We've pretty much given up on the prospect of new music from System of a Down. But the new solo release from frontman Serj Tankian might just please fans of the band's landmark release, Toxicity.
First, a little background if you need to catch up. Tankian has said the band's members "haven’t been able to see eye to eye", guitarist Daron Malakian said Tankian didn't even want to do the 2005 albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize. Beyond creative differences, it seems there is a business dispute on how to split songwriting royalties.
Daron Malakian's Scars On Broadway ended up using some material that was meant for the System Of A Down record that's basically never going to happen. Serj Tankian explained that the main hold up was a disagreement on how royalties were to be distributed amongst the band, as well as who has creative input.
Tankian has went ahead and rearranged some of the songs he was planning for the System release for a new "rock EP." Speaking to Spin, Tankian says of the release: "Originally I had these songs in mind for a System record if we were to end up doing a System record. But as we could not really see eye to eye on how to go forward with that I decided to finish them off myself and release them as an EP."
When asked why this new EP reminds him of System, Tankian responds "I always have random rock tracks done at different times and I sit on them. And then one day the right project or right idea for releasing them will come along. They all have piano or synthesizers, which is a little different than the four-person crew with System, although we had some synths as well. It’s got stuff that’s really heavy, heavy and there’s a funny aspect and then there’s a song about my son. It kind of runs the gauntlet on diversity of thematic expression: political, non-political. I guess that’s always been me, all over the place. I think I’m gonna call it Elasticity just because I wanted to do it with System and it didn’t happen. For me, it’s not Toxicity but it is Toxicity. [Laughs.] That’s what I’m thinking of calling it. I haven’t finalized it, but that’s what I’m thinking of calling it. We’ll probably put it out later this year."
Well, color me interested. Read the full Spin interview, where he discusses the state of the world's politics here.
