John Dolmayan On System Of A Down's Internal Tension: "Not All Of Us Get Along Very Well, But I Say We All Get Along Good Enough"

The self-titled debut album from System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan‘s These Grey Men covers project has officially seen a release. A stream of the record can be found below. The project finds Dolmayan teaming with James Hazley.

Among some of the more notable offerings on it are guest appearances from his System Of A Down bandmate (and brother-in-law) Serj Tankian on covers of David Bowie‘s “Starman” and the Talking Heads‘ “Road To Nowhere“. Avenged Sevenfold‘s M. Shadows and Rage Against The Machine guitarist also guest on the record, appearing on a cover of Radiohead‘s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)“.

Dolmayan crowdfunded $55,215 for the project back in 2014 with it now having just arrived following a lengthy gestation period. Billboard.com hosted the premiere of the below stream and also once again had Dolmayan address the elephant in the room: System Of A Down‘s inability to get on the same page to make a new album.

When asked why that band doesn’t do a new album, he responded:

“I don’t know. Maybe because we’re stupid? Because our egos get in the way? Maybe because there’s too much drama from the past that people can’t get past. I don’t have a good answer for you because I don’t agree with not doing an album. It sucks.”

He was then asked if they were close to getting together for a record in the more recent past, he offered:

“Some of us are closer than others, I think. Not all of us get along very well, but I say we all get along good enough. It’s kind of like having brothers, man. You have three brothers, you’re not going to like all of them the same. They’re not all going to like you the same. Each of us has our favorites, but at the end of the day, you’re brothers nonetheless. But I want to kill some of the guys in the band sometimes.”

Regarding the potential for any further dates from the band this year outside of what they already have announced, he replied:

“We have the tour in June in Europe, and I would really like to get back East, and we haven’t done Texas in forever. We haven’t been to Florida. We haven’t been to some of the Southern states in a long time. We haven’t played the Midwest in a second. So there’s a lot of places I would really like to get back to and play if my band will be willing to do it. But everything is pulling teeth in my band. Sometimes I have to literally get into arguments just to get anything done.”

Despite the well-documented internal issues holding the band back from creating new material, Dolmayan said that they remain friendly with each other while on tour:

“That’s what is so odd about it — we have the time of our lives on tour. We go to dinner. We go to museums. We’re in very nice hotels, and we’re playing these great shows in front of amazing fans who support us throughout our bullshit. So it makes no fucking sense whatsoever that we don’t do more. None.”

System Of A Down‘s 2020 touring plans at the moment can be found below:

05/22 Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium (feat. Korn, Faith No More, Helmet, etc.) (tickets)
05/23 Los Angeles, CA – Banc Of California Stadium (feat. Korn, Faith No More, Helmet, etc.) (tickets)
06/03 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggo Dome (tickets)
06/05 Nurburg, GER – Rock am Ring
06/07 Nuremberg, GER – Rock im Park
06/08 Berlin, GER – Waldbuhne (tickets)
06/10 Nickelsdorf, AUT – Nova Rock Festival
06/12 Milan, ITA – I-Days Festival (tickets)
06/14 Donington, UK – Download Festival (tickets)
06/16 Prague, CZE – O2 Arena (tickets)
06/17 Budapest, HUN – Laszlo Papp Sports Arena (tickets)
06/19 Zurich, SWI – Hallenstadion (tickets)
06/21 Clisson, FRA – Hellfest (tickets)
06/23 Stockholm, SWE – Ericsson Globe (tickets)
06/25-27 Seinäjoki, FIN – Provinssirock Festival
06/30 Krakow, POL – Tauron Arena (tickets)
07/01-04 Viveiro, SPA – Resurrection Fest (tickets)
07/02-03 Lisbon, POR – VOA Heavy Rock Festival (tickets)