The political disagreement between the members of System of a Down is nothing new. Vocalist Serj Tankian has always championed left-leaning positions, especially in the United States, while drummer John Dolmayan identifies with the right.
In an interview with Consequence of Sound , Tankian commented on the new documentary Truth to Power , which shows the history of the band's activism, mainly in relation to the members' country of origin, Armenia, perhaps the only political issue on which they all agree.
When asked about the documentary, Tankian was questioned about the political differences between him and John. “We’re good friends, like family, and he’s the drummer in my band, so of course we talk about many, many different things, like political views,” he replied.
“However, we agree a lot on Armenian issues, for example, about family, personal matters,” he continued. “But when it comes to American politics, we are at opposite extremes – and we are very passionate and vehement about our own opinions.”
He then stated that he “loves John Dolmayan” but doesn’t “respect his American political views.” Tankian is able to live with this difference because there is mutual admiration and care: “There comes a point where you disagree on something, and you simply prefer to talk about something else.”
It's worth remembering that Dolmayan and Tankian are brothers-in-law, and the vocalist's wife is the sister of the drummer's partner, but none of that separated them. The group even released their first song in 15 years in November 2020 to protest against the genocidal acts resulting from the armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Serj Tankian, more active than ever, is preparing to release a solo EP titled Elasticity , featuring songs that were originally composed for a future album with the band.
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