System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian knew going into their recent

U.S. and European tours that opening for the veteran metal act Slayer

was no easy slot to fill.

But Slayer made it a lot easier for the fledgling metal quartet.

"Every show, for sure, there was a member [of Slayer] watching us, or

two or three," Odadjian said. "That made us more confident because

their crowds are very die-hard Slayer crowds. They don't want to see

anybody besides Slayer."

While many established bands take little or no interest in the opening

act, Odadjian, 24, said the veteran metal outfit supported his group

every step of the way. The experience, he said, prepared System of a

Down to co-headline their current 12-date tour with fellow

metal bands Fear Factory and Spineshank.

There have been other heavyweights lending their support to System of

a Down. Superstar producer Rick Rubin (Run D.M.C.) sat behind the

boards for the group's self-titled debut, which was released last June.

"Rick understands the vision of the band and he shares it and he lets

us be who we are in the way that we want to be," singer Serj Tankian,

31, said. "He's been a great supporter, producer, friend, label head,

all in one, and a very positive person. His energy is very inspiring."

Formed four and a half years ago in Los Angeles, System of a Down's

members -- Tankian, Odadjian, guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian and

drummer John Dolmayan -- are all Armenian-Americans. It's clear that

coming from an oppressed culture has influenced the group's political

leanings and, in turn, their music.

One of the band's songs --

music/System_Of_A_Down/P.L.U.C.K..ram">"P.L.U.C.K." (RealAudio excerpt),

for instance -- addresses the genocide suffered by the Armenians at

the hands of the Turks in the early 1900s.

"It's absolutely overlooked," Tankian said of the killings. "If you go

to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., there's a

quote on the walls from Hitler that talks about what he was planning

to do. And at the end of the quote, it says, 'Who remembers the

massacre of the Armenians?' So it kind of gave him carte blanche to do

what he did with the Jews."

Inspired by the convention-bashing writings of William Burroughs,

Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski, Tankian fashions lyrics that range

from direct ("P.L.U.C.K.") to surreal such as in the song "Suite-Pee."

And unlike traditional metal acts, many of the band's songs are

political, delving into complex and sometimes scholarly topics.

The influence of noted political theorist Noam Chomsky, for instance,

surfaces on

music/System_Of_A_Down/War.ram">"War?" (RealAudio excerpt).

The singer said this song is specifically about the Crusades, but

applies to more recent wars as well.

"It's a symbolic song about most of imperialism using either religion,

or drugs or a terrorist nation as an excuse to do whatever we want in

our foreign policy -- politically or militarily," Tankian said.

"We went against the United Nations in bombing Iraq. ... We're

advancing our economic global policies for our multinational

corporations."

This past year, the L.A.-based foursome criss-crossed North America as

part of the Ozzfest package tour headlined by heavy-metal icon Ozzy

Osbourne.

Although its tour was interrupted recently by the theft of a truck

containing all its gear -- as well as that of Fear Factory and

Spineshank -- System of a Down expect to be back on the road in no time.