Serj Tankian has explained his reasons why System Of A Down shouldn’t be classed solely as a “socio-political” band.
The frontman was speaking about SOAD in a new interview ahead of the release of his new solo EP ‘Elasticity’ (March 19).
Speaking to Kerrang!, Tankian voiced his opposition to the labelling of SOAD as a purely political band in the years since the release of their self-titled 1998 debut album.
“Unlike Rage Against The Machine – a phenomenal band I’m a fan of and friends with – our music is not just socio-political; we have the funny moments, and thematically and lyrically we run the gamut of all sorts of topics, which I think makes System unique,” Tankian reasoned.
“It’s something that’s usually overlooked in terms of the validity of the band, and it pisses off the rest of the guys, because you have to have that balance. If you get completely political, not only does it turn off a lot of fans – which is understandable – but it’s not necessarily the goal of all the other guys. It’s this perfect balance.”
Tankian continued by saying that he doesn’t “wake up and think about politics all day”.
“If you’re having repercussions of bad leadership and whatnot – and that’s not a direct criticism of Boris Johnson! – you might be more political than you would be otherwise,” he said.
“But you don’t think about that all day. You have lunch, you see friends, and you have a lover… If you’re an artist, you need to present all those emotions through your music.”
Last month, SOAD shared the video for their recent single ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’. The clip initially premiered during a charity livestream for injured soldiers in the band’s ancestral homeland of Armenia.
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