Daron Malakian Talks System Of A Down’s Legacy, Future, & New Scars On Broadway Material

System Of A Down guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian recently sat down with legendary producer Rick Rubin for an in-depth discussion spanning over two hours. The conversation covered the band’s career, Malakian’s musical upbringing, and a deep dive into System Of A Down’s catalog.

Malakian and Rubin share a long history, with Rubin having signed the band to his American Recordings label in the late ’90s. He also co-produced all five of their albums alongside Malakian. The discussion included insights into specific songs, with Malakian openly reflecting on their lyrical and musical inspirations.

One particularly interesting topic was System Of A Down’s frequent classification as a nü-metal band. Malakian expressed that he prefers the term “alternative metal,” stating:

“Korn was doing their thing. Deftones were doing their thing. I guess it’s the scene that people like to call nü-metal. I know a lot of people see System Of A Down as nü-metal. We don’t really see it that way. I like the word alternative metal, maybe more. I think we’re a little more experimental.

…We had songs like ‘Spiders,’ ‘Aerials,’ ‘ATWA’ that weren’t necessarily metal influences. They could have been psychedelic influences and different kinds of rock influences. We played with bands in LA like Static-X and Coal Chamber, but I never felt we sounded like them. We were doing something a little detached.”

Malakian also revisited the creative rift that emerged with vocalist Serj Tankian during the writing and recording of 2005’s Mezmerize and Hypnotize. Tankian had previously admitted that he was “emotionally checked out” during that time. Back in 2018, he publicly shared a ‘manifesto’ detailing his grievances and proposing changes to the band’s creative and financial structure.

Discussing that era, Malakian told Rubin:

“It was an interesting time because the dynamic in the band had changed. We all kind of changed.”

Rubin asked if their success had contributed to the shift, to which Malakian responded:

“I don’t know. Yeah, maybe success had something to do with it. Well, Serj’s heart wasn’t into it the same way.”

He elaborated on the band’s democratic song selection process:

“We had a list of songs, and everyone picked. It just so happens that a lot of the ones that were picked were songs I brought in. Nothing was done to hurt anybody; we just wanted the best songs for the band and the album. But we had a member who wasn’t as on board as before… It’s tough to explain.”

While fans have long hoped for new System Of A Down material, Malakian now appears less interested in revisiting that possibility:

“I’m proud of the records. I don’t live with any regret. But it would have been nice to see where the band would have evolved if we kept putting music out. If we put out an album now, it’s just so far away from Hypnotize and Mezmerize, it doesn’t continue the story to me.”

Rubin suggested a new album could feel like “starting a new story,” but Malakian admitted:

“There was a time that might have been something I wanted. I’m not sure how much I want that anymore—I’m sure people won’t be too happy to hear that from me. I’m not at the same place I was maybe 10 years ago.”

In other news, Malakian confirmed that a new Scars On Broadway album will arrive in 2025, revealing that he has been holding onto the material for several years. He also has a backlog of musical ideas, originally intended for System Of A Down, that he now plans to dedicate to Scars On Broadway.

Despite the creative impasse, System Of A Down’s touring schedule remains active, with an expanded lineup of shows planned for the coming months.

04/24 Bogota, COL – Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin
04/27 Lima, PER – Estadio Nacional
04/30 Santiago, CHL – Parque Estadio Nacional
05/03 Buenos Aires, ARG – Estadio Velez Sarsfield
05/06 Curitiba, BRA – Estadio Couto Pereira
05/08 Rio de Janeiro, BRA – Estadion Nilton Santos
05/10 Sao Paulo, BRA – Allianz Parque
05/11 Sao Paulo, BRA – Allianz Parque

With Korn, Polyphia & Wisp:
08/27 New York City, NY – Metlife Stadium
08/28 New York City, NY – Metlife Stadium

With Avenged Sevenfold, Polyphia & Wisp:
08/31 Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
09/01 Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

With Deftones, Polyphia & Wisp:
09/03 Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium
09/05 Toronto, ON – Rogers Stadium

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