While we may not be getting any new System of a Down music in the near future (or ever), we can rest easy knowing the members are still on good terms, touring together and even working together on music that’s not SOAD. One perfect example of this is the reports that Serj Tankian will be one of the guests on a new album that band drummer John Dolmayan is currently working on.

The PRP reports that in an interview done in conjunction with Card Capital Fest in Mexico (which appears to be a comic and anime convention), Dolmayan talked a bit about a long-in-the-works album from his side project These Grey Men. In the interview he states, “There’s some cool artists on it. Serj sang two songs. The Avenged Sevenfold singer – I don’t know if you know Matt [M. Shadows], he’s fantastic. Really nice guy, by the way, and he sang a song.”

He also reveals it will be released within the next four months – the video interview was posted on January 2, 2019 – and that all of the songs are finished. He also mentions that Tom Morello played guitar on a song.

Check out the video below. Around the 11 minute mark is when Dolmayan discusses These Grey Men.

Dolmayan showed some of the tension that comes with being in a band full of artists who are growing older and have shifted their priorities away from the nonstop cycle of being in an active, massive rock band. When asked about SOAD coming back to Mexico, he talked about all the reasons it’s unlikely they’ll be in that country in the near future. One reason he gave was the increasing reluctance of certain members of his band to go on tour.

Last year, the two most visible members of the band, singer Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian, gave a couple interviews that seemed to point towards the band never releasing another new album. First Malakian stated in an interview that Tankian was the main driver behind the band’s inability to record any new music (despite the fact that they remain friends and are fairly actively touring). Tankian didn’t deny that claim, stating in an interview shortly after that yes, he had lost interest in creating metal or hard rock music.

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado