How money and sycophants stopped System of a Down, according to drummer

Among the great rock bands still active, system of a Down It is certainly on the list of least productive. Their activities were interrupted in 2006 for a return in 2011. Since then, they have not released any albums: just two singles in 2020, with proceeds in support of Armenians affected by the conflict with the Azerbaijan. Tours are very sporadic; in more productive periods, they reach the mark of 20 shows per year. Nothing but.

What makes such a popular group offer so little to their fans? In a 2020 interview with the journalist Eddie Trunk (via Ultimate Guitar), the drummer John Dolmayan turned on the “sincere” mode by pointing out the main internal problems of the project — which even washed dirty linen in public some time before, after the guitarist Daron Malakian accused the vocalist Serj Tankian of “packing” activities.

According to DolmayanO system of a Down it is “dysfunctional”, since it exists, but at the same time the solo careers of those involved are in the spotlight. The drummer thinks that no member should have time for other projects, only for the SOAD.

On the other hand, he recognizes that the relationship between musicians is no longer the same — and that’s okay. The issue is that people around us end up taking sides. For those directly involved in the fight, it is important not to get carried away by what they say.

“You will have fights and the result is: the bigger the band, the more people say that you are great, that your role is the most important. Some hear it more than others and fall in love with their own ideas.”

The different personalities within the SOAD were highlighted by Dolmayan. However, the drummer said that the group initially had a “one for all, all for one” mentality that ended up being lost.

“I was friends with the guys before I was in the band, but like everything in life, the more money and fame you have, the more complicated it becomes. Somehow, you lose the mentality that got you to this, which is ‘us against everyone’. It happens in every band. It used to be us against everyone else, right? We think like: we have something to prove, we’re going to make our songs, we’re struggling, we don’t have money… that’s what makes it stronger.”

Unique situation in the market

John Dolmayan also showed that he has a curious — and accurate — market vision regarding the system of a Down. The drummer highlighted that there are fewer and fewer big rock bands in activity, as the style has not renewed itself in the expected way, to the point that there are not so many groups capable of filling an arena with tens of thousands of fans. Even though there isn’t as much competition, the SOAD can’t get it together.

“In the beginning, we knew we would be able to fill a place with 3 thousand people, but we played in front of 2 thousand people and created a frenzy around that show. I also think there aren’t that many bands to enter these festivals. There are more festivals and fewer bands arriving to attract 50,000 to 70,000 people. So we need the same bands. In the last 20 years, this has decreased, because record companies no longer invest in bands like us. […] Everything was perfect for us. However, there are not so many rock or metal bands emerging now. This can change, it is cyclical.”

Ego issues

In another interview, on the podcast Drinks with Johnny , John Dolmayan made it clear that the only person responsible for the system of a Down being in the current condition is its set of members. So, it’s up to the band themselves to solve their problems.

“We’ve had huge success with each other, so ego gets in the way a lot, whether in relationships or in business, and sometimes you lose sight of why you started making music with those guys. Especially in music, people lose focus. You have to forgive some things, you know? Leave it behind and move on. The System Haven’t been able to do that yet. We have a few things that got in the way.”

Despite the natural distance over the years, the relationship between the musicians is, according to Dolmayan, good. The drummer gets along well with Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian and the bassist Shavo Odadjian.

“I’m the best when I’m with Serj, Daron and Shavo. Nothing I do in music will compare to this. I’m aware, I admire that. I have, in my opinion, one of the best live bands in the world. With all due respect to everyone, we are the system of a Down. That’s how I see it.”

Daron Malakian vs. Serj Tankian

In 2018, Daron Malakian told the magazine Kerrang! what Serj Tankian I already wanted to leave system of a Down before 2006. The vocalist didn’t even want to participate in the final albums, Mezmerize and Hypnotizeboth from 2005.

“Bands are like brands, I suppose, and that’s a little frustrating for me. To be honest, Serj didn’t even want to record Mezmerize and Hypnotize. We really begged him to make these records. At that time, he already felt like he was out. There is a specific way that the System makes records and some of us want to make an album while there’s one (Serj Tankian, although his name is not mentioned at this time) who doesn’t want to do it that way and wants to do it his way. And not everyone agrees with that. That’s been the problem.”

That said, Tankian published a long response in a letter on the internet. The vocalist reinforced that he was responsible for the band’s hiatus and justified it with artistic (“I always had the feeling that continuing to do the same thing with the same people is artistically redundant”) and democratic issues (“Daron began to monopolize the creative and financial process, not to mention that he wanted to be the only one to appear in the media”). He claimed to have asked for more space in the group, but ended up not being answered.