Serj Tankian admits he “emotionally checked out of the band” while System of a Down were recording their two most recent albums, 2005’s Mezmerize and Hypnotize.
It’s not an entirely new revelation from the singer, who has admitted losing interest in the band during that time period in interviews over the past few years, as well as in his recent memoir, Down With the System. However, it offers further insight into his mindset that led to the band’s extended hiatus from 2006 through 2011.
“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 told Metal Hammer in a new interview.
Related Video
He continued, “Because of the push and pull, I became very passive. There was music I wanted to bring in that I felt like I couldn’t… I was in a weird place. I contributed creatively, but I didn’t… I don’t know. I needed oxygen – I felt like there was too much going on.”
That said, Tankian still appreciates those two albums musically, adding, “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, and that’s something I have to be aware of as well.”
As it stands, System of a Down have not made a new album since Mezmerize and Hypnotize, making it 19 years since the band released a full studio LP. Tankian did set aside his creative differences with guitarist-singer Daron Malakian to record and release a couple new singles — “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” — in 2020 to raise funds for Artsakh and Armenia as they came under attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In another recent interview with The Sun, Tankian said, “I would say if System ever decided to make a record, it would be a fresh start in a brand new way, in a beautiful new direction.”
He also revealed that there is some recorded music from the band that hasn’t yet seen the light of day. “We do have some unreleased material from the past that’s set,” added Tankian. “I forgot how many songs there are, but it’s a handful of them that would be interesting also in an archival capacity because I think some of them are some really amazing gems.”
For now, System of a Down continue to play occasional shows, including a massive concert with Deftones at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco this past summer (see our photo gallery below).
In addition to his memoir, Tankian released the new solo EP Foundations in September.
