System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has sensationally hinted that the band could continue without him if they ever decide to do so. The statement, which he made in an exclusive interview with Metal hammerPaul Brannigan’s response in their latest issue was in response to comments made last year by his bandmate and System drummer John Dolmayan, in which he claimed that Serj “hasn’t wanted to be in the band for a long time.”
When asked about these comments, Tankian replied: “John means everything to me, he’s my brother-in-law, I love him and I just saw him yesterday, but sometimes he gets mad and says shit. And look, sometimes I get mad and say shit too. The band has always had the option to carry on without me and John knows that.
“Ultimately, System Of A Down is about more than the band to me, it’s about our relationship with each other. And it means more to me than the band itself or even the music itself. And that’s hard for other people to understand, maybe even other people in the band. But as I saw on stage at Sick New World last year, the cross-generational appeal of our music is overwhelming, brother. Our music is more timeless than we ever imagined, and that’s the biggest compliment for any artist.”
System Of A Down have not released a new studio album in almost two decades, although they have remained somewhat active as a touring band during this time. The band has surprisingly released two new singles, Protect the country And Genocidal Humanoidsin 2020, which raises new hopes for a new album, which, however, has not yet materialized – and probably never will be released.
Serj Tankian’s new memoirs Down with the system is now available. Read more from his interview in the latest issue of Metal hammernow also published.
