It would seem that Daron Malakian is done waiting on System Of A Down.
Instead, he’s back in the driver’s seat of Scars On Broadway, announcing the band’s first album since 2018—Addicted to the Violence—and dropping a heavy, unflinching new single called “Killing Spree.”
Out July 18, the upcoming record marks the third release under the Scars name, and like the rest of the band’s catalogue, it’s largely a solo affair. Malakian handled most of the writing, production and composition duties himself, though longtime collaborators Orbel Babayan (guitar) and Roman Lomtadze (drums) are also back in the fold.
The album’s lead single doesn’t tiptoe around its subject matter. “Killing Spree” takes aim at modern society’s numbness toward violence—whether in schools, on the streets, or broadcast straight to your phone. “Kids have rebelled forever. Mental disorders have always been there too,” Malakian said in a statement. “But we now have a generation that is so detached and desensitized. There’s no respect for life.”
That sentiment bleeds through the track like a punch to the sternum. It’s fast, unrelenting, and soaked in the same kind of acidic sarcasm that made Mezmerize and Dictator cult favourites. But this isn’t nostalgia—Malakian sounds more focused and pissed off than ever.
And if you’re wondering what this means for System Of A Down— I wouldn’t hold your breath. Malakian recently told Rick Rubin he’s not sure he even wants to make another SOAD album. “I’m not sure how much I want that anymore,” he admitted earlier this year. Serj Tankian, for his part, has said any new System record would have to be “a fresh start in a brand new way.” Translation: probably not happening.
So for now, Malakian’s doing what he does best—blazing his own path with riff-heavy chaos and brutal honesty. Addicted to the Violence might be his solo mission, but it’s a loud reminder he hasn’t gone anywhere.
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