System of a Down’s Shavo Odadjian Suggested Hiring a Band Psychiatrist
Should System of a Down hire Phil Towle, the infamous band psychiatrist who appeared in Metallica‘s Some Kind Of Monster documentary, to settle the creative differences and financial disputes that have kept them from releasing new music? Bassist Shavo Odadjian has not only considered it, but he’s suggested it to his bandmates.
In a new interview with KROQ’s The Kevin & Bean Show yesterday [transcribed by The PRP], Odadjian revealed that he brought up the idea of bringing in some kind of Towle-like psychiatrist or mediator to settle differences between band members, but qualified that statement by saying that ultimately he wasn’t sure what the point would be because the band members still get along just fine for the most part:
“I’ve had that conversation. That would be cool, like maybe someone has to sit in the middle and be like ‘this is what it means.’ And ‘this is what he means.’ But it’s not like someone has done something. There’s no like where he could be ‘oh he did this for that reason.’…”
That juicy bit of headline-bait aside, earlier in the interview Shavo reiterated his desire to make new SoaD music:
“If it was my way, it would be now. But it’s not, it takes four to tango… I’m hoping—because like I said, for me, we have so much material. We have material for like the last 10-12 years. We all write. So I personally have a lot, Daron has a lot, I know Serj got a lot, but I don’t know… I don’t know what’s going on.
I’m hoping, I’m wishing, you know? We still love each other. There’s nothing… No one’s done anything wrong. No one’s angry, it’s not like someone’s done something to someone and they can’t take it back. Nothing like that’s occurred. I think it’s just an artistic thing.”
It’s worth noting that Daron has gone as record as saying he repurposed and released material he originally penned for System as Scars on Broadway’s latest album (although I can’t find the quote now) and Serj is currently doing the same for songs he’d written with System in mind, so the ship may have sailed on the existing material Shavo is referencing. Maybe those two have a few still stored up in the bank, though, plus there’s whatever Shavo has. Interesting that Shavo chose not to call out Serj for being the lone hold out — which Serj himself has admitted — instead claiming “I don’t know what’s going on.”
Meanwhile, the four System lads continue to get along well enough to play live together. They just performed at Force Fest in Mexico and have the following West Coast dates lined up:
10/13 San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater (feat. Incubus, At The Drive In, Clutch, Pallbearerand Skeletonwitch)
10/14 Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
10/16 Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Arena (with At the Drive-In and Skeletonwitch)
10/17 San Diego, CA – Valley View Casino Center (with At the Drive-In and Skeletonwitch)
10/19 Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena (with At the Drive-In and Skeletonwitch)
