NME is reporting that Californian metal heavyweights System Of A Down have confirmed to their fans that their long wait for a new album has an end in sight.
Rumours had been abound since early September, when drummer John Dolmayan posted images of himself in a rehearsal studio with bassist Shavo Odadjian and guitarist/vocalist Daron Malakian on Instagram, with the caption“1..2..3..4.. #systemofadown #letdothis”.
Following this, the band announced that they would be playing several festival dates across Europe this summer, beginning in Zurich on June 1, with the notable date for UK fans being their return to Download festival, to headline alongside Aerosmith and Biffy Clyro. This added further fuel to the rumours of a new album being on the way, and now Dolmayan has confirmed to Kerrang! that progress for the band’s first LP since 2005’s double albums Mesmerize/Hypnotise is underway. “We’ve been working on a new album for the last six months and there’s about 15 songs that I think are album-worthy […] We don’t know what’s happening in terms of release, it’s still not 100% as far as plans go.” The fact that the album is already so far along will doubtlessly calm some of the fans that were worried by vocalist Serj Tankian’s notable absences from all the photos that have so far been uploaded.
When addressing the pressure of releasing a new album so long after their last, Dolmayan was very open about the band’s ambitions, saying “Our playing ability is better than it ever has been and we’re trying new things. We’re not trying to make Toxicity Part II, just because it was by far our biggest album.” and that the whole band wanted to create “something for a new generation of SOAD fans, so everyone can see we’re not resting on our laurels.”
