Banda has been performing very few shows since 2017, but Shavo Odadjian reveals that something has changed in the internal operation in recent times
THE system of a Down In 2025 will make a tour of South America. The first visit to the continent in a decade will have eight performances, four of them in Brazil and the others in Colombia, Peru, Chile and Argentina. Check out the full schedule at the end of this page.
Months later, in August and September, the Armenian American quartet will still perform six shows in North America. New Jersey, Chicago and Toronto receive the group, always with a special guest: Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and Deftonrespectively.
It is not known if SOAD will confirm more presentations. Even so, it is already possible to nail: it is your busiest year in terms of shows since 2017. This is because recent times have been of few collective commitments by SERJ TANKIAN (voice), Daron Malakian (guitar), Shavo Odadjian (low) and John Dolmayan (battery).
Proposals abound, but only now have they agreed to offer a more consistent live schedule. And what led to that? In an interview with the broadcaster Eddie Trunk (via Igor Miranda website), Odadjian revealed that he and his colleagues are now “in the same tune” – something that had not happened almost a decade ago.
“We have not touched much together lately. Since 2017, we have been doing one or two shows a year. So relationships were not as good as they are now. Basically, everyone was not in the same tune. But we talked and now everything is great. Everyone is on the same page and everyone is happy. So we decided to test and do some more shows. And that’s all. ”
Shavo guarantees, on the other hand, that this initiative was not exactly planned. This is not a complete resumption of System of A Down activities, which does not even promise more presentations other than those who are scheduled.
“There is no strategy behind, not a plan for tours for the rest of the world, at least for now. I’m not saying this will not happen, but I’m not saying it will happen either. We said to each other: ‘Let’s see how things go, do these shows and see how we feel later. If we don’t want to do more, we’ll not do it anymore. If we want to do more, we will do it. There is no great responsibility weighing on anyone. ”
System of a Down Currently
Separately, the System of a Down musicians work hard. Serj Tankian released solo songs and even an autobiography, Down with the system. Daron Malakian is taking lighter, but presents himself sporadically with the Scars on Broadway. Shavo Odadjian even set up a new band, the Seven Hours After Violetwhich performed in Brazil in October. John Dolmayan occasionally collaborates with Serj and develops initiatives outside the music, especially in the comic segment.
The problem is when they come together – or rather don’t come together. The System of A Down closed activities in 2006, gathered in 2010, but since then it has not been a tours. In his most active year since the meeting, 2011, he performed only 27 shows.
See below the number of SOAD presentations since the resumption:
- 2011: 27
- 2012: 17
- 2013: 15
- 2014: 1
- 2015: 19
- 2016: No shows
- 2017: 21
- 2018: 6
- 2019: 2
- 2020: No shows (pandemic)
- 2021: 3
- 2022: 4
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 14 (announced so far)
Creatively, the group is also slow, almost stopping. Since the break, it has released only two songs: “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz”both in 2020, in a charity initiative to support the Nagorno-Karabakh region, affected by the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Another vocalist?
In his aforementioned autobiography, Serj Tankian said that in mid -2017, he recommended that the System of a Down follow with another singer. He, who no longer wanted to make tours, didn’t want to be an obstacle to the band – who refused to bring another one to his place.
In an interview with Bullseye with Jesse ThornTankian explained the reasoning when making his position available:
“I think System of a Down should always be four of us. But regardless of what I felt, because I was the only one who was on their way. I wanted to give them an option. So that’s why I did it. ”
The singer pointed out that his colleagues preferred not to adopt this solution. So the group tours according to the desire to be serj.
“At the time, they said, ‘No, man, okay, if any opportunity comes up, we’ll warn you, but let’s not press.”
However, it was not always like that. Tankian said the previous situation was of internal pressure. The vocalist explains:
“Before that, they kept saying, ‘Come on, we have to do this tour, come on’. There was a lot of pressure to make tours, to play and these things. And I just didn’t want that pressure anymore. So they promised they wouldn’t do that. And that kind of changed things a little, at least at that time. ”
Interestingly, in the opinion of Serj Tankian, the current shortage of shows even increased the value of the band. In an interview with LOUDWIRE NIGHTS (via Igor Miranda website), he commented:
“Look, there are bands that tour all year round, release a record every year or two, and their impact on music, many of them, was not as strong as System of a Down. You don’t have to do a million things to impact people’s lives or the music itself. Just do something right. ”
System of a Down shows in 2025
- April 24, 2025: Bogota, Colombia (El Campín Stadium);
- April 27, 2025: Lima, Peru (National Stadium of Peru);
- April 30, 2025: Santiago, Chile (Chilean National Stadium Park);
- May 3, 2025: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Vélez Sarsfield Stadium);
- May 6, 2025: Curitiba, Brazil (Major Antônio Couto Pereira Stadium);
- May 8, 2025: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Nilton Santos Engenhão Stadium);
- May 10 and 11, 2025: São Paulo, Brazil (Allianz Parque);
- August 27 and 28, 2025: East Rutherford, United States (Metlife Stadium; with Korn);
- August 31 and September 1, 2025: Chicago, United States (Soldier Field; with Avenged Sevenfold);
- September 3 and 5, 2025: Toronto, Canada (Rogers Stadium; with Defton).
+++ Read more: how money and harsh troops crashed the System of a Down, according to drummer
+++ Read more: The moment when Serj Tankian turned emotionally off System of a Down
+++ Read more: Why the System of a Down should not change members, according to Serj Tankian
+++ Follow Rolling Stone Brasil @rollingstonebrasil on Instagram
+++ Follow journalist Igor Miranda @igormirandasite on Instagram
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
