System Of A Down‘s Shavo Odadjian has revealed in a new interview that he’s open to recording new material with the band.
The band’s last LPs ‘Hypnotize’ and ‘Mezmerize’ were released in 2005. The following year they announced a hiatus which lasted until 2011, when they reunited for a string of European festival dates. Though they’ve toured intermittently since then, in terms of new music they’ve only released two singles: 2020’s ‘Protect the Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’.
Now, Odadjian has said that his “door is always open” to making new music. “I have a hundred riffs waiting, if they need anything for me,” the bassist told the podcast Loudwire Nights.
He went on to say that “it’s a fucking shame that” that new music from the band is “not happening, because we can do so much. Look, we went in, we did two songs four years ago. How they sound, man. I mean, that could be an album of that shit. And we can even write crazier songs. That was quick. Daron brought a few of those in — boom, boom, boom — and the song was done; it was, like, two days.
“Imagine if it was going in and writing actual music and caring about the album. ‘Cause we compose albums. We’re not, like, songwriters. We’re songwriters that make albums. It’s all about the composition of the album.”
He also stated that the band are still “cool with each other”, saying: “We walk on stage. We love each other. So there’s always gonna be that. I wanna always play shows with them. And you never know, bro. I’m always gonna leave that door open. It shouldn’t be shut.”
Recommended
Speaking to NME in 2021, frontman Serj Tankian revealed that the group had begun work on a follow-up to ‘Hypnotize’ in 2015 but System Of A Down couldn’t see eye to eye on “how to philosophically move forward” so the whole thing was called off. Instead, those songs featured on Tankian’s ‘Elasticity’ EP.
Then, earlier this year, Tankian said he’d be open to the band continuing with a new lead singer, and that he’s “not thrilled about doing long tours”. The same month, an excerpt of his new memoir, Down With The System: A Memoir (Of Sorts) was shared by Rolling Stone, and revealed System Of A Down auditioned a new singer in 2018 after he offered to quit the band.
The previous year, drummer John Dolmayan said the band should have replaced Tankian back in 2006, claiming that “Serj hasn’t really wanted to be in the band for a long time.”
Dolmayan has previously said it’s an “insult” that the band hasn’t released more music, while he and Tankian have publicly clashed numerous times over their political beliefs.
In 2018, Odadjian said that the band have some “really great” ideas down for new material, though “creative differences” are still hindering progress on a potential full-length. He also revealed that they had been at work on “material that tops everything we’ve done” and that he was keen to “record that and drop” what would be the follow-up to 2005 albums ‘Hypnotize’ and ‘Mezmerize’.
But the following April, Malakian followed up the comments by saying the project isn’t “happening anytime soon”, explaining he and his bandmates have “different ways of wanting to do things” in the studio. However, he clarified that System aren’t “enemies”, despite their ongoing creative differences. “There’s nobody in the band saying, ‘I can’t be in the same room with that guy.’ It’s nothing like that,” he said.
[embedded content]
System’s members have since gone on to establish new projects outside of the band. In August, Odadjian announced his new band Seven Hours After Violet who will release their first, self-titled LP on October 11. You can pre-order the limited-edition milky clear black galaxy 2xLP vinyl here.
Elsewhere, Tankian announced a new solo EP, ‘Foundations’ earlier this year.