On July 29, John Dolmayan, the drummer of System Of A Down, shared exciting news about the band’s first album in two decades. He wants to change the way they create music. Instead of guitarist Daron Malakian bringing in finished songs first, Dolmayan plans to have vocalist Serj Tankian and bassist Shavo Odadjian present their ideas first. He believes this new approach could lead to fresh sounds.
During a YouTube interview with Sona Oganesyan, Dolmayan said, “I told Daron the secret sauce of how to get an album done… Bring your songs in last.” He explained that this approach shows a commitment to valuing each member’s contributions. He praised the unique talents of each band member, highlighting Malakian’s songwriting, Tankian’s lyrics, and Odadjian’s distinct style.
It’s been twenty years since the band released their last full album, 2005’s *Hypnotize*. In 2020, they returned with two tracks, “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz.” As they prepare for major shows across North America in late 2025, Malakian expressed some uncertainty about new music. He mentioned that while it would have been interesting to see how the band evolved with more albums, any new release might sound very different from their earlier work.
Each member is also busy with side projects. Odadjian recently released music with Seven Hours After Violet, Tankian has a new project called Foundations coming soon, and Malakian dropped *Addicted To The Violence* with Scars On Broadway in July.
Looking ahead to 2027, Dolmayan suggested spending six months working on the new album at a band member’s home studio. He stressed the importance of a different creative process for the band.
