In May of 2006, the band announced they were going on hiatus. Guitarist Daron Malakian has confirmed the break will probably last a few years, but insists that the band is not splitting up. He tells MTV, "We're not breaking up. If that was the case, we wouldn't be doing this Ozzfest. We're going to take a very long break after Ozzfest and do our own things. We've done System for over 10 years, and I think it's healthy for us to get away from it for a while and come back to it later on. So, this is probably going to be... well, it's not a farewell tour, but it's going to be a little while before we go out again." He adds, "I'll always be a member of System Of A Down. That will never change. There isn't a rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are." Malakian claims that he needs a break from the band because he wants to live his life more. He has written the majority of the songs for the band for ten straight years.
Guitarist, Daron Malakian, says that he knows some fans aren't happy about the group taking a long hiatus after completing this summer's Ozzfest. But Malakian told Launch Radio Network that taking time off from SYSTEM for other projects is necessary for the group to stay fresh.
"I know a lot of people get into bands and stuff, but you've gotta remember inside the bands there's artists, and there's itches and things that you wanna get done, or have some kind of freshness in your life," he said. "So it's never been about, like, 'Hey, let's consistently shoot out SYSTEM records and make the biggest money in the world,' you know what I mean? For us, it's more about being creative and being able to be creative.'"
Earlier, drummer John Dolmayan told Launch that he and his bandmates expect to enjoy themselves: "Well, it should be a lot of fun," he said. "They usually are. It's kind of like, we call it, like, 'rock and roll summer camp.' It's gonna be good to be out there and it'll probably be a lot of the same crew members that have been on it. So for us it's always a good time."
Malakian is forming a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY and plans to work on its debut album this fall. Malakian told Billboard.com that SYSTEM bassist Shavo Odadjian is likely to be part of the group.
Odadjian is also planning to collaborate musically with the WU-TANG CLAN on a new album.
Ozzfest kicks off in Seattle on June 29 and will wrap up on August 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
