SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan has as soon as once more opened up in regards to the band’s stalled makes an attempt to document a follow-up to its “Mezmerize” and “Hypnotize” LPs, which got here out in 2005.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, however has solely managed to document two songs within the final 18 years, “Defend The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”. Launched in November 2020, the tracks have been motivated by the battle between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN‘s ancestral homeland of Armenia. Together with different donations from followers on their social pages, they’ve raised over $600,000.
Dolmayan addressed SYSTEM OF A DOWN‘s lack of ability to supply extra new music throughout an look on the “Battleline Podcast”. He mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Serj [Tankian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer] hasn’t actually needed to be within the band for a very long time. And fairly frankly, we most likely ought to have parted methods round 2006. We tried to get collectively a number of instances to make an album, however there have been sure guidelines set in place that made it tough to take action and keep the integrity of what SYSTEM OF A DOWN stood for. So we could not actually come collectively and agree. And a part of that’s Serj‘s fault, and a part of that’s my fault, and Shavo‘s [Odadjian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist] and Daron‘s [Malakian, SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist] as nicely. However on the finish of the day, in case you have a majority of the band considering a method and one individual considering the opposite, it is very tough to return collectively and make music considering that individual is essential. And each member of this band is essential to the general sound of the band. And you will know this by listening to anyone’s aspect tasks; they’re by no means fairly that good in comparison with SYSTEM. In reality, I believe quite a lot of ’em aren’t excellent in any respect. And once you evaluate that to what we do collectively as SYSTEM, you perceive why the workforce issues and having sure abilities come collectively and merge matter and that magic factor captured doing that issues.”
John continued: “It doesn’t matter what, Daron is likely one of the finest songwriters I’ve ever seen in my life. What he does with [his side project] SCARS [ON BROADWAY] won’t ever be on the identical degree or league as SYSTEM. That does not imply SCARS is dangerous; it simply means it is not SYSTEM. ‘Trigger on the finish of the day, he does not have me enjoying drums; he does not have Shavo enjoying bass and bringing in sure riffs and including to Daron‘s music, and he does not have Serj bringing his melody and lyrics into the play. So it is all these issues that make us SYSTEM.”
Requested to elaborate on his remark that SYSTEM OF A DOWN “ought to have parted methods round 2006”, John mentioned: “I believe we should always have moved on, and if Serj did not wanna be within the band at the moment, we should always have simply moved on and accomplished it with any person else. However that is what occurs once you’re loyal and you actually wanna make it work; you will put up with issues which may be detrimental to the well being of the band or the well being of the scenario. Possibly it could have been higher if we moved on and acquired one other singer for an album or two and continued to make music and introduced Serj again later if he needed to return again. That most likely would have been higher. However as it’s, I believe we wasted 15, possibly 20 years of our lives ready.”
Pressed about what it’s like for him and his bandmates to nonetheless carry out reside collectively, Dolmayan mentioned: “Once we’re truly on stage, it is nice. It is simply attending to that time that’s disheartening. We now have one present booked for subsequent 12 months. One present. That is it.”
In line with John, a number of of the SYSTEM members would like to be much more energetic on the reside circuit. “I believe we want to be working much more, however Serj additionally has a foul again now; he is tousled his again in some way,” he mentioned. “And he simply does not wanna tour as a lot as the remainder of us do. Look, if my spouse instructed me that we have been gonna have intercourse every year, I might be divorced. So you work that out for what it’s.
“I do not suppose that is sustainable,” John admitted. “The remainder of us wanna work much more than he does. Now I do not know if which means we’re simply gonna break up and neglect about it and name it a profession or if we’re gonna transfer ahead with any person else or if Serj is gonna come round. Finally, the best-case state of affairs for me is Serj comes round and we are able to do, like, 15, 20 exhibits a 12 months. Even that will be sufficient. We would be able to go to locations that we’ve not gone in a very long time and play in entrance of followers which have by no means seen us play. That is essential to me.”
Dolmayan added: “I do not know what’s gonna occur. Even speaking about SYSTEM form of bums me out, as a result of I do know what our potential is. And I do know that if we make an album, it will be implausible ‘trigger we now have songs which were prepared for 5 [or] six years now; we simply need to go in and document ’em. And I do not know if that is gonna occur or not.”
The drummer concluded: “You solely get one shot at life. Make one of the best of it.”
In 2018, Malakian publicly accused Tankian of not desirous to document, with Tankian responding that inventive and monetary points with Malakian led to the stalemate. In a message on Fb, Tankian wrote that Malakian needed to manage SYSTEM‘s inventive course of, take extra of the publishing cash and be the one bandmember to talk to the press.
In an interview with Guitar World journal, Malakian was requested in regards to the possibilities of extra new music from SYSTEM OF A DOWN within the close to future. He responded: “I by no means say by no means, however on the identical time, I am not anticipating to do any extra with SYSTEM OF A DOWN immediately or instantly after [these two songs]. It actually does seem to be our followers like these new songs. That is essential to me.”
He continued: “We have added two new songs to the SYSTEM catalog which can be on the extent with every part else that we have put out and our followers have accepted it that method, which implies so much to me. That is kinda the place we’re gonna depart it for now. If extra occurs afterward, then we’ll speak about that, however for now I’ll proceed doing what I am doing and everybody else will simply proceed what they’re doing. It is all cool although, I am actually happy with the response we acquired.”
Two years in the past, Odadjian mentioned SYSTEM‘s lack of ability to document a full-length follow-up to its “Mezmerize” and “Hypnotize” LPs throughout an look on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn‘s “No Fuckin’ Regrets With Robb Flynn” podcast. On the time, Shavo acknowledged in regards to the overwhelmingly constructive response to “Defend The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”: “To me, that is all bittersweet, as a result of I believe we are able to nonetheless do it, however due to misunderstandings [between] bandmembers, we’re not doing it. Have a look at us — we now have a standard trigger. We get collectively, we do two songs, two movies.
“I am that member that also everyone seems to be like one of the best buddy of mine, however they don’t seem to be finest mates with one another a lot,” he defined. “They’re, however they’ve variations in opinions and stuff. I’ve a method of understanding every member and saying, ‘Dude, we are able to overcome this.’ It is not that huge of a deal — nobody fucking banged anybody’s spouse; nobody did any of these issues that may actually destroy a relationship. It is only a distinction in opinion of issues. And I believe folks ought to be [able to] work it out. However as a result of, I believe, of what we had, I believe it is, like, some persons are caught in what we had and a few folks wanna transfer ahead and never do what we had and do one thing completely completely different, which is incorrect too. I do not suppose we should always do one thing completely completely different; I believe we should always do one thing that each agree [on]. And we’re having a tough time [agreeing on a direction], and that is the place we’re.
“So, to me, it is bittersweet, as a result of I see everyone, and everybody’s, like, ‘We love Shavo.’ And I am, like, ‘I really like you,’ however then they cannot work collectively.”
Shavo went on to reiterate his perception that the variations between the SYSTEM members are usually not insurmountable. “I do not suppose something so horrible has occurred,” he mentioned. “We’re all alive. We’re all mates. I swear, when there’s conversations occurring, it is very legit, very loving. Nobody’s hating on one another. They’re very well mannered in the direction of one another. Serj and Daron, once they speak, they’re linked, they’re good to one another. Nobody’s hating, nobody’s cussing, nobody’s saying ‘fuck you’, nobody’s saying ‘you ruined…’, ‘you probably did this.’ It is simply that part that is fucked up.
“Daron introduced these songs in,” Shavo mentioned, referring to “Defend The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”. “And we have labored that method earlier than. A music like ‘Battle?’ was introduced in by Daron — that was a Daron music; Daron introduced that in, and that occurred. After which there is a music like ‘Sugar’, the place I introduced that in. And there is a music like ‘Query!’ the place Serj introduced it [in]. So we now have alternative ways of writing songs, [and] it ought to be like that once more. However due to what’s occurred, I really feel prefer it’s form of like grow to be this huge subject now.
“I believe on the finish of issues, after we’re previous and grey, we’re gonna look again and be, like, ‘Fuck, we have been idiots,’ for not taking the time and seizing the day. I imagine in seizing the day in every part I do, and that is what I do — that is why I am so busy these days.
“Like I mentioned, I am telling you right here, there’s nothing that is occurred that may’t be labored out. So I all the time have hope. I am doing every part figuring out that SYSTEM‘s not useless, and it hasn’t been useless.”
