Daron Malakian says the friendships within System of a Down have grown much stronger in recent years, reversing a long period of distance between him and vocalist Serj Tankian, as he told Spin.
Malakian was asked about System’s current success, playing stadiums around the world. He explained how the band’s relationships have shifted and what that means for their work together.
Question: “System also seems to be in a great place, playing stadiums around the world.”
“It is,” Malakian said. “The friendships in the band are really strong right now. We get together, we have dinner, Shavo and I went to a hockey game together last week. Serj and I are in touch on the telephone every other week. That hasn’t happened in 20 years. We go to dinner together with the wives. Forget about the band. The friendship is back, and the friendship being back is making us enjoy the band.”
When asked about bands that struggle with internal conflict, Malakian reflected on his own experience with the group.
Question: “You’ve seen bands who don’t get along, and that doesn’t look fun.”
“It’s not fun,” he said. “There’s never been a time where I’ve been like, I don’t want to be in the room with Serj. Anytime Serj and I were in the room together, we were very cool, but then once that moment was done with, I wouldn’t see Serj for a very long time. It’s not that way now.”
“Some people don’t live some of their best times at the age that I’m at right now,” Malakian added. “And I feel like I’m living some of the best times of my life at this age. So it’s great, man. Everything seems like a bonus.”
Malakian was speaking about System’s current run of stadium shows and the renewed bond between the band members. His comments underscore how the restored friendships have shaped the band’s present era.
The renewed closeness between Malakian and Tankian marks a turning point after years of creative and business disagreements that kept the band from recording together. System of a Down released no new full-length album between 2005, when Mezmerise and Hypnotize came out, and 2020, when the group released “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” after a 15-year gap. The long separation between the two main creative voices had been at the heart of the band’s inability to make music as a unified force.
The band’s stadium tour across Europe in June and July 2026 marked their first headline dates in the region in over a decade. The run included shows in Stockholm, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Warsaw, with special guests Queens of the Stone Age and Acid Bath joining the bill. This European tour followed sold-out stadium dates across North America in summer 2025 and Latin America earlier that year, which drew 500,000 ticket sales.
The group also marked a milestone with Toxicity, their second studio album, reaching its 25th anniversary on September 4, 2001. System of a Down released a 25th anniversary edition reissue of the album along with a merchandise collection that included vinyl, CD, shirts, skate decks, ashtrays, and other items. The renewed sense of camaraderie that Malakian described reflects the band’s ability to move past the tensions that defined much of their recent history and reconnect on a personal level.
