Yeah, I don't really care for this.

If Malakian is doing more than 20% of the singing, I have zero interest. Dude is amazing at writing riffs but his voice is way too grating in large doses.

Apparently this is the preferred music to make over a new SOAD album.

I don't get it.

Well if this material is any indication, maybe we shouldn't will a new SOAD album into existence. I'm a SOAD fan who recognizes their best days are well behind them. I think they make so much cash from touring and playing hits that they don't feel a need to write new material. I get the sense that these guys tolerate each other just enough to put on a good show but, creatively, I think they would all be so far apart from crafting a singular vision.

If it didn't happen in 20 years, it ain't happening.

Such a boring melody with flat, uninspired production to match.

SOAD GOES BLACK METAL? its more likely than you think!

meh

Yeah I agree, a new SOAD is never going to happen and I think that's for the better. Serj is in no way going to bring any sort of aggressive vocal leads and it's going to lead to boring ass songs like Protect this Land, one of their worst songs ever

lol what. did not have this on my 2025 bingo card

'If Malakian is doing more than 20% of the singing, I have zero interest.'

People should have let SOAD material go a long time ago. I don't even like their last two albums BECAUSE of Daron lol. I'm good just spinning the first few, can't force greatness.

Letting him go spastic on a pre-chorus or two was always fine, but he actively ruins songs where he's allowed any hint of leads.

nobody asked for this

dictator was good and this is very dull
daron sings good and he does not sing good here

The bridge is actually pretty good, Serj and Daron need eachother

he doesn't have the vocal power to flutter over those chugs like serj did, but he keeps trying anyway

Darren was SOADs demise. He was fine sing a verse or stansa here or there in their songs. Serj is the fucking lead vocalist and damn should be. Darren had to take over with his narcissistic tendencies and ruined the band. His new band fucking sucks

I actually believe SOAD still have a good album left in them if they would just do thier parts

On hypnotize, Darren felt like the damn lead vocalist and that’s where things went wrong

it's weird cause it seems like he's a big connoisseur of world music yet all the scars on broadway stuff just sounds like a stripped down, less energetic & boring version of soads sound. never really gave serj's solo stuff a proper chance but the little i've heard sounds like he understood the assignment a bit better, but really best case scenario for a new soad imo is if they made something that didn't sound like soad and didn't sound like safe tunes for a 'spotify playlist for you.'

Honestly all thier solo work isn’t great. They were a band that stood on four legs being each member. Once one cripple, the rest fall

i heard that one starman cover few years ago and oooof

And hypnotize is still a great fucking album

yeah honestly most of the songs on mezm/hyp are very memorable and catchy, i do think rick rubin kinda dropped the ball cause they just lack the power of the prior 3. annd yeah more serj vox would've been cool

Well I don’t blame it all on him. Do have to wonder how much he pushed the band to let Darren sing more

Regardless, two awesome albums with lots of great songs. The wave of Darren did overtake Serj around that time. I have to ponder that that impacted the way the band ended

"Honestly all thier solo work isn’t great. They were a band that stood on four legs being each member. Once one cripple, the rest fall"

This is sadly a whole lot more true than any of the band would like to admit.

Serj and Daron need each other to balance out their more zany tendencies - Serj is more theatrical and Daron is more erratic, which worked well when they were balancing each other out and combining their best qualities for SOAD, but solo-wise it's resulted in a whole lot of pretty average material.

Exactly. It’s sucks. It’s a total push against vocalist

"They Say" remains SOB's best song

This song would be 5 times better simply with Serj's vocals on the verses

"If Malakian is doing more than 20% of the singing, I have zero interest. Dude is amazing at writing riffs but his voice is way too grating in large doses."

I 100% agree with this

I do like the opening snare roll, guitar scrape, and sucker punch into the verse, that was cool, the only spark of creativity on this. The songwriting sounds nowhere near the standard of even a lesser track from Hypnotize, the chorus and riffs are so phoned in. Makes you wander about the quality of the other tracks if this is the cream of the crop. Overall its overkill on the zaniness, no surprises there.


A new SOAD album wouldn't be fit to polish the shoes of a SOAD album when they were in their 20s. We know we'd be dissapointed by a mediocre comeback album, with a wall of production and Malakian on lead vocals. They're old, mellowed, unmotivated; Tankian would be dragging his feet, he wouldnt scream ffs, he doesnt even like metal. The members are not even on the same page politically anymore, so it would have to be more zany cringe. Theres not even a financial incentive to do it. At least with solo stuff and nostalgia touring, they want to do it, and it doesnt ruin the legacy.

^^^ very, very well said. A new SOAD album is never gonna happen and it's for the best. As stated none of them are motivated for it but especially Serj. It's been 20 years, let it sleep.

Im sure youve seen it, but this is Malakian's stance as of 2025:

"it would have been nice to see where the band would have evolved if we kept putting music out. If we put out an album now, it’s just so far away from [Mezmerize and Hypnotize] it doesn’t continue the story to me.”

Daron adds that starting up a “new story” with System “might have been something I wanted” in the past, but now, “I’m not sure how much I want that anymore – I’m sure people won’t be too happy to hear that from me. I’m not at the same place I was maybe 10 years ago.”

Glad to see Daron is keeping up to date with contemporary politics with songs like “Satan Hussein”. Honestly surprised they didn’t have a song rallying against Pol Pot on their debut.

Eh I hated this. I like Daron, and I’m in the minority in thinking he’s a great vocalist and works fine as the lead for some SOAD songs. But this just sounds like shit

Love SOAD, love Daron's work with SOAD, but I just can't take his voice and lyrics seriously lol

I don't mind his solo output, but lately Malakian seems determined to just keep on releasing the most annoying music he can come up with.

The production is awful, the riffs are bland, and the lyrics are borderline laughable half the time.

Imo, he should have stuck with Millennials. The music was significantly better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U30z80BkX5Y

What the fuck is with the drums in this? Guy makes all the money in music on SOAD festival shows, has what I can imagine are all the connections, and he stillcan't get better drum sounds on his record than this? Good God

It's because Malakian always wanted to play drums as a kid, but unfortunately he still hasn't come to terms with the fact that he's actually not very good at it.

i think it sounds bad because its self produced. Drums sound like samples, its too consistent to be real. Yay modern rock, so exciting and dangerous!

whats funny was zach hill was the first scars drummer, they had a reheasal demo and obviously went in a way different direction once system disbanded

I wish they could just drop their egos a bit

Both amazing singer. Incredible riffs from Daron always. Imo he doesn’t have to sing all the time. But who am I to say.

I just want a fresh new SOAD record. I really do think they have another incredible record in them. If they would just let Serj sing leads and Daron to back up. I mean real back up. I hope it happens. I’ll be Ruben for fucks sake and just tell them that

"Darren was SOADs demise. He was fine sing a verse or stansa here or there in their songs. Serj is the fucking lead vocalist and damn should be. Darren had to take over with his narcissistic tendencies and ruined the band. His new band fucking sucks

I actually believe SOAD still have a good album left in them if they would just do thier parts

On hypnotize, Darren felt like the damn lead vocalist and that’s where things went wrong"

You should read Serj's book. He basically says he wasn't into the band when Hypnotise and mesmerise were coming out and he doesn't really do stuff he doesn't want to do. So while I agree that Daron's not great as a lead singer, maybe he had to step up because Serj didn't want to do anything?

If Serj and Daron don’t 100% want to do it, I don’t want it.

I don’t want a half assed record. Either they all 100% want to do it, or it’ll be another boring ‘Protect the Land’ type record.

It would be an album of Protect the Land, easily their most boring and pointless song ever.