Things around the System of A Down camp have been relatively calm over the last six years with the band taking a well-needed hiatus. In that time lead singer Serj Tankian and band mates Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan have worked on various side projects including Serj’s solo project and Scars on Broadway respectively. In 2011 however, they fell back under the System Of A Down umbrella for a series of live shows, but still no new music. This year saw SOAD perform at the well-known Heavy MTL festival and now have a slew of dates with the Deftones on tap for the band this Summer. Drummer John Dolmayan sat down with PureGrainAudio.com to discuss both shows and the band’s future plans.

Scars On Broadway have been silent for a few years. Will you gear up that band again anytime soon?

Dolmayan: That’s a fair question, but I’m no longer involved with Scars On Broadway, but Daron (Malakian) is and is in the process of making, recording and releasing an album (in fact as we speak). So, you will definitely hear some Scars On Broadway within the next four or five months.

Outside of System and since you’re no longer involved with Scars is there anything else from you the fans can look forward to?
Dolmayan: They definitely can. I’m doing things outside of music…

Read the full interview HERE

Credit: systemofadownlive

More than a year-and-a-half after the celebrated return of System of a Down, it’s possible that we may now have a timetable for when the Armenian-American quartet will be releasing a new album.

System of a Down have been gigging for about a year now, having hit many parts of the world since their return. Despite the band’s activity, not much information has been released about a new album, which would be their first since ‘Hypnotize’ was revealed in Nov. 2005. System are set to play Canada’s Heavy MTL and Heavy T.O. festivals this weekend, and drummer John Dolmayan took the opportunity to talk with the Montreal Gazette about potential recording plans.

“We don’t know what will happen next, but I’d like to be in the studio at this time next year … possibly making an album by 2014,” says Dolmayan.” “If we were concerned about what people think, System wouldn’t exist. I have no concerns about what the album will sound like. I just worry about when it will come out.”

Dolmayan also spoke about the band’s reunion. “It was time,” Dolmayan reveals. “While I do think the hiatus was good for the band, I wish it wasn’t so long.”

Although System of a Down lace many of their songs with social and political content, Dolmayan says that the band’s intention is not to preach. “That’s not what people pay for. They pay to come see us play live, create magic onstage, not to be told how to live their lives. … If someone takes something positive out of our music, or what we say on stage, that’s great. But we don’t ever want to force them.”

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