The System of A Down saga is like watching your parents fight in public. All fans want is to hear new music.
Vocalist Serj Tankian has said the band's members "haven’t been able to see eye to eye", guitarist Daron Malakian said Tankian didn't even want to do the 2005 albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize. Beyond creative differences, it seems there is a business dispute on how to split songwriting royalties.
Daron Malakian's Scars On Broadway ended up using some material that was meant for the System Of A Down record that's basically never going to happen. Serj Tankian explained that the main hold up was a disagreement on how royalties were to be distributed amongst the band, as well as who has creative input. Now, Tankian has told fans he's ready to release the music they wrote a few years back, and that fans just need to convince the other members.
Drummer John Dolmayan, who has been hard on his own band this year, saying they've been half-assing it, was inspired by today's news of Red Hot Chili Peppers reuniting with John Frusciante to try to get System off their ass. The photo, which you can see below, features a collage with the logos of Tool, RHCP, Rage Against the Machine and a System of A Down logo sticker upside down.
Posting on Instagram, Dolmayan writes:
“Three of these bands can get out of their own way and work together for a common goal, maybe the fourth can as well. Perhaps it’s time to put all the bullshit aside, check the massive egos at the door, and do together what none of us can do alone. Maybe, just maybe a Christmas miracle will happen. Maybe it can be a System Of A Down”
It would seem that Dolmayan is calling out Serj Tankian, based on previous comments everybody has made.
For his part, Tankian takes the comment in stride commenting on the post "I don't have that System stick. I like it upside down :)"
Are we getting warmer? Or is this just some social media fun?
System will be seeing plenty of each other next year. Here are the shows they have announced so far:
06/03 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggo Dome [Tickets]
06/05-07 Nurburg, GER – Rock am Ring [Tickets]
06/06-07 Nuremberg, GER – Rock im Park [Tickets]
06/08 Berlin, GER – Waldbuhne [Tickets]
06/10-13 Nickelsdorf, AUT – Nova Rock Festival [Tickets]
06/14 Donington, UK – Download Festival [Tickets]
06/16 Prague, CZE – O2 Arena [Tickets]
06/17 Budapest, HUN – Laszlo Papp Sports Arena [Tickets]
06/19 Zurich, SWI – Hallenstadion [Tickets]
06/23 Stockholm, SWE – Ericsson Globe [Tickets]
06/25-27 Seinäjoki, FIN – Provinssirock Festival [Tickets]
06/30 Krakow, POL – Tauron Arena [Tickets]
07/01-04 Viveiro, SPA – Resurrection Fest [Tickets]
07/02-03 Lisbon, POR – VOA Heavy Rock Festival [Tickets]
