DARON MALAKIAN Breaks Silence on Why SYSTEM OF A DOWN Won't Release New Album: 'Where Do You Pick Up From?'

Daron Malakian, guitarist and one of the founding members of System of a Down, recently shared his thoughts on why the band probably will not release a new studio album anytime soon. The comments came during an interview on the Talk Is Jericho podcast, hosted by Chris Jericho, frontman of the band Fozzy and well-known wrestling figure.

System of a Down, known for their influential albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize, both released in 2005, has not put out a full-length album of new material since then. The band has toured off and on since 2011 but has stopped short of creating a full album. Malakian, 49, spoke openly about the situation and what it means for the band’s future.

The Evolution That Was Cut Short

Malakian explained that the band was in the middle of evolving their sound before the long break. He said,

“Well, we could do it and it might even be good. I don’t know. But if you listen to even those five records that we have, if you listen to the first album to ‘Toxicity’, there is a difference between them. There was an evolution happening.”

He added that the hiatus, though not something he always agreed with, became a fact of life for the band.

“There was a time I was a little bit more pissed off about it. Now I kind of am, like, it is what it is. But what I was pissed off about was that we didn’t get a chance to continue that evolution. ‘Cause I think we were capable of that,”.

Malakian also criticized bands that tend to make the same album repeatedly.

“I think you’ve got some bands that make the same album over and over and over again. We would not have been that band. We kept our sound, but that sound would’ve gone into different places.”

The main regret he expressed is the lost opportunity to explore new directions together.

Picking Up Years Later

One of the challenges Malakian sees in making a new album is the long gap since their last. “That’s why I said what I said [in a previous interview], that making an album 20, 25 years later, where do you pick up from?” The question hints at the difficulty of reconnecting creatively after so much time apart.

Still Drawing Huge Crowds

Despite not releasing new music for two decades, System of a Down still attracts large audiences. Malakian recalled their recent South American tour, where they sold out every stadium they played.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen any of the footage from that, but it was @#$%! nuts. It was nuts. I’d been doing this a while and I never experienced anything like that before.”

The band also has plans for East Coast shows in the U.S., again playing stadium venues. Malakian noted that producer Rick Rubin had expressed amazement at their drawing power without frequent new releases.

“When I did [legendary producer] Rick’s [Rubin] podcast, we talked about how we’re playing in front of the 60,000 people, and he was, like, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it, where a band that doesn’t regularly put out records is still [able to play in front of so many people],’” Malakian explained.

The Songs Connect Generations

Malakian believes the band’s popularity persists because their music has become part of many people’s lives.

“I also think it’s the songs. The songs have lived with people, and it’s become some of the fabric of their lives in some cases,” he said.

He pointed out that audiences now include much younger fans. “When we’re playing in front of these audiences, I don’t see 50-year-olds in there. I see 18-year-olds. I see 25-year-olds, kids that probably were born maybe even after we released ‘Mezmerize’ and ‘Hypnotize’. But they’re there, and they’re passionate, and they’re into it, and it’s new to them,” Malakian added.

He finished this thought with a note of gratitude, “And once again, man, I’m very, very blessed.”

Limited New Music and Band Dynamics

In the last 20 years, System of a Down has only released two new songs, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” both in 2020. These tracks were created to raise awareness and support for humanitarian efforts linked to the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. The band donated all proceeds to their ancestral homeland of Armenia.

Meanwhile, lead singer Serj Tankian has said that a new album would require a more balanced approach to how the band works together. In an interview earlier in 2024, Tankian mentioned the need for equality in sharing music ideas, publishing rights, and vision.

“Egalitarian approach to everything within the band. [In other words] kind of more equality in terms of sourcing of the music, in terms of splitting everything, including publishing, in terms of ideas, in terms of sharing the vision, that kind of stuff.”

Tankian also said he once presented what he called a “manifesto” to the band with ideas for a new direction, but the group was not ready for it at the time.

"[Laughs] I guess it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work," he admitted, “But I was trying to instill the same type of egalitarian principles as I love as an activist within whatever I do. And at that time, it didn’t work, but maybe it will one day. We’ll see.”

New Work from Daron Malakian

While System of a Down remains mostly quiet on new albums, Malakian has been active with his other band, Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway. In June 2024, they released a new single and music video called “Killing Spree”.

This song is from their upcoming third full-length album, Addicted To The Violence, set for release on July 18.

Malakian took on many roles for this album, composing, producing, and performing most of the music. His longtime bandmates Orbel Babayan (guitar) and Roman Lomtadze (drums) also contributed.

Legacy of System of a Down

Daron Malakian is best known for co-founding System of a Down and writing some of their most famous songs like “Chop Suey!”, “Toxicity”, and “B.Y.O.B.”

System of a Down released their debut album in 1998 and rose quickly to fame. Their 2008 side project, Scars on Broadway, showed a different side of Malakian’s creativity and received praise from critics.

The follow-up album, Dictator, arrived in 2018 and was named among the “20 Best Metal Albums of 2018” by Rolling Stone.

For now, fans may have to be patient with System of a Down and watch Malakian’s solo projects for new music.

Check out the full interview 👇

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