Not many bands can fill stadiums, and even fewer can do it without releasing an album in 20 years. But System of a Down is one of those rare bands. The “Chop Suey!” rockers kick off their North American tour on Wednesday, playing two nights in three major stadiums: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Soldier Field in Chicago, and Rogers Stadium in Toronto. Four of the six shows are already sold out.
Guitarist Daron Malakian shared his thoughts with fans, saying, “We’re very fortunate that after all these years, even without a new record, we’ve graduated to selling out football stadiums.” The last System of a Down album, “Hypnotize,” came out in 2005. Since then, they’ve only released two singles in 2020, but their past albums still resonate with fans. Malakian noted, “We have those five records. They’ve connected with people across different age groups. Some fans I saw in South America looked like they weren’t even born when our last record came out.”
Malakian expressed his gratitude for the band’s ongoing success, saying, “It blows me away, man.” As for the upcoming shows, he simply stated, “We’ll come out there and play System of a Down-style rock ‘n’ roll music.”
The tour will also feature Korn in East Rutherford, Avenged Sevenfold in Chicago, and Deftones in Toronto. Additionally, Malakian has released a new album, “Addicted to the Violence,” with his project Scars on Broadway.
