Over the course of our conversation, Malakian answers every question that's thrown at him without flinching. Tankian confirmed as much with an open letter, republished on the same website. Yeah, as he reiterated to Consequence of Sound recently, Malakian believes that Tankian pretty much checked out on System of a Down prior to the Mezmerize and Hypnotize albums. There was always talk of making a new album with System, so that was one of the main reasons I kind of had this album recorded but didn't release it, just because of uncertainty with the System album.” I have plenty of songs that haven't been recorded, that I've also held on. “So I just held the songs, and waited to see. “It was about not knowing what was going to happen with System,” Malakian says, bluntly. The first thing we have to ask is, what the hell took so long? Here we are, 10 years later, and he's just about to release Dictator, the second Scars album. In 2006, he founded his own project, Scars on Broadway, and, in 2008, he put out that group's debut self-titled album. For an artist, a songwriter, like Malakian, that simply won't do. They have continued to perform live together, but no new material. They haven't been able to find common ground when it comes to writing a new one, so they simply haven't. People love System of a Down.īut those 2005 albums are, to date, still the band's most recent. The band played to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, headlining festivals and selling out arenas. 1 on the mainstream album charts in the United States and Canada while doing well in a multitude of other countries. 2001's Toxicity and 2005's Mezmerize and Hypnotize (both released that same year) all reached No. Over the course of two decades and five excellent albums, System of a Down rose to be one of the biggest metal bands in the world. Their fans grew to crave something different with each record. And in doing so, that unpredictability became a part of their identity. System of a Down broke down just about every barrier that metal fans could construct. With Malakian the main songwriter, the music blended the ferocity of metal with the traditional Armenian music so richly ingrained in his DNA, incorporating strong and smart political messages. SOAD sounded like nothing the metal genre had birthed before. From that Glendale band's 1994 beginnings, Malakian's intense expressions (not to mention singer Serj Tankian's Zappa-esque hair) were focal points for a group that could have afforded, had they so desired, to rely entirely on the music. It's a look that System of a Down fans know well. He can't hide it, though - there's a curiosity in those big eyes, soaking in everything they scan, that helps make him the artist that he is.
They pop with an intensity almost at odds with the slouch in his gait. His clothing is equally ordinary - jeans, tee, hoodie - and, while there's something resembling a shy awkwardness about him from the outset, the Glendale resident is extremely likable. As he strolls in alone, Malakian's demeanor is as unspectacular as the surroundings. Later, the coffee shop owner will figure out who he is and excitedly ask for photographs, but that's because he can see the interview taking place rather than any overt “rock star” vibe. It's a nice, regular, main street coffee joint.ĭaron Malakian initially does nothing to disturb the normality. The radio is on but nothing of interest is blaring out of it - just standard background noise. The place is empty but for a couple of day-weary punters, tapping out the final drops of coffee. It's a quiet midweek evening in Glendale, and we're at a coffee shop, about an hour before closing time.
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