Glaring Through Oblivion

by Serj Tankian

From Serj Tankian—Grammy Award–winning lead singer of System Of A Down, songwriter, activist, and poet. Following his critically acclaimed debut poetry book, Cool Gardens , comes this new collection of stunning and original poems of darkness and light. Complemented by the transformative illustrations of the noted artist Roger Kupelian.

Genres: Poetry, Art, Fiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2011

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this book at three stars based on the artwork of Roger Kupelian, which is gorgeously vibrant; a collection of atmospherically surreal montages. On its own, Kupelian's work comes in at a solid 4/5 stars. Tankian's poetry, however, strikes me as something that Rik, the People's Poet, might have come up with after dropping out of university. It's not that I disagree with Tankian's position on the issues raised in his largely political poems, but he's as subtle as a brick through a window, overly-earnest and seemingly desperate to show his radical colours. A few neat lines aside, there's a lot of tortuously overwrought imagery, doggerel rhymes and a lurking leavening of lumpen alliteration. I do feel I'm getting a little carried away with my criticism; a lot of work has obviously gone into Tankian's poems ... though, perhaps that's the problem.

Anyway, the book has generally good ratings on this and other book reviews sites, perhaps from fans of Tankian's band, System of a Down, or perhaps he's just not my cup of tea and there's a quality to his work I'm missing. I bought this on a whim, a roll of the dice that was partially successful, partially a disappointment.

[Diogenes Grief · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I’m a biased reader discovering that Serj had written a book (2 books!) of poetry infused with visual art. I call him by his first name because I’ve been a fan of old System of a Down since their first video was included in a Rock Video Monthly VHS tape in the late-90s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vBGO...). For those who may not know, Serj is/was the lead singer for what I consider to be the foremost politically and socially conscious metal band of the modern era, after Rage Against the Machine, and in which Machine Head has now taken up the mantle. Serj is also a Lebanon-born Armenian and a prominent activist in the recognition of the Turkish genocide of Armenians (for which the Nazis used as a model towards perfecting the extermination of people), and basic social justice globally. Having that in your family lineage, plus pure artistic talent and fiery theatrics, makes for an awesome sage. While I’m not a fan of the schism that happened within the band, nor Serj’s more radio-friendly solo work, his gift for cerebral artistry is nearly unmatched. Glaring Through Oblivion is a poignant collection of poetry bound by paintings by Roger Kupelian, reflecting on the post-9/11 world.

While my Oyster copy was tarnished by a formatting error (I sent an email to Oyster inquiring about this), it nevertheless captivated me both visually and poetically. This isn’t E.E. Cummings-style poetry; it’s rock lyrics without the repetitive chorus: thoughts and emotions, reflections and fears, plunged upon the page. This would make for a cool coffee table book in any tattoo parlor, head shop, or underground think tank.

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Serj Tankian for his solo career as well as System of a Down. So when I saw he has written a book of «poetry» I pick it right up. I was disappointed, the rhythm wasn't there. I like and respect his ideas and what it try to pass on but the sonority wasn't what I expected.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I added this to my TBR last summer after reading Serj's excellent memoir Down with the System: A Memoir. I loved that book, and when I learned that he had published previously, I decided to seek it out.

Unfortunately, it's poetry, and poetry and I don't get along very well. I WANT to get it, but it just doesn't speak to me. Does not compute.


That being said, I was determined to at least try, and I'm glad that I did, because while the majority of the poems in this book felt a bit like experimental word play games, the last one was more of what I was expecting. I really liked it, and it felt especially apt considering what is happening politically right now, and specifically yesterday, when I read it.

I don't really GET poetry, but I liked this one.

Borders

Borders are the gallows
Of our collective national egos,
Subjective lines in sand,
In the water, separating everything,

Fear is the cause of separation
Backed with illicit conversation,
Procured by constant condemnations,
National blood painted persuasions.

Here's my song,
For the free,
No it's not about brazen publicity,
Corporatocracy, what a hypocrisy,
Aristocracy versus democracy,

Fear is the cause of separation
Backed with illicit conversation,
Procured by constant condemnations,
National blood painted persuasions.

The king is dead and now
We're dancing in the streets,
As the waters rise we're nearly
Covering our feet,
The gods are dead and now
We're dancing in the streets,
As the waters rise we're merely
Cowering in defeat,

I'll never let you go.

I wish I could say that I liked the full collection as well. I WANT to like it. But... not every thing is for every one, and I'm OK with that. I did like the art in this though.

[Donald Armfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following his debut collection Tankian returns with a second dose of political darkness and activism spitballs. Similar to his voice in “Steal This Album” Tankian belts the system and other injustices with lines that glare through an oblivion constructed by the dirt of its creators. The artwork of Roger Kupelian is remarkable and sits well with this collection.

Favorites
Countless Manipulations
World of Words
The Void
Salvation
The Silk Weaver

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as Cool Gardens, if not better. Can NEVER get enough of Serj!

[Matthew Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

book is filled with breathtaking imagery and statements that make you think :)

[Christopher Besonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read his previous release "Cool Gardens" I knew to anticipate the unexpected and expect outputs of new and/or agreeable thoughts - as always when exploring the art of Serj. Might sound ridiculous, but I was surprised by the level of poetry in this one. I felt it was stronger in poetical writing than his debut, but admittedly I liked his first release a little better. That's just my preference, this one is still packed with a lot of great material and I'm very glad to have read all of Tankian's books now. His talents definitely aren't confined to just music so regardless of what you think of the noise he creates be sure to give his poetry and autobiography a chance.

[Keith Saylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Lagoonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This is exactly what I was expecting and I loved the visual art.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had both amazing poems and artwork which made it worth reading for me. The poetry was quite similar to 'Cool Gardens' and I felt the same way about them. Some of the poems were not very interesting and I found them quite mediocre. However there were many which made this book enjoyable. My favourites are 'Salivation', 'Uncertainty', 'The Teacher', 'Soon', 'Time' and 'The Incandescent Pause'.
This book even showed the inspiration to some of Serj's songs from as far back as System of a Down. One of his poems talked about the generation of bottled water and that line is in the song 'Dreaming'.

[Zac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Serj is a great singer, musician, activist, etc. but his poetry stands far better when lyricized than as poetry. He tries too hard with alliteration and assonance that would work fat better as slam poetry.

[Eze Vannucchi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's sad to say but even though this book helps me to fully comprehend some of his lyrics and the artwork is very cool, the first one (Cool Gardens) was way better. At some point son words or phrases feel quite forced or don't lead anywhere.

[Victor · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book. I don't even think it deserves one star. Sort of sad because he makes good music and I liked his other book of poems. This book just has a political agenda to it.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this book by talented singer/songwriter

[Shannon Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were a fan of SOAD you'll enjoy this. If you enjoy political poetry a must read. The illustrations compliment the verses quite well.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا]