System Of A Down's Serj Tankian clarifies "There Is No Album That Is Written"

In a newly published interview, System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian revisited the band's failed attempts to craft a new album in the mid-to-late 2010s. Despite their continued live presence and massive fanbase, System Of A Down has not released a full-length record since 2005, with only two benefit singles dropping in 2020 to support Artsakh/Armenian relief efforts.

Creative tensions within the band boiled over publicly in 2018, with Tankian shouldering much of the blame for stalled recording efforts. In response, he issued a "manifesto" outlining his dissatisfaction with creative input, financial splits, and the band's internal dynamic. His bandmates, however, did not align with his vision.

Addressing the long-rumored unreleased System Of A Down album, Tankian shut down speculation, making it clear that no completed record exists from those writing sessions.

In the interview with Sona Oganesyan, Tankian commented:

I would say there is no album that is written. I would say that the band…. So years ago — and this is outlined in the book — but years ago, there was a try of coming to minds with myself and the guys in the band. I tried to come to them with what I call jokingly a manifesto, and saying, 'Listen, if we're going to move forward, let's do things in a more egalitarian fashion. Let's equally split publishing. Let's equally bring in songs' — especially the creators, mostly Daron [Malakian, guitarist/vocalist] and I, Shavo [Odadjian, bassist] as well. And everyone gets a veto on songs, like all these amazing kind of, you know, theoretical, positive, egalitarian terms.

Apparently it doesn't work in a metal band. You know? The joke is on me. So it didn't work. But at that time I invited Daron over. Many times, we had dinner at my house, and I would have him play me music that he had written and I would make notes about that music and send it to him, and I would send him music. I would play him music that I had written.

And so at one point, we had a band meeting — a very long one — and we didn't come to terms on stuff, but the guys wanted to work on some of those songs. I was in New Zealand. And so they started working in a rehearsal studio on some of those songs, which included Daron's songs and a few of mine, if I'm not mistaken. Nothing was recorded. And they had sent it to me, I was in New Zealand at the time.

They had sent me a recording to listen to. And nothing, like when I say recording, I'm talking about like a tape from a rehearsal studio, you know, not a recording per se. Um, I would say that 'Genocidal Humanoidz' was probably one of them, if I'm not mistaken. I don't remember if 'Protect The Land' was one of them. I don't remember maybe, probably not, I would say.

But you know, some of those, a lot of those are Daron songs, and some of them he may have released recently [via Scars On Broadway,] and some of those are my songs which I released, probably on 'Elasticity'. So that's the story. I mean, there is no 'record.'

Despite Tankian expressing openness last year to a "brand new way" of approaching a potential System Of A Down album, tensions within the band remain unresolved. Tankian emphasized that any future record should be a "fresh start", but it appears that Daron Malakian—System Of A Down's longtime primary songwriter—wasn't sold on the idea.

Earlier this year, Malakian admitted that years of internal disputes have worn him down, to the point where he's no longer sure he even wants to make another System Of A Down album. With no signs of compromise, the possibility of new material from the band continues to look bleak.

System Of A Down's upcoming live schedule:

Find System Of A Down tickets here.

South American dates:

04/24 Bogota, CO @ Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin
04/27 Lima, PE @ Estadio Nacional
04/30 Santiago, CL @ Parque Estadio Nacional
05/03 Buenos Aires, AR @ Estadio Velez Sarsfield
05/06 Curitiba, BR @ Estadio Couto Pereira
05/08 Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Estadion Nilton Santos
05/10 Sao Paulo, BR @ Allianz Parque

Find System Of A Down tickets here.

North American dates:

08/27 New York City, NY @ Metlife Stadium (feat. Korn)
08/28 New York City, NY @ Metlife Stadium (feat. Korn)
08/31 Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (feat. Avenged Sevenfold)
09/01 Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field (feat. Avenged Sevenfold)
09/03 Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (feat. Deftones)
09/05 Toronto, ON @ Rogers Stadium (feat. Deftones)

[via ThePRP]