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July 28, 2026

System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian Has Covered David Bowie’s I’m Afraid Of Americans

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Serj Tankian has covered David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid Of Americans.” The System Of A Down frontman teamed with electronic producer and composer Brendan Angelides on a version of the track that Trent Reznor famously reworked in 1997 — and the accompanying video was assembled from real childhood photographs of the two of them, driven by motion capture. It’s out now, and it’s the next single from Angelides’ album “Can You Feel The End Begin?”, due August 14.

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Serj covering Bowie, with a video built from baby pictures and a mosh pit. Scott Penfold breaks it down on the Metal Breakdown Daily — download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and take the show with you.

The Collaboration

Angelides is not a name most metal fans will know on sight, which is a shame, because his résumé is enormous. Formerly recording as Eskmo, he’s released on Ninja Tune, Warp and Planet Mu, scored all seven seasons of Showtime’s “Billions,” picked up a BAFTA nomination in 2024 for his work on “Assassin’s Creed Mirage,” and co-composed Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard From Earth,” which has been running at the Las Vegas Sphere. NPR once described him as “part musician, part magician.”

He’s also, for what it’s worth, a guy who got pulled into heavy, bass-driven music at around fifteen years old by Primus and The Prodigy. So the Serj connection makes more sense than it looks on paper.

By his own account, the cover happened almost by accident. He’d been building a beat for the new record when he found himself singing Bowie’s words over the top of it unprompted — and the first person he thought of to bring in was Tankian, who he says has been an inspiration to him forever and who he now counts as a friend.

Then there’s the video, which is the detail that makes this whole thing stick. It’s built from their own childhood photos. They filmed themselves to drive the motion capture, face-tracked it, composited the whole thing — and, in Angelides’ words, had a mosh party. Two grown men, rendered as kids, in a pit. That’s a genuinely strange and lovely idea for a song this dark.

Angelides has said the album it belongs to is half about what happens to creative communities during authoritarian times. We’ll leave the politics of that where he put it — it’s his record and his statement to make.

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About That Bowie Song

Worth getting the history right, because a lot of outlets are running this as a 1995 track and the real story is better.

Bowie and Brian Eno wrote “I’m Afraid Of Americans” during the sessions for 1.Outside. An early rough mix — with the line “I’m afraid of the animals” instead of “Americans” — got quietly dumped onto the Showgirls soundtrack in September 1995. That’s the version people mean when they say 1995. It’s a demo, essentially.

Bowie clearly knew there was something in it, because he rebuilt the song from the ground up for 1997’s Earthling. And then it got rebuilt again: Virgin issued it as a North-America-only maxi-single that October, packed with six remixes overseen by Trent Reznor, who’d toured with Bowie in 1995 and had become a genuine friend and collaborator. Reznor’s V1 mix — with his vocals, guitar, bass and drums all over it — is the version that stuck. He also played Johnny in the video, stalking a visibly rattled Bowie through New York City.

Here’s the part that gives this cover some weight: that single peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was the last time David Bowie charted on the Hot 100 while he was alive. “Blackstar” and “Lazarus” only got there after he died in 2016.

So Serj isn’t covering a deep cut. He’s covering the last thing Bowie ever landed on the American charts, a song about America, with an industrial rock lineage running straight through Nine Inch Nails. That’s a lot of history to walk into.

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Where This Leaves System Of A Down

Tankian has spent years now doing exactly this — solo records, film scores, collaborations, one-off singles — while System Of A Down continues to exist as a live entity that hasn’t put out a full-length since 2005.

And business is very much booming on that front. The band recently announced a 2027 stadium run through Australia and New Zealand with Faith No More, their first shows down under since 2012, on top of their 2026 European dates. Twenty-one years without a new album and they’re still filling stadiums on the strength of a catalogue that genuinely doesn’t have a weak entry, plus the two singles they released for Armenia in 2020.

Is a Bowie cover with an electronic composer the new System Of A Down music anyone’s been begging for? No. But it’s Serj doing what Serj does, and the man’s voice on that chorus is worth four minutes of your day.

“Can You Feel The End Begin?” arrives August 14.

TL;DR

Serj Tankian has covered David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid Of Americans” with electronic producer and composer Brendan Angelides, formerly known as Eskmo.
The video was built from real childhood photographs of both artists, using motion capture, face tracking and compositing.
The track is the next single from Angelides’ album “Can You Feel The End Begin?”, out August 14, 2026.
Angelides has said the album is partly about what happens to creative communities under authoritarianism.
The Bowie original was written with Brian Eno during the 1.Outside sessions, first surfaced as a rough mix on the 1995 Showgirls soundtrack, was remade for 1997’s Earthling, and became a hit through Trent Reznor’s V1 remix — Bowie’s final Billboard Hot 100 entry during his lifetime.
Angelides is BAFTA-nominated for Assassin’s Creed Mirage and scored all seven seasons of Showtime’s Billions.

FAQ

What song did Serj Tankian cover?

Serj Tankian covered David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid Of Americans” alongside electronic producer and composer Brendan Angelides. The track was released on July 28, 2026.

Who is Brendan Angelides?

Brendan Angelides is an American electronic music producer and composer who formerly recorded as Eskmo. He has released on Ninja Tune, Warp and Planet Mu, scored all seven seasons of Showtime’s “Billions,” received a 2024 BAFTA nomination for his “Assassin’s Creed Mirage” score, and co-composed Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard From Earth” for the Las Vegas Sphere.

What album is the Serj Tankian Bowie cover on?

It’s a single from Brendan Angelides’ upcoming album “Can You Feel The End Begin?”, which is released on August 14, 2026.

Why is the video made of childhood photos?

Angelides has explained that the video was constructed from his and Tankian’s own childhood photographs. The pair filmed themselves to drive motion capture, which was then face-tracked and composited, resulting in animated child versions of the two artists.

What is the original I’m Afraid Of Americans about?

Written by David Bowie and Brian Eno, the song presents a critique of America seen through the eyes of a stereotypical figure named “Johnny.” A rough early mix appeared on the Showgirls soundtrack in 1995 before Bowie remade it for his 1997 album Earthling.

Did Trent Reznor work on the original?

Yes. Reznor oversaw the 1997 remix project and performed additional vocals, guitar, bass and drums on the V1 mix, which became the best-known version of the song. He also starred in the music video, playing Johnny opposite Bowie.

Is System Of A Down releasing new music?

System Of A Down has not released a full studio album since 2005, and no new album has been announced. The band remains active live, with 2026 European dates and a 2027 Australian and New Zealand stadium tour alongside Faith No More.

Alright, SOAD faithful — does Serj’s take hold up against Bowie’s original and the Reznor remix, or is that a fight nobody wins? Give us your verdict in the comments, and follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian Has Covered David Bowie’s I’m Afraid Of Americans appeared first on Loaded Radio.

July 28, 2026