Serj Tankian System Of A Down solo EP-min
[Photo by Vladimir Petkov via Wikimedia Commons]

Serj Tankian teases unreleased SOAD song off of his new solo EP—listen

For years now, System Of A Down fans have been patiently waiting for the band to finally drop another full-length album. However, creative differences between the band members have caused their next album to be severely delayed.

Now, it looks like Serj Tankian is using some of this unreleased material for his new solo EP Elasticity. On Feb. 1, the vocalist gave fans a taste of the material in a music video teaser for the EP’s title track that is due out on Thursday, Feb. 4.

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All the way back in 2018, Serj Tankian said that the only way System Of A Down would put out a new album is if it felt right. Shortly after, System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian revealed that the new music they have “tops everything we’ve done” in the past. However, the band continued to remain deadlocked on making their new album happen. Then, nearly a year later, Daron Malakian explained that the creative differences between the band members were the main reasons SOAD have yet to put out a new record.

Finally, in November 2020, System Of A Down returned with their first new music in nearly 15 years. They unveiled two songs “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” which address the ongoing conflict in Artsakh and Azerbaijan. However, there’s still no sign of a new System Of A Down album insight.

Now, it looks like Tankian is determined to put some of the band’s unreleased music out into the world. The vocalist is gearing up to release his new solo EP Elasticity which is comprised of material he originally wrote for System Of A Down.

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“Originally I had these songs in mind for a System record if we were to end up doing a System record,” he told Spin last year. “But as we could not really see eye to eye on how to go forward with that I decided to finish them off myself and release them as an EP.”

Although these songs were written with System Of A Down in mind, Tankian explained how his solo EP compares to the band’s overall sound. As well, the EP’s title is actually a play on System Of A Down’s widely successful 2001 album Toxicity.

“I always have random rock tracks done at different times and I sit on them,” he said. “And then one day the right project or right idea for releasing them will come along. They all have piano or synthesizers, which is a little different than the four-person crew with System, although we had some synths as well. It’s got stuff that’s really heavy, heavy and there’s a funny aspect and then there’s a song about my son. It kind of runs the gauntlet on diversity of thematic expression: political, non-political. I guess that’s always been me, all over the place. I think I’m gonna call it Elasticity just because I wanted to do it with System and it didn’t happen. For me, it’s not Toxicity but it is Toxicity. That’s what I’m thinking of calling it. I haven’t finalized it, but that’s what I’m thinking of calling it. We’ll probably put it out later this year.”

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Now, Tankian is finally offering a taste of his new solo EP. On Monday, he unveiled a teaser for the upcoming “Elasticity” video which arrives on Thursday, Feb. 4.

 

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Last year, Tankian told Rolling Stone just what fans can expect to hear on this new five-track solo EP.

“So these songs, I decided to finish them myself and release them,” he said. “And they are really interesting and beautiful songs — going from really heavy type of System-esque type of music to really beautiful, ballady — including pianos and string arrangements and stuff like that. So, it’s quite diverse for just five songs. And thematically, it’s quite diverse as well — a song about terrorism; a song about protests in Armenia years ago; a song about my son Rumi, kind of also cut with the poet Rumi, in a way — it’s an homage to the poet Rumi and his namesake, basically, in a way. And a few other pieces. So it’s kind of all around the place, as everything I do is.”

Currently, Elasticity doesn’t have a release date. However, Tankian has already treated fans to some new music. Back in January, he teamed up with Rage Against The Machine‘s Tom Morello for a special cover in honor of late Gang Of Four guitarist Andy Gill who passed away at the age of 64 in February 2020. Together, the duo covered the Gang Of Four classic “Natural’s Not In It” for a tribute album.

What are you most looking forward to hearing on Serj Tankian’s solo EP? Do you think System Of A Down will ever release another full-length album? Let us know in the comments below.