Shavo Odadjian reflects on System Of A Down being ‘nu metal’: “I never liked being compared to anyone”

22 Oct 2024, 14:06 · louder

By Matt Mills
( Metal Hammer )
Contributions from
Rich Hobson
published 22 October 2024

“When they put us in a group, I would always be like, ‘We’re not nu metal, we’re our own thing!’ Now I’m older and wiser…”

(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty/ABA)

System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian has discussed his complex relationship with the ‘nu metal’ tag.

Talking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Odadjian reveals his initial resistance to being lumped into the same genre as Korn, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit and others. However, he’s come to appreciate the diversity and vision of bands under the umbrella.

“I never liked being compared to anyone,” Odadjian tells Hammer’s Rich Hobson. “When they put us in a group, I would always be like, ‘We’re not nu metal, we’re our own thing!’ Now I’m older and wiser.”

Referring to the other stars of the nu metal era, the bassist continues: “Those are my bros, man. I made great friends in that community. Touring with these guys and hanging out with them every night, it created some special bonds and I’m proud of that. We’re still in that group and that era.

“You can’t compare System or Korn to Static-X. It was an era of doing metal a different way. It was bringing in other elements to metal as a whole and not giving a fuck. That’s what the kids of today are attracted to and bonding with in that genre.”

Odadjian goes on to describe nu metal as an “attitude” rather than a concrete sound, likening it to the early days of punk rock in the 1970s. “Our era was like that in a different way: we didn’t care we were mixing Arabic and Armenian elements with death metal, Korn didn’t care that they were mixing in hip-hop, Deftones didn’t care they sang like Sade! Static-X added disco… There was such a cool melting pot. You can’t deny that it was cool and special, right?”

The bassist is currently promoting his new project Seven Hours After Violet, who released their self-titled debut album earlier this month. Hammer’s Stephen Hill gave the album a three-star review. He praised the band’s eclectic sound, which spans from radio rock to deathcore, but noted, “All of these elements in isolation should make a fantastic debut album, but sadly, unlike Shavo’s day job, SHAV currently lacks enough distinct personality to fully stand out in a crowded genre.”

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Seven Hours After Violet is the first studio album to feature Odadjian since System Of A Down’s 2005 release Hypnotize. The nu metal stars haven’t shut the door on making another record, but progress on new music appears minimal.

Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.

With contributions from