System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian has opened up about the band’s future, noting that “it’s weird” they haven’t made a new record yet.
Over the last few months, it’s been an endless back-and-forth between members of System Of A Down in regards to the status of a new album.
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.”
“I’ve always felt continuing to do the same thing with the same people over time is artistically redundant even for a dynamic outfit like ours. By that time I felt that I needed a little time to do my own work.”
“I wanted to leave the band before Mezmerize/Hypnotize for these developing reasons. This is why I personally don’t feel as close to the music on those records. There were songs I wanted to bring in but was hampered by unkept promises coupled by my own passivity at the time.”
Now, in a new interview, bassist Shavo Odadjian has explained that he’s confident the group will make a new record in the future.
Check out System Of A Down’s ‘Toxicity’:
Speaking to Consequence Of Sound, Shavo Odadjian has explained that relationships between the band members are fine, and that he believes the group will make a new album eventually.
“I think so. I think we can,” Odadjian began. “Nothing between us has happened that’s so terrible that people can’t get in the studio and work. Nothing! Everything is just [a matter of] taste, and they just gotta get in and forget the past, and kind of move forward.”
“And I think that will happen. I’m not worried. I’m not worried at all.”
“Everything that you heard over the summer, that they kind of brought into public, was stuff that was in the past. That stuff happened a long time ago. So, it’s like, 10 years later, something new came up, but it wasn’t really new. It was something that was really old, and they were just hashing it out.”
“We’re not even fighting. When we see each other, we’re so happy and we’re cool. It’s weird that we don’t have a new record, or many records, and it’s weird that we don’t go on world tours. We tour, but it’s so little.”
Check out System Of A Down’s ‘Kill Rock ‘n Roll’:
Elsewhere, Shavo Odadjian discussed just how important it is for bands like System Of A Down, Tool, and Rammstein – all acts who haven’t released albums in many years – to help bring rock back into focus for music lovers.
“Bro, if it was up to me, we would have done that already,” Odadjian explained. “I think it kind of started with us singing that ‘Kill Rock N’ Roll’ song, and then it kind of happened. I would love to bring it back.”
“And, can I be honest with you? Between you and me and this world, and to the people who read this interview, we have material that tops everything we’ve done. And that’s me telling you, honestly. I can’t wait to record that and drop it.”
“It’s just a matter of time. I just hope it happens sooner than later,” he continued. “But we’ve written stuff together. Daron’s brought a lot of stuff in. I’ve brought stuff to Daron and we’ve worked it out. I have so much more stuff that is ready to go out.”
“I’ve told Daron this, too. I’ve said, ‘We’ve gotta get this done,’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’d love to.’ So, we all want to, and I think Serj is kind of doing his own thing, and I get it.”
“I don’t think we owe it to anyone [to bring back rock music to the forefront], but it would be nice if we did that, because we’re capable of it.”
While it’s not clear when or if we will indeed get a new System Of A Down album, it’s certainly much more heartening to know the band want to make one, instead of the gloomy rumours that have been doing the rounds.
Check out System Of A Down’s ‘Chop Suey!’:
