System of a Down are a band that tackled serious issues. Their outspoken criticism of Turkey's government and the Armenian Genocide is well-documented. But what some casual listeners may not know is that they are also an incredibly talented quartet -- gifted songwriters and musicians. When they hit the music scene in the late-1990s, their crushing rhythms, frenetic energy, and Armenian-inspired melodies pulverized listeners. The thinking man's band, love them or hate them, no one can deny their brilliance and their influence.