John Dolmayan

The Beirut-born drummer who joined System of a Down in 1997 and recorded five landmark albums.

Hovig "John" Dolmayan is the Armenian-American drummer best known for his work with System of a Down. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, he moved to California during the Lebanese Civil War and began mimicking drummers at age two by watching his father play drums. A fan of The Who's Keith Moon, as well as John Bonham and Neil Peart, Dolmayan joined System of a Down in 1997 after original drummer Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian left due to a hand injury. He recorded five albums with the group: System of a Down, Toxicity, Steal This Album!, Mezmerize, and Hypnotize. In 2006, he was named Drummer of the Year by DRUM! Magazine. Ranked number 33 on Loudwire's list of Top 200 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time, Dolmayan remains a central figure in hard rock history.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Hovig Dolmayan

Born

15 July 1972

Birthplace

Beirut, Lebanon

Origin

Glendale, California, U.S.

Genre

Alternative metal
nu metal
alternative rock
experimental rock

Instrument

Drums

Occupations

Musician

Years active

1994–present

Lore & Background

Dolmayan's musical foundation was built on hours of daily practice with records, blending his father's jazz albums with rock shared by friends. His style is heavily influenced by Keith Moon, John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, and Neil Peart. In the early 2000s, he commissioned comic book artists to illustrate his drum kit: Arthur Adams drew giant women fighting robots and Godzilla; Simon Bisley illustrated the Hulk and Thing; Kevin Eastman provided Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art; and Tim Vigil depicted a sexually explicit scene of demons. Beyond music, Dolmayan is a lifelong comic book fan who launched Torpedo Comics in Nevada, operating two brick-and-mortar stores alongside a significant online presence.

Reader's Guide

To understand Dolmayan's career, look to his early start: he began drumming at age two by mimicking his father. His primary influences are Keith Moon, John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, and Neil Peart. In 2006, he won DRUM! Magazine's Drummer of the Year award. He recorded drums for Killing Joke's 2003 self-titled album (though Dave Grohl's tracks were used) and Scum of the Earth's Blah...Blah...Blah...Love Songs for the New Millennium. He played on Serj Tankian's solo debut Elect the Dead and the Axis of Justice concert tour. In 2014, he started a Kickstarter for These Grey Men, releasing their first single, a cover of Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", in January 2020, featuring M. Shadows on vocals and Tom Morello on guitar solo. His second single features Serj Tankian covering David Bowie's "Starman".

Early Life and Musical Foundations

John Dolmayan was born Hovig (meaning John the Baptist in Armenian) in Beirut, Lebanon, to Armenian parents. His family moved to California during the Lebanese Civil War. At age two, he became interested in drums while watching his father, a saxophone player, perform. He practiced for hours daily by putting on records. His style is influenced by his father's jazz albums and rock albums shared with friends. Dolmayan cites Keith Moon of The Who as his biggest influence, along with John Bonham, Stewart Copeland, and Neil Peart.

System of a Down and Major Achievements

Dolmayan joined System of a Down in 1997 after Ontronik "Andy" Khachaturian left due to a hand injury. He recorded five albums: System of a Down (1998), Toxicity (2001), Steal This Album! (2002), Mezmerize (2005), and Hypnotize (2005). In 2006, he won DRUM! Magazine's Drummer of the Year award and was featured in their March edition. The band went on hiatus that year but reunited in 2010 to occasionally tour. He is ranked number 33 on Loudwire's list of Top 200 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time.

Side Projects and Collaborative Ventures

After System of a Down's 2006 hiatus, Dolmayan formed Scars on Broadway with Daron Malakian. They released their debut album in summer 2008. The band performed concerts with Franky Perez, Dominic Cifarelli, and Danny Shamoun before Malakian cancelled the tour in October 2008. In August 2009, Dolmayan, Perez, Shamoun, and Cifarelli traveled to Iraq for a USO tour playing covers and Scars on Broadway songs. The group reunited with Malakian in May 2010 but went dormant; Dolmayan was not involved when the group reformed in 2018. In June 2009, he formed Indicator with Tom Capossela, Ryan Huber, and Ryan Murphy, playing shows in San Diego and Las Vegas. He also recorded for Killing Joke, Scum of the Earth, and Serj Tankian's Elect the Dead.

Personal Life and Business Ventures

Dolmayan is married to Diana Dolmayan (née Madatyan), sister of Serj Tankian's wife Angela, making them brothers-in-law. Politically active like Tankian, Dolmayan holds conservative views and supported Donald Trump's presidency. In October 2023, he claimed he lost friends and "hundreds of thousands of fans" on Instagram due to his support for Trump, his belief that Black Lives Matter was a "propaganda tool," and his arguments about the COVID-19 pandemic. He owns Torpedo Comics in Las Vegas, which has two brick-and-mortar stores and an online presence. In 2009, he auditioned for the Smashing Pumpkins.