Shavo Odadjian Explains Why Seven Hours After Violet Dropped Korn & Ex-Killswitch Engage Guest Spots

Before fully forming into a proper band, Seven Hours After Violet, the project led by System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, initially existed as a studio collaboration between him and Michael Montoya (Winds Of Plague). As the project evolved, so did its creative direction, resulting in significant changes to the material.

One of the casualties of this transition was a guest appearance from Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, among others. In a recent interview with Skratch N Sniff, Odadjian explained why the collaboration ultimately didn’t make the final cut.

“What happened was the music became really interesting and I started wanting to play this live. I was, like, ‘We should play this live,’ and at that point having just features on the record wouldn’t work out because then how do you play live?”

While the band attempted to rework Davis’ contributions into a different arrangement, they ultimately scrapped the idea after feeling the results didn’t do the performance justice.

“[The changed version] wasn’t as good as it should be, because I think Jonathan is amazing. I even spoke to him [and] we decided if we ever do [another collaboration], we’ll write together, not use something that he already had [recorded] under another rhythm.”

Odadjian originally envisioned Seven Hours After Violet as “a DJ Khaled of rock,” featuring multiple guest vocalists. However, as he solidified the lineup—including members of Left To Suffer—and transformed the project into a fully functional band, the approach shifted.

Other rumored guests from the project’s early stages included System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian and ex-Killswitch Engage frontman Howard Jones. According to Odadjian, Jones’ contribution may eventually surface on a sophomore Seven Hours After Violet album.

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!