Last week, System Of A Down shocked music fans around the world by premiering their first new music in 15 years. The tracks in question, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” were released to protest current conflict between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, with royalties from both songs donated to the Armenia Fund. Now, the band have released a statement thanking fans for their help — and revealing that these songs made over $600,000 for the Armenia Fund.
“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your incredible support of our campaign for the people of Artsakh, and for helping us raise over $600k in donations to provide for those in dire need via the Armenia Fund,” said System Of A Down in a statement sent out last night. “Because of you, we will be able to help displaced civilians, young and old, who are affected by the hideous war crimes inflicted upon Artsakh by Azerbaijan and Turkey. Please take a few minutes to watch our full interview to get a more intimate look and understanding into why we came together to release ‘Protect The Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz.’ To the four of us, it’s extremely important to share these truths with you. It is for our ancestors, our culture, and our nation. Help us spread the message.”
The band then included a video interview about their relationship with Armenia and the current plight gripping the country. Watch it below:
This sudden unity within the band under one banner might come as a surprise to some, given the polar opinions that frontman Serj Tankian and drummer John Dolmayan hold about American politics. But according to Dolmayan, “I texted, ‘no matter how we feel about each other, no matter what issues linger from the past, we need to put them aside because this is bigger than System Of A Down and bigger than all of us…we need to do something to support our people.’”
Check out “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” below:
You can purchase the tracks on System Of A Down’s Bandcamp in order to give to this excellent cause.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
