System of a Down’s Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan Join Street Band to Perform ‘Aerials’ in Mexico

Members of System of a Down have not been shy about admitting that recent creative differences have halted new recordings and releases by the band, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun together. Indeed, System of a Down singer Serj Tankian joined drummer John Dolmayan on stage to perform the band’s”Aerials” at the latter’s 50th birthday party in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico last weekend.

Dolmayan, who is Tankian’s brother-in-law, had already been playing drums with the rock covers street band Medium at the party on July 15 when the crowd motioned for Tankian to get up on stage.

System of a Down’s most recent songs, “Protect the Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” were released in 2020. Tankian recently confirmed that the band has no plans to release a new album anytime soon during a chat with Loudwire Weekends host Todd Fooks.

“Not at this time, and when we do, you’ll be the first to know,” the singer said.

In an interview with YouTuber Sona Oganesyan, Dolmayan discussed his reservations about releasing new material with the band.

“We still have something to give to the world,” Dolmayan explains in the video, “and when you put something out that actually makes an impact, you’re, like, ‘Why aren’t we doing this all the time?’ And then I go down the rabbit hole of frustration and anger,” shared the drummer recently, venting about the band’s inability to record a new album. “I’m a sensitive person, so I can’t just hold this stuff in — it has to come out one way or the other. And it takes me a long time to deal with it and to cope with it because I also am realistic in that life is finite; you only have a certain amount of time. And here we are.”