System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian released a teaser for the song “Figure It Out” off his third solo album Harakiri. The word “harakiri” is a Japanese word meaning ritual suicide. The album is a follow-up to 2010’s Imperfect Harmonies. Tankian is accompanied on the album by members of his touring band, which includes Mario Pagliarulo (bass), Troy Zeigler (drums), and Dan Monti (guitar).

For the techies in the music industry, it’s interesting to note that Tankian used an iPad to help with the songwriting process:

“I used the Apple iPad as a songwriting instrument to sketch out three of the songs on the record. We must trick ourselves into writing in different ways to get unexpected results.

For some musicians, the iPad is not just a device of convenience or aesthetics; it’s also a means of creation. Tankian described the influences behind the album:

“The record is different than any I’ve made as a solo artist. It is much more driving and punk-oriented, with influences ranging from goth to electronic to ’80s vibes, dynamically heavy rock to epic melodic songs. Lyrically, it spans the gauntlet of themes from personal, political, and philosophical to spiritual, humor, and love.” (via Ultimate Guitar)

The singer and activist was inspired to start writing the album in 2011 when kids in Piha, New Zealand were setting off fireworks that landed on his neighbor’s property and set a whole hill on fire. Soon after, Serj heard reports of masses of birds and fish dying, an omen that he wove into the Harikiri theme.

Check out “Figure It Out” below: