System of a Down are back with two new political songs, first music in 15 years

Heavy metal band System of a Down is back in business with new music for the first time in 15 years.

The four-piece group led by singer Serj Tankian surprised fans this Friday after sharing two new songs named Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz on Bandcamp.

System of a Down’s new songs talk about the current war in their ancestral homelands

The new material addresses the current political crisis in Artsakh and Armenia, the band members’ homelands.

On a statement published on System of a Down’s Bandcamp page, the band said: “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.”

The group has also unveiled a video for Protect the Land, which features real footage of recent clashes and protests in Artsakh.

The video has been directed by the award-winning filmmaker Ara Soudjian and System of a Down’s bassist Shavo Odadjian.

Proceeds from the two new songs will be donated to the Armenian Fund, which will give aid and basic supplies for people affected by the conflict.

System of a Down’s new material represents a “unifed voice”

Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz, the follow-up of 2005’s “Hypnotize” (Columbia Records) is a breath of fresh air for the band and represents a “unified voice”.

System of a Down has lately been on the spotlight due to the political differences between drummer

John Dolmayan, a publicly recognized Donald Trump supporter, and vocalist Serj Tankian, who called Trump to resign after the way he handled George Floyd’s protests (#BlackLivesMatter).

Both Tankian and Dolmayan addressed their political differences publicly stating they don’t always agree, but respect each other’s opinion.

The two new releases show that System of a Down is a strong unity and their members can still create music together in spite their diverse political opinions.

Listen to System of a Down’s new singles Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz below.