SYSTEM OF A DOWN: Reunion/Comeback Tour Dates Officially Announced

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively predicted on November 18 and again on November 24, SYSTEM OF A DOWN has finally made its reunion/comeback tour plans official. The band's statement reads as follows:

"We are excited to announce that SYSTEM will be playing some dates together in 2011. We also want to thank you for your loyalty and support, not only to SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but to all of our solo efforts as well.

"We have no master plan of sorts — we are playing these shows simply because we want to play together again as a band and for you, our amazing fans.

"We look forward to seeing all of you!"

Confirmed SYSTEM OF A DOWN tour dates:

Jun. 02 - Milan, Italy - Milan Fiera Arena
Jun. 04 - Nürnberg, Germany - Rock im Park
Jun. 05 - Nürburgring, Germany - Rock am Ring
Jun. 06 - Paris, France - Omnisports de Bercy
Jun. 09 - Interlaken, Switzerland - Greenfield
Jun. 11 - Castle Donington, UK - Download
Jun. 13 - Nickelsdorf, Austria - Novarock
Jun. 15 - Berlin, Germany - Wuhlheide
Jun. 17 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Metaltown
Jun. 19 - Seinäjoki, Finland - Provinssirock

More shows will be announced soon.

When asked about the possibility of a full-blown SYSTEM reunion during an August 2010 interview with The Pulse of Radio, singer Serj Tankian replied, "Shavo [Odadjian; bass] got married like two months ago, we were all at his wedding, and you know, we all talk, we're friends, nothing's changed, and we get offers to play shows, tours, whatever, and we discuss them once in a while. We have not made any decisions as of yet as to what we're gonna do. But when we do, it'll be quite obvious."

(A short audio clip of Serj Tankian talking to The Pulse of Radio about SYSTEM OF A DOWN's status is available at this location [Real Media].)

Meanwhile, Odadjian himself said in a recent interview with Hustler magazine that SYSTEM went on an "indefinite break" to save the band from splitting up permanently.

Odadjian explained, "We won a Grammy and we had two number one records. We were making a lot of loot [money]. Then some people within the group of four brothers started seeing things differently . . . and their actions made the reactions of others pretty unbrotherly-like."

The bass player added, "All of a sudden band members are having problems financially. . . . [and] fighting about, 'I want my style of music to be this and that.' I love them. They're my brothers, but I couldn't see my brothers digging into each other's pockets and killing each other's artistic creativity."

Odadjian said that the band members vowed to come back "when we again have the hunger and the fire in our eyes that we did when we started SYSTEM OF A DOWN."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN has been on hiatus since 2006 while its members have pursued various personal projects. Tankian released his first solo album, "Elect The Dead", in 2007 and a follow-up effort, "Imperfect Harmonies", earlier this year, while bassist Shavo Odadjian recorded with members of the WU-TANG CLAN and launched a new online music initiative. Meanwhile, guitarist Daron Malakian started a new band called SCARS ON BROADWAY, also featuring SYSTEM drummer John Dolmayan.