System of a Down return after 15 years away with two important singles

It’s been a long 15 years since we last heard from them but System of a Down have released two new songs today, November 6th. 

As per SPIN, the tracks come with an important purpose. The band aim to raise attention to the current crisis in their homeland of Armenia.

‘Protect the Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’ were both released on Bandcamp. All proceeds from the songs will be donated to the Armenia Fund, an organisation that provides humanitarian relief to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

While the area is recognised as part of Azerbaijan, it’s mostly controlled by ethnic Armenians. The two countries fought a bloody civil war over the region in the 80’s and 90’s and tension has once again escalated in recent months.

It’s now 15 years since System of a Down’s last record, Hypnotize. One reason for the lengthy absence was a lack of cohesion over the creative progression of the group. Those differences were finally able to be put aside in the name of their homeland.

In a lengthy Instagram post announcing the singles, Serj Tankian said the following: “The current corrupt regimes of Aliyev in Azerbaijan and Erdogan in Turkey not only want to claim Artsakh and Armenia as their own, but are committing genocidal acts with impunity on humanity and wildlife to achieve their mission. They are banking on the world being too distracted with COVID, elections and civil unrest to call out their atrocities.

They have the bankroll, the resources and have recruited massive public relations firms to spin the truth and conceal their barbaric objective of genocide. Between these two dictatorships, there’s a lot of disinformation and silencing of voices within their own countries.

Freedom of speech is not something that is enjoyed by everyone, but it is enjoyed here, so part of that responsibility is getting the truth out there whenever possible. We’re here to protect our land, to protect our culture, and to protect our nation. This is not the time to turn a blind eye.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Tankian reiterated that the gravity of the situation in Armenia far outweighed any differences between bandmates.

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