System Of A Down have not released a new album since its two efforts Hypnotize and Mezmerize in late 2004/early 2005, and it seems like it's going to stay that way for a while. It looks like some members of the band are getting restless. Drummer John Dolmayan has started working on a solo project (on which frontman Serj Tankian is expected to make an appearance). And he's not the only one.
Guitarist Daron Malakian has announced he is reactivating his solo project, Scars on Broadway. The band has renamed themselves to Daron Malakian and the Scars on Broadway. The band has been inactive since playing a 2012 show in Los Angeles, opening for Deftones.
Malakian has promised a new track and music video will be released on April 23rd, directed by Hayk Kharikyan and Mikael Sharafya.
Malakian will be joined by an entirely new backing band, but wanted to make it clear there is no drama. "Nobody quit. When I first started Scars, I always said that it would be different lineups from album to album. Depends on the type of direction I want to take. Different musicians work for different styles. That is partly why I added my name in front of the band's."
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Does this make the prospect of new System of a Down music even more impossible?
While it looked as though there was hope for a new System of A Down album in 2017, bassist Shavo Odadjian said recently he doesn't see the album happening anytime soon. In a recent interview, Serj Tankian said the band can't agree on how to move forward.
We have. We've discussed it and we've played each other songs, but we still haven't come eye to eye on how things should be done for us to be able to move forward with it. And that's where it's been.
Tankian says despite the lack of a new record over the course of 12 years, people shouldn't assume the band isn't getting along. They're still really good friends (and family now in some cases) and they have fun doing shows, but a new record just isn't something that's happening at the moment.
That's the funny thing. When people don't see a record, they assume the worst about your internal relationship. But the truth is we're actually better friends – at least I'm better friends with everyone than I've ever been. John's my brother-in-law; he's in my family. We have a great time together touring. But sometimes putting together a record, and that creative output and how things should be done, is different in four people's heads and it doesn't always come together. Fortunate or unfortunate, however you want to call it, that's the truth. But touring is easy, because you've done all these songs. You have fun, you go out and tour, and that's it.
System of A Down have announced a handful of tour dates for this fall. Get those dates here.
