While the eyes of the world have been set on America and the election, hostility between Azerbaijan and Armenia boiled over. The conflict, 
which began in July—though, really, has been at least somewhat ongoing for decades—exploded in September, causing a devastating human toll and bringing on a humanitarian crisis.
The conflict, involving the ethnic Armenian region of Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh, an area of contention between the two countries for years, threatened a 26 year long ceasefire between the two nations, and could be the beginning of a devastating regional conflict.
It’s unfortunate that this is what it took to get System of a Down to put aside their differences and record new music. It also makes sense. System of a Down are arguably the most prominent, well known Armenians in the world, and the bulk of their work deals with issues that affect their homeland and people, from the Turkish genocide of Armenia in the 1900s to modern day conflict. Outspoken though they are about American politics—even coming down on opposite sides, with lead singer Serj Tankian coming in direct ideological conflict with SOAD drummer and brother-in-law John Dolmayan over their wildly disparate views on American politics—their raison d’etre has always been raising awareness of Armenian issues and history.
And so, with the new conflict raging, System of a Down return, albeit briefly, with two new songs in order to raise awareness and money to support Armenia. Surprise released last night, the two tracks, “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” are pitch perfect reminders of everything we’ve missed from the band these last 15 years. They are each stunning examples of both sides of the SOAD aesthetic—chunky grooves and manic insanity—which unfortunately may also serve as the capstone of their too short career.
The first track, “Protect the Land,” originally intended for guitarist/co-lead singer Daron Malakian’s new band Scars on Broadway, opens strong with an infectiously chunky riff reminiscent of “Holy Mountain” from the groups last album, Hypnotize. Lyrically, the song asks us to put ourselves in the shoes of the ethnic Armenians whose lives and land are threatened by Azerbaijan. The big gun tells you what your life is worth/What do we deserve before we end the earth/If they will try to push you far away/Would you stay/And take a stand,” Tankian and Malakian harmonize.
As ever, the union of their two voices is superb. Great as both have been in their post-SOAD projects, their voices never sound better than when they’re used in unison. Each one accentuates the other beautifully, giving their collective voice a power and intensity that neither of them have yet reached by themselves. It’s a stunning reminder of what System of a Down was able to achieve musically across their five albums.
“Genocidal Humanoidz,” meanwhile, pulls from the same manic space as “Jet Pilot” or “Cigaro.” A punk infused thrasher, it’s blistering two-and-a-half minutes of pure insanity that seems ready made for the pit. It’s a powerful call to arms for the people of Armenia and, indeed, the world. “Terrorists we’re fighting and we’re never gonna stop/The prostitutes who prosecute have failed us from the start,” they sing on the song’s chorus.
While both tracks seethe with anger, there’s also elements of heartache laced within the lyrics of each. The band knows and understands their status as world spokesmen for Armenia, and it’s clear they wish they didn’t have to do this. Having nothing to do with the internal strife that has prevented the band from recording for 15 years, their souls instead ache for their brethren in Armenia. Every uttered syllable is a balancing act of rage and sadness. Every note and riff oozes with these dueling emotions. It’s a raw, emotional reminder of all that the band has accomplished and could still accomplish.
Unfortunately, that’s probably not in the cards. An interview with Rolling Stone coinciding with the release of these two songs suggests that this might indeed be the last new music we hear from System of a Down. There, Malakian said, “I never say never. I didn’t expect this. I was ready to put out my next Scars record. This kind of happened out of the blue, so who knows. If we don’t record again, then I’ll just keep doing what I do and everyone else will keep doing what they do. But it was nice to do this.” Whether or not Tankian and Malakian can resolve the business disputes that have kept the band from recording after this remains to be seen, but for now it really does feel like this might be the capstone.
As such, it’s perfect. It’s everything we ever expected and loved about System of a Down. From the lyrically, musically, everything. If we never get anything else from them again, at least we got this. And at least it’s for a good cause. Proceeds from the sale of the album on Bandcamp go directly to the Armenia Fund, and the band is also encouraging fans to make additional donations. It’s hard not to after listening to their impassioned pleas proving, once again, how music and art can and does affect the world.
