Fans hoping for a new System Of A Down album have been left disappointed, with guitarist Daron Malakian revealing that any forward progress has been halted by vocalist Serj Tankian.
While fans have been eagerly awaiting a new record from Tool, spare a thought for System Of A Down fans, who have been hoping for a new album from the band ever since 2005.
Having gone on hiatus in 2006 following the release of Mezmerize and Hypnotize, the group reunited in 2010, performing all over the world, but never quite entering the studio to lay down some new tracks.
While guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan have explained that there’s “one member” holding them back, it was soon revealed that the cause of this delay is their frontman Serj Tankian.
Back in July, Tankian revealed that he was the cause for the band’s hiatus, and didn’t even want to be involved in their last two albums.
“It is true that I and only I was responsible for the hiatus SOAD took in 2006,” Tankian revealed. “Everyone else wanted to continue at the same pace to tour and make records.”
Despite this, the group maintain they’re all still on good terms and happy to play shows. However, while bassist Shavo Odadjian recently said it’s “just a matter of time” before a new album surfaces, Serj Tankian recently dismissed any notion of a new record.
Check out Daron Malakian of SOAD in an interview with Talk Is Jericho:
Now, in a new interview with Talk Is Jericho (via Blabbermouth), Daron Malakian has explained that while the majority of the band wants to move forward, but are facing pushback from Serj Tankian.
“System had a certain way of putting together the albums and the music, and I guess that was me writing and all that, and producing the records, along with Rick [Rubin],” Malakian explained.
“And Serj wants to do things a different way. And it’s not just me — it’s kind of three of us that don’t necessarily see eye to eye with where he would wanna take the band.”
“So that’s kind of where we’re at. A lot of people think it’s just between me and him, and that’s not really the case.”
Despite this apparent creative stalemate, Malakian confirmed that the band-members are on good terms with each other.
“I don’t hate anybody in my band,” he explained. “A lot of people are, like, ‘Well, creative differences.'”
“In our case, that’s the truth. It really is a creative-difference type of thing where a few of us wanna take the band and where someone wants to take the band in another way. And it’s a creative-difference thing.”
“When it comes to happy holidays, Easters, birthdays, we’re all still cool, we all consider each other like a family. System of A Down is a special thing, and it’s us four. Like I said, in our case, there is none of that, ‘I can’t stand seeing the guy eat a hamburger.'”
Whatever the case, it looks as though the wait for a new album from System Of A Down might keep us in suspense for quite some time to come.
Check out ‘Chop Suey!’ by SOAD:
