It’s been twenty years since the last System of a Down album, and although the band has toured off and on since 2010, there’s no indication there will be another recording. Luckily, that’s not Daron Malakian’s only band. In 2008, two years after System of a Down went on hiatus, Malakian launched a new band, Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway. That band treads much of the same territory as System of a Down, but with Malakian front and center as the band’s singular creative driver. Seven years after the sophomore album, Dictator, Malakian’s project returns with Addicted to Violence.
Addicted to Violence is essentially a solo album with the help of some session musicians. Malakian produced the album, plays most of the guitar and bass, wrote and composed each song, and does all of the singing. Roman Lomtadze handles the drums while Orbel Babayan adds guitar and bass on three tracks.
While Malakian, who mostly sang backup harmonies in System of a Down, lacks Serj Tankian’s power and range as a vocalist, his voice is good enough for the songs packed with his trademark eccentricity. Addicted to Violence is a rock & roll album that melds old-school flavor with elements of metal, punk, pop, and Armenian ethnic music.
In some ways, Addicted to Violence is surprisingly accessible. “The Same Game” is a standard mid-tempo rock song built on a strong arpeggiated melody and a dash of crunching guitar. The title track uses dynamic loud/soft shifts made famous by the likes of Pixies and Nirvana.
But Scars on Broadway is at its best when getting a little wild. The tempo shifts and hectic rhythms of “Satan Hussein” match the non-sequitur lyrics that cover religion, drugs, the government, pornography, and more. “Killing Spree,” Malakian’s commentary on violent youth, careens between chugging metal in the verses and rapid-fire punk in the choruses. “Wish I could feel your hate and brutalize; wish I could feel your love and victimize,” Malakian sings, empathizing with a generation he feels has become detached and desensitized.
“Done Me Wrong” pairs galloping, palm-muted metal verses with sing-along pop choruses that layer traditional Armenian dance music on organ and keyboard under the distorted guitars. Malakian vents his frustration about media polarization and tribalism in politics in the delightfully frenetic “Your Lives Burn.” Pounding thrash metal rhythms butt against catchy grooves in a madcap song that sounds like a frustrated man screaming at anyone who will listen. “The politicians and the media conspire while your lives burn in the fire,” Malakian sings. “They brand all the victims, and they conquer us all. United we stand, divided we fall.”
With “Addicted to Violence,“ Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway unleash music that utilizes Malakian’s eccentric style and varied influences, while remaining accessible. Though there are heavy moments, it’s not as loud or aggressive as System of a Down. It’s a melodic rock album that smooths disparate influences into easy-to-digest structures, but allows enough jarring, divergent moments to keep things interesting.
