System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan has spoken out about the band’s lack of new music, having only released two singles in 17 years.
The metal band’s last album was 2005’s ‘Hypnotize’, and since then all they’ve released are two singles in 2020, ‘Protect The Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’.
Speaking in a new interview, Dolmayan said he was happy that SOAD were able to put out the new tracks, but that he wishes they would continue to make more music.
“Cause, obviously, we still have something to give to the world. And when you put something out that actually makes an impact, you’re, like, ‘Why aren’t we doing this all the time?’ And then I go down the rabbit hole of frustration and anger,” the drummer told YouTube interviewer Sona Oganesyan.
“I’m a sensitive person, so I can’t just hold this stuff in – it has to come out one way or the other,” he continued. “And it takes me a long time to deal with it and to cope with it, because I also am realistic in that life is finite; you only have a certain amount of time. And here we are.
“We have this gift that came from God or wherever, and we’re squandering it. It’s an insult to everybody else that tries to make it in whatever endeavor they’re trying to make. And here we are – we’ve made it, we have the talent, we have the ability, we have an adoring fanbase, we’ve sold, I don’t know, whatever it is – 30million albums or more – and they’re hungry for it, and we just don’t do it.
“That’s like the worst – having the ability to do something and not doing it is, I think, the worst thing in the world as far as in the perspective of being an artist. You’re just hurting yourself.”
Dolmayan said that he believes System Of A Down would be capable of creating more music together if they were willing to “put everything to the side”. He claims he’s willing to do so, but he doesn’t think his bandmates are.
The song’s title ‘Amber’ is pronounced “ahm-be’r” and translates to “clouds” in Armenian. The track, which is sung entirely in the Armenian language, was written in 2017 but was completed this year.
