Serj Tankian’s solo debut showcases his musical versatility

System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has always blazed his own distinct path through politically charged hard rock, and now the wild-eyed live wire has taken things a step further, going his own route on his solo debut, "Elect the Dead."

The CD is a true reflection of Tankian's musical ability, considering that he wrote all of the songs and played the majority of the guitars, bass, piano, synthesizers, bells and melodica.

Tankian's piano skills are especially accented throughout the CD. The only instruments he doesn't handle here are the drums and the cello.

Besides being full of instrumentals, "Elect the Dead" is active in political innuendo and calls for social change.

The hit single "The Unthinking Majority" has eerie insight into the state of American politics. It touches on sensitive issues, such as the war in Iraq and political corruption, while claiming that Americans are too caught up in themselves to face the facts that the political infrastructure is fracturing.

The song does so with a musical style unique to Tankian, who mixes staccato verses, intense vocals and an addictive piano interlude reminiscent of the 1920s.

Likewise, "Money" starts out with soft and angelic keys, followed by a drastic switch into Serj's harsh voice and fast-paced guitars.

It's like floating along on a cloud before abruptly being thrown headfirst into a tornado.

Although "Elect the Dead" is a strong CD, it pales in comparison to Serj's work with his main band, System of a Down.

It's hard to listen to the album without experiencing a sense of déjá vu, because most of the songs sound like they're being preformed by SOAD, though they lack System's soul and spirit.

Still, the only real complaint of the CD is the screeching female vocals in "Lie Lie Lie."

It sounds like it belongs on a "Scariest Voices of Halloween Soundtrack," not Tankian's debut album.

However, the occasional shrieking becomes easy to overlook after the first 30 seconds of the song, as this is the tune that puts you in a chokehold and keeps you pressing "repeat" over and over and over again.