John Dolmayan still believes there’s a path forward for System Of A Down, even if it’s not the most conventional one.
Appearing on But That 1% With Sona Oganesyan, the drummer shared an inside look at the dynamics that have stalled the band’s studio output since 2005’s Mezmerize and Hypnotize. The group has toured sporadically since their 2011 return but has yet to commit to a full-length follow-up.
“I told Daron [Malakian, guitarist/vocalist] the secret sauce of how to get an album done,” Dolmayan said (via Blabbermouth). When asked what that “secret sauce” is, he replied simply: “Bring your songs in last.”
He expanded on that idea, offering a glimpse into how the band typically works and how that might change for the better: “Well, traditionally when we go in to record, Daron would bring his songs in, ’cause he’d have a lot of them. They were very well thought out. They were the most complete.”
“And what I would do, if I was Daron, if I was giving Daron advice, which I’ve actually given him this advice, and I said, ‘Why don’t you just tell Serj, ‘Bring your songs in first. We’ll go through all your ideas,” he continued. “And then Shavo [Shavarsh Odadjian, bassist], you bring in all your ideas. And then Daron, you bring in your ideas last. What’s the difference?”
“But that olive branch says ‘I care about your songs more than I care about my own, and I’m gonna have you bring in yours first,'” he added.
Despite the band’s long-held internal tensions, Dolmayan seems more interested in the chemistry that still exists between the four members. He was quick to point out that each of them brings something distinct and valuable to the process.
“Now, most of Daron’s songs are gonna end up on the album. He’s the best songwriter I’ve ever seen in my life. And Serj is a prolific lyricist. “And believe it or not, many of the songs you like most in System first came from Shavo — the riffs, the movements originated with Shavo.”
“So we’ve got a lot of strength there that if we just allow everyone to have their time and not at the last part, ‘We’ve already got 30 songs. Bring in your five, and it’s the last thing we do.’ Well, that belittles that person’s contribution, and then they feel that way after the fact. That’s why I’m saying it’s after the fact that the ill feelings come into play. And that would be my suggestion — just bring yours last. Yours are gonna be great.”
The topic then shifted to the idea of balance, whether a future album should reflect an equal distribution of material between Serj Tankian and Malakian. Dolmayan pushed back on that premise.
“But what if Serj wrote 12 great songs and they were better than the ones Daron wrote? So, make a mediocre album that’s not our best to placate people? What you’re saying is — that sounds like DEI [a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative] to me. If it’s not the best, then why are we using it? We’re the ones who decide what the best is for that album. And our producer, who’s Rick Rubin, and our manager chime in,” Dolmayan quipped.
Reflecting on past successes like Toxicity, he explained that song selection has typically been a collaborative process, at least to a point.
“For example, with [the album] Toxicity, we all had a list of 44 songs that we recorded, and we all put the ones that we wanted to be on the album. I’d say 80 percent of it, we all agreed on. So it’s the last four songs, really, that are up for debate. So if that’s the case, who cares who wrote it?”
When asked what his ideal scenario would be, Dolmayan laid out a hopeful yet realistic plan.
“We would do the tours that we already have planned, which we’re going to, and then in 2027, we would block off six months. We would go into either Daron’s house, my house or Serj’s house, or Shavo’s house in a studio that we have in one of those houses, which we all have our spaces, and we would work on a new System album with no rules, “he explained.
“And I would say, ‘Serj, bring in all your songs first. Then, Shavo, bring in all your riffs and songs next, and then Daron, bring all yours last. And I’ll put absolutely no limit on how many songs you can bring in or the timeline of how long that’s gonna take. And then we would go in and make a new record.”
After nearly two decades without a new LP, this interview doesn’t promise that System Of A Down will break their silence anytime soon, yet it does offer a rare glimpse at the willingness to make it happen.
