For System of a Down fans still clinging to the hope of a new album, Serj Tankian’s recent comments are equal parts revealing and bittersweet. In an interview with Metal Hammer, the iconic frontman admitted he had “emotionally checked out” during the creation of the band’s last two albums, Mezmerize and Hypnotize, released in 2005.
While this isn’t entirely breaking news—Tankian has spoken about his disinterest during that period before—it sheds fresh light on the creative tension that has kept SOAD from returning to the studio.
“I had a very unique relationship with the last few records because I had, to a certain degree, emotionally checked out of the band while making them,” Tankian confessed. Despite his detachment at the time, he maintains that the albums themselves hold up musically. “I still think those songs are great. But when I think back on it, I also remember that it was a weird phase of my life.”
The revelations underscore the longstanding creative differences within the band, which have kept them from releasing new music for nearly 20 years. Aside from the singles ‘Protect the Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’—recorded for a cause in 2020—SOAD fans have been left to subsist on the band’s electrifying live shows.
Intriguingly, Tankian hinted there’s unreleased material from past sessions that could see the light of day. Whether as archival releases or a potential “fresh start,” the hope of new music remains. For now, we wait. And, let’s be honest—when it comes to System of a Down, we’ll always wait.
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