what kind of music is system of a down
System of a Down Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated "Like many late-'90s metal bands System of a Down struck a balance between '80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-'90s alternative rockers like Jane's Addiction".[44] System of a Down's music has variously been termed alternative metal,[44][45][46][47][48] nu metal,[49][50][51][52][53] hard rock,[54][55][56] progressive metal,[57][58][59] thrash metal,[60][61][62] art rock[63][64] and avant-garde metal.[65][63] Malakian has stated that "We don't belong to any one scene"[66] and that "I don't like the nu-metal drop-A 7-string guitar sound; it is not my thing, at least not yet."[67] In interview with Mike Lancaster, he also said, "People always seem to feel the need to put us into a category, but we just don't fit into any category."[68] According to Tankian, "As far as arrangement and everything, [our music] is pretty much pop. To me, System of a Down isn't a progressive band. [...] But it's not a typical pop project, obviously. We definitely pay attention to the music to make sure that it's not something someone's heard before."[69]
Down in the Valley (folk song) The verses mentioning "Birmingham Jail" refer to the Birmingham City Jail which was known in the mid-1920s. According to one biographer of Lead Belly he performed it for Texas Governor Pat Neff at the Sugarland Penitentiary in 1924. Guitarist Jimmie Tarlton claimed to have written the lyrics in 1925 while he was jailed in Birmingham for moonshining. It was first recorded by Tarlton and his partner Tom Darby on November 10, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia for Columbia Records.