System Of A Down To Work On New Album

10/10/2003 12:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
LAUNCH Radio Networks

(10/10/03, 12 p.m. ET) -- System Of A Down is currently writing and rehearsing new songs for their next full-length album in a practice space in Los Angeles. Although guitarist Daron Malakian has been writing songs on his own for months, this is the first time all four members of the band have assembled to work on fresh material in more than two years. The band plans to begin recording the new album in early 2004, with its release scheduled for later that year.

Lead singer Serj Tankian recently started his own record label, called Serjical Strike Records. So far, he's issued his own side project, Serart, and the debut album from Kittens For Christian. Tankian told LAUNCH that working on his own projects helped bring a fresh approach to System Of A Down.

"Any creative, artistic endeavor outside the mold only adds to the flavors and the beauty of what you bring back into the table for whatever other project you're doing," Tankian. "I always encourage my brothers from System to go out and do other stuff with other people so that they can come back and have a new experience to share with me and teach me, and I share with them from whatever I'm doing. I think that's very important."

Two more debuts on Serjical Strike, by Bad Acid Trip and Slow Motion Reign, are due out by the end of 2003.

System guitarist Daron Malakian has formed his own label too, called EatUrMusic. The first two signings are L.A. punk act Amen and Norwegian black metal outfit Satyricon.

System Of A Down's previous album, Toxicity, was released on September 4, 2001, and debuted at Number One on the Billboard Top 200.

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