In a brand new Rolling Stone interview, System of a Down lead vocalist and songwriter Serj Tankian said that he and his band mates are thinking about making a new album in the future.
The majority of Tankian’s interview focused on the band’s upcoming spring 2015 world tour, in which they have planned a concert in Armenia. The nation has always held a special place in the hearts of the System of a Down band members, as they are all from families that survived the Armenian genocide of 1915, which was an extermination attempt of the Armenian people perpetuated by the Ottoman Empire.
As previously reported, the band will begin their tour in London on April 10th, 2015, and end with a concert in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on April 23rd. This show is significant for two reasons; first, it will be the band’s first time to play a concert in their ancestral homeland, although Tankian has played in Armenia as a solo artist. And, their concert comes the day before Armenia – and the Armenian diaspora around the world – will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the genocide on the 24th of April 2015. And, the band has plans to live-stream the concert in Yerevan to their fans around the world, according to Blabbermouth.
Then, the interview segues into talking about the possibility of a new System of a Down album. Rolling Stone asks: “Shifting topics, it’s been 10 years since the last System of a Down album. Are you guys talking about making a new one yet?”
And, Tankian responded, “There has been talk, and we are going to play this tour, come back and we’re going to see where we are. If we have songs that work for System, if I have them and Daron [Malakian, guitar] has them. The openness is there to work together, but we haven’t made any particular plans that we can announce.”
Next, Rolling Stone asked if he had been writing any songs with System of a Down in mind.
“I have a few that could apply, but I’m not sure until the time comes where I can actually play them for the guys and see if it’s something that vibes off them,” Tankian told Rolling Stone.
He elaborated on this, saying, “Right now, I’m actually focusing on a film score. It’s actually a really cool score, and it’s for a film based on, again, the genocide. That’s all I’m dealing with right now. It’s called 1915. It’s a very interesting drama that’s actually shot in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Theater, a very old and distinguished theater. It’s a really, really interesting psychological thriller, modern story. It deals with denial and the psychological impacts of a genocide rather than the physical aspects of it.”
And, Tankian capped off his interview with Rolling Stone by saying that if there is a new album in the works, the fans will know before the media outlets are told.
The lack of new material has been a point of friction within the band in recent years. As far back as May 2013, System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian posted Facebook message, which implied that vocalist Tankian was the reason for the band not putting out new material. The frontman would go on to deny rumors of new album in the works that year. And, in July 2014, System of a Down’s drummer John Dolmayan also spoke out about the band’s lack of new music.
The last new System of a Down albums were “Mezmerize” and “Hypnotize”, and according to Blabbermouth, both were released in 2005. So, the wait continues for a new System of a Down album.
Leave a Comment