System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian might not have released a new full-length album with his main band in almost 20 years, but he's hardly been idle. Ahead of the release of Seven Hours After Violet, the eponymous debut album from his new deathcore-inspired project, he spoke to Metal Hammer about how this new project fits in with his ideas for System Of A Down and how he's kept creatively busy over the past two decades.
“People are like, ‘Why don’t you just get together with the band [SOAD]?’ If I had it my way, I would just get together with the guys, you know?" he says. "But the band isn’t working right now so do you want me to just sit around on my own and just wait? So with all these thoughts, I decided to just do it [and work on another project]."
During the chat, he also explains how Seven Hours After Violet evolved as a project after he started working on songs with Morgoth - guitarist/producer Michael Montoya - and Left To Suffer vocalist Taylor Barber.
"At first we were going to do a record of all instrumentals, with every song have a new featured singer," he reveals. "Maybe Serj [Tankian], maybe some other guys – just get them to come in. But then the music started getting good, so I realised I wanted to start touring with this. It just developed into a thing.”
He also acknowledges comments in the past that if he had his way, "SOAD would have 10 albums and tour every year." Asked if that contributed to him not immediately working on another metal project, he agrees wholeheartedly.
“You’ve hit the nail on the head. I said this in another interview, but I have a bunch of riffs. Every time I pick up a guitar, I write stuff. Things fly out of me, you know? So as I’m writing I record it all onto my phone and I’ll put them into albums to listen back to. I have literally 10 to 12 albums of riffs for each, which means over a hundred parts. I was always writing so when we get back into the studio I’m gonna have all this ammunition."
Shavo also explains how the individual members of System Of A Down have distinct writing styles in the studio.
"Daron [Malakian] comes in with full songs, full respect to him," he explains. "Serj does the same with his vibe and his energy… The way I did it always was as a collaborator. I’d bring in parts and get everyone working on them, so they’d take those parts and add their own things in there. I love doing that, bringing these moments together."
"I’m full on ready for that and I’ve never used those riffs – still to this day," he continues. "I thought maybe this [Seven Hours After Violet] album could use it, but I didn’t need them; I created more. There’s so much that if it doesn’t get used for System, it can get used anywhere. That’s the thing for this group of people I’m making music with right now, there’s never going to be a lack of material.”
Seven Hours After Violet is out October 11 via Sumerian Records.
