System of a Down

phantomoftheicarus

Bleeding Freak
In a very small and brief statement on Facebook, SOAD have announced they'll be returning to Europe next year, beginning with a date in Finland! The statement is as follows:

"We are excited to announce the first of many shows in Europe next year. First up is our return to Finland for Provinssi in June."

(
I assume Provinssi is some kind of Finnish festival?)

Any else interested in seeing them on tour?
 
I saw them in Chicago in May. It was one of only two live shows they played this year. They are a really fun band to see live, I just wish they would hammer out their creative differences and actually record some new music, but sadly it doesn't look likely that'll ever happen.
 
They suck.

If they're playing "many shows in Europe next year" with the Finnish show being in June, then I will assume that they'll be at Download Festival.
 
They suck.
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I’ve been listening to SOAD lately, especially the last two albums. They have really interesting stuff, vocally and instrumentally entertaining. Sometimes a bit too much but surely a band that’ll wake you up in the morning. I would see them live.
 
I'd love to go see SOAD live, unfortunately for me that's not a festival I'd consider going to.
 
I like SOAD and would not mind seeing them live, but I would definitely not go to a festival (i.e. Download) just because they are headlining.
 
If Download festival wasn't canceled, that would be their 4th headlining since their last album was out. That says something. I don't know what exactly, but it does.

Now, I've always wanted to see them live, or so I thought. So, I spoke to a friend and said that and he told me he had the same wish. But! He said, no matter how much he searched, he didn't find a their single live performance where they sounded good. It may be that they can't pull that guitar sound or Serj is having more bad days than good, but after quick search on YouTube, I admit he's right.

Still, I think it's way different when you're in the pit so I must admit I would still go. But their tours have a habit of recognizing Armenia as only country that is south-east of Austria.
 
We as System Of A Down have just released new music for the first time in 15 years. The time to do this is now, as together, the four of us have something extremely important to say as a unified voice. These two songs, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” both speak of a dire and serious war being perpetrated upon our cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia.

We’re proud to share these songs with you and hope you enjoy listening to them. Further, we encourage you to read on to learn more about their origins and once you do, hope you are inspired to speak out about the horrific injustices and human rights violations occurring there now. Most importantly and urgently, we humbly implore you to donate, in sums small or large to help those adversely affected with what are ever growing accounts of crimes against humanity.

In turn, you will receive downloads of these two new songs and the feeling that you’re truly making a difference. These funds will be used to provide crucial and desperately needed aid and basic supplies for those affected by these hideous acts.

On September 27, the combined forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey (along with Isis terrorists from Syria) attacked the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, which we as Armenians call Artsakh. For over the past month, civilians young and old have been awakened day and night by the frightful sights and sounds of rocket attacks, falling bombs, missiles, drones and terrorist attacks. They’ve had to find sanctuary in makeshift shelters, trying to avoid the fallout of outlawed cluster bombs raining down on their streets and homes, hospitals and places of worship. Their attackers have set their forests and endangered wildlife ablaze using white phosphorus, another banned weapon.

And Why?

Because over 30 years ago in 1988, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (which at the time was an Autonomous Oblast within the USSR), were tired of being treated as second class citizens and decided to declare their rightful independence from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic whose borders engulfed their own. This ultimately led to a war of self determination by Armenians in Karabakh against Azerbaijan that ended in a cease fire in 1994, with Armenians retaining control of their ancestral homelands and maintaining their independence to the present day. Our people have lived there for millennia, and for most families there, it’s the only home they and their forefathers and mothers have ever known. They just want to live in peace as they have for centuries.

The current corrupt regimes of Aliyev in Azerbaijan and Erdogan in Turkey now want to not only claim these lands as their own, but are committing genocidal acts with impunity on humanity and wildlife to achieve their mission. They are banking on the world being too distracted with COVID, elections and civil unrest to call out their atrocities. They have the bankroll, the resources and have recruited massive public relations firms to spin the truth and conceal their barbaric objective of genocide. This is not the time to turn a blind eye.

There is an immediate need for global citizens to urge their respective governments to not only condemn the actions of these crooked dictators, but to also insist world leaders act with urgency to bring peace to the region and rightfully recognize Artsakh as the independent nation it is.

We realize that for many of you, there are more convenient ways you like listening to music, so please consider the opportunity to download these songs as an act of charity above all else. Think of the list price for the downloads as a minimum donation, and if you have the ability and can be more generous with your donation, every single member of System Of A Down will be even more grateful for your benevolence. Band royalties from this initiative will be donated to Armenia Fund, a US based charity organization instrumental in providing those in need in Artsakh and Armenia with supplies needed for their basic survival.

The music and lyrics speak for themselves. We need you to speak for Artsakh.

Peace,

Daron, Shavo, John and Serj

 
Say what you will about the music — I don’t think they’re great, they’re just kinda passable — but I think it’s great that they’re using their platform to bring to light the shit going down in Armenia right now. I’ll look past anything else for that.
 
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