!!!”
The sharp critique arrives as global military tensions continue to escalate, but the aggressive stance also stands out given the guitarist’s historically neutral approach to public discourse. In the past, he has described his personal politics as open-minded, stating he prefers to listen to arguments from both sides of an issue rather than being stubbornly tied to one extreme.
Just late last year, the musician faced significant backlash for his track “Your Lives Burn“, featured on the latest Scars On Broadway studio album, Addicted To The Violence. Fans and detractors alike publicly criticized the song for being too politically ambiguous and lacking a direct condemnation of the system. Given his primary band’s legacy of fierce activism, audiences frequently hold Daron Malakian‘s outside projects to the same uncompromising standards as System Of A Down.
Within the ranks of the legendary nü-metal act, political ideologies famously span a wide spectrum. While frontman Serj Tankian continues to be a highly vocal advocate for left-leaning and progressive causes, drummer John Dolmayan has been equally outspoken on the opposite end of the spectrum, repeatedly showing his support for U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite their differing personal views, the core anti-war messaging that defined their biggest hits clearly still resonates strongly with the band’s members.
