It took a “break” of 15 years and a civil war to reunite the four original members of System of a Down. But it finally happened—and for a good cause: to draw attention to the fighting between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis over the disputed territory called Nagorno Karabakh inhabited by Armenians, who call it Artsakh. SOAD recorded the music solely to raise monies for the Armenia Fund. (Before we go any further, full disclosure: this writer is of Armenian descent). The band has already raised over $600,000 in the first few days of the songs’ release.
Even to have two new songs from SOAD is a miracle given the foursome’s past “artistic differences” (read: creative control). But it’s been well worth the wait. “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” live up to the Down’s well-known nu metal sound, showcasing its familiar progressive metal song structures. But there is also a surprisingly melodic turn in the songwriting. Is this band of four guys mellowing with age?
SOAD features Serg Tankian (vocals), Daron Malakian (guitars) Shavo Odadjian (bass) and John Dolmayan (drums). The quartet is as tight and as together as ever as they blast their way through the first 2 1/2 -inute song, speed metal riffing the intro to “Genocidal Humanoidz.” And they never let up as Tankian defiantly proclaims, “Terrorists were fighting and were never gonna stop/ the prostitutes guns who prosecute have failed us from the start.” “Humanoidz” is more a plea —and warning—to prevent further genocide given the original 1915-1917 Genocide conducted by the Turkish government. It is passionate and searingly personal for these four musicians whose families emigrated to the West Coast from their native homeland.
However, it is “Protect the Land” which showcases some of the group’s best songwriting (and video production) to date, proving that time has only strengthened the uniqueness—and importance—of the band’s music. Daron Malakian’s catchy, dirge-like guitar licks summon every headbanger feeling the isolation during this pandemic into immediate unison, as the images of war and children and Armenian cultural and religious symbols fly by, reminding us of the connection between the land and its people.
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There is the horizontal striping of the descending red/blue/orange, the Armenian flag, throughout via colored smoke to lighting up the band members’ faces while Tankian’s at times mournful, at other times steadfast vocals cry out, referencing the 1915-1917 Diaspora:
“Some were forced to foreign lands/ Some would lay dead on the sand/ Would you stay and take command?/ Would you stay with gun in hand?/ (Would gun in hand) They protect the land/They protect the land/They protect the land”
But is the five-minute song’s midpoint break with gently strumming guitars that place draw focus to haunting images in particular; the wide, questioning, searching eyes of Armenians of all ages—children to adults. As the anthemic stance draws to a quiet close, Mount Ararat, the iconic symbol of Armenia, is seen looming in the background. The majestic mountain provides a finishing gaze, resonating long after the song is done that, while war waged, one’s native roots always remain firm and deep—the eternal connection. And we can thank System of a Down for reminding us all of the need for connection, especially in these chaotic and uncertain times we all live in.
