JOHN DOLMAYAN On New SYSTEM OF A DOWN Music: 'Don't Expect It, But If It Happens, It'll Be A Nice Surprise For All Of Us' – BLABBERMOUTH.NET

In a new interview with Argentina’s Rock & Pop FM 95.9 radio station, SYSTEM OF A DOWN drummer John Dolmayan spoke about the band’s stalled attempts to record a follow-up to its „Mezmerize“ and „Hypnotize“ LPs, which came out in 2005. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): „I would say that if you are satisfied with what you have, then you don’t need more. It’s like if you go to dinner and you just keep eating, eventually you’re not gonna be hungry anymore. But if you know what you wanna eat and you look forward to that and you enjoy it, then you won’t be hungry. Now if SYSTEM OF A DOWN makes more music, and that’s not impossible, although after 25 years, it’s unlikely. I would say that don’t expect it, but if it happens, it’ll be a nice surprise for all of us.“
SYSTEM OF A DOWN has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, but has only managed to record two songs in the last 20 years, „Protect The Land“ and „Genocidal Humanoidz“. Released in November 2020, the tracks were motivated by the conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with all proceeds supporting humanitarian efforts in SYSTEM OF A DOWN‚s ancestral homeland of Armenia. Along with other donations from fans on their social pages, they raised over $600,000.
Last year, SYSTEM OF A DOWN singer Serj Tankian, while promoting his memoir „Down With The System“, was asked in an interview with The Jesea Lee Show what it would take for him and his bandmates to release a new studio album. He responded: „Egalitarian approach to everything within the band. [In other words] kind of more equality in terms of sourcing of the music, in terms of splitting everything, including publishing, in terms of ideas, in terms of sharing the vision — that kind of stuff.“
He continued: „It’s in the book. We call it a manifesto jokingly because I wrote points down that, years ago when I had some new songs that I thought would be amazing with SYSTEM, and so I played it for the guys. And I said, ‚Guys, I’ve got an idea of a vision, a different way forward that I think would be very beneficial for the band.‘ And I presented it — we call it a manifesto in the book almost half jokingly, but bringing a manifesto to rock musicians is… [Laughs] I guess it doesn’t work — it doesn’t work. But I was trying to instill the same type of egalitarian principles as I love as an activist within whatever I do. And at that time, it didn’t work, but maybe it will one day. We’ll see.“
SYSTEM OF A DOWN launched its South American tour on April 24 at Estadio Nemésio Camacho El Campin in Bogota, Colombia. The nine-show „Wake Up! South America“ tour then played in Cercado De Lima, Peru at the Estadio Nacional before moving on to Chile, Argentina and Brazil, wrapping up with a run of five shows in Curitiba, Rio De Janeiro and São Paulo. The concerts are SYSTEM OF A DOWN‚s first visit to South America since 2015.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN added second shows as part of the band’s one-of-a-kind massive stadium events this year. The run of 2025 North American shows will kick off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 27-28 with special guests KORN, as well as two night at Soldier Field in Chicago (August 31-September 1) with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and a final stop at Rogers Stadium in Toronto on September 3 and September 5 with DEFTONES.
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