“I can’t force other people to do something just because I wanted it”: Daron Malakian admits System Of A Down’s hiatus was “difficult”

System Of A Down’s Daron Malakian has opened up about how challenging he found the nu metal-era band’s hiatus.

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the guitarist/vocalist says he found it “difficult” not getting to play and write with his band between 2006 and 2011.

He also reveals that he wanted to keep System going at the time, but adds that he wasn’t going to “force” the four-piece’s other members to carry on if they didn’t want to.

He explains: “When System took the hiatus, I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted. But I can’t force other people to do something just because I wanted it.”

Malakian soon found a new creative outlet in his alt-metal project Scars On Broadway. The band, who initially had System’s John Dolmayan on drums, released their self-titled debut album in July 2008.

“My first thing was, ‘OK, if I release music, I need an outlet for that,’” Malakian tells Hammer, “and Scars became that outlet. I’ll be honest with you, man, I’m just as proud of the Scars stuff as anything I’ve done. I think some of my best shit is on [the first album].”

In a 2006 MTV interview, Malakian said System Of A Down were temporarily splitting to let the members focus on their personal lives. While he started Scars On Broadway, bassist Shavo Odadjian formed experimental hip-hop group Achozen and frontman Serj Tankian launched a solo career. System announced their return in late 2010 and formally came back with a string of festival shows in summer 2011.

Despite System’s comeback, the band are yet to release a new album, although they did put out double-A-side single Genocidal Humanoidz/Protect The Land in 2020.

Malakian said this February that he has little interest in making another System album. He told Trunk Nation: “If we put out an album now, it’s just so far away from [most recent System albums Hypnotize and Mezmerize], it doesn’t continue the story to me.”

Malakian released the third Scars On Broadway album, Addicted To Violence, last week to positive reviews.