Artist: Serj Tankian

Album: “Elect the Dead”

Release date: Oct. 23

Label: Reprise

Availability: CD, iTunes

Serj Tankian, frontman for System of the Down, has a new solo project out. “Elect the Dead” is a further foray into realm of heavily political lyricism for Tankian, whose peculiar brand of rhythmic talking, shrill screaming and wavering pitch control continues on this album.

Fans of System of the Down will not be disappointed, as this new album sounds very much like something that could have been released by System. However, this doesn’t detract from the album’s political message and effective musicality.

Track two, “The Unthinking Majority,” attacks both the drugged population as well as the inherent “hypocrisy” of the current “democracy.” Track 11, “Beethoven’s Cunt,” could be considered a twisted sort of loving and leaving song. The ethereal piano in “Money” is a perfect fit with Tankian’s critical commentary.

This album also features System of the Down’s John Dolmayan as well as Brian Mantia, who has worked with Primus, Tom Waits and Guns N’ Roses, who both lend their percussive skills. Dan Monti, who has worked with Buckethead, and opera performer Ani Maldjian are also present here.

&#8212 Rashah McChesney

Artist: Saul Williams

Album: “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!”

Release: Nov. 1

Label: none

Availability: Niggytardust.com

A collaborative project of rapper/poet Saul Williams and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor, this album is a fusion of Reznor’s neo-industrial noise and Williams’ flowing poetry. If the title didn’t tell you that this was a racially charged album, maybe song titles like “Convict Colony” and “Tr(n)igger” will.

The concept album examines protagonist “NiggyTardust,” a would-be black revolutionary, as he questions the society he’s rebelling against, the culture he can’t escape from, people’s acceptance of what’s wrong in their lives, and his own role in all this.

This is not a typical rap album – Williams’ dense lyrics have a form far more complex than almost any other, and Reznor’s production shows that he can adapt his work to multiple subjects and isn’t limited to neatly defined eras of sound.

This record is, itself, inevitable, considering the longtime collaboration of Reznor and Williams and the similar roots of hip hop and industrial music. It works, too – much here is very thought-provoking and complex, and Williams’ bluntness is appreciated as he tackles his topics.

A note on the album’s release: it’s only available as a DRM-free download, and users can pay either nothing for a basic MP3 version or $5 for higher-quality versions. Either way, the download includes a PDF lyric booklet and JPEG album cover. While this format looks an awful lot like Radiohead’s recent release, it’s worth considering that the last NIN album, “Year Zero,” was available online for almost a month prior to its release.

&#8212 Bill Cleary