Nu metal icons System of a Down have released their first new music in 15 years. The band broke their hiatus to support their home country of Armenia.
The two singles, Protect the Land and Genocidal Humanoidz, made their debut on Friday, with proceeds from the music going to Armenia Fund. The group's members Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan are of Armenian descent.
The group wrote about the meaning of the two songs on Instagram: "These two songs, "Protect The Land" and "Genocidal Humanoidz" both speak of a dire and serious war being perpetrated upon our cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia." Adding, 'We're proud to share these songs with you and hope you enjoy listening to them. Further, we encourage you to read on to learn more about their origins and once you do, hope you are inspired to speak out about the horrific injustices and human rights violations occurring there now. Most importantly and urgently, we humbly implore you to donate, in sums small or large to help those adversely affected with what are ever-growing accounts of crimes against humanity."
Azerbaijan and Armenia on October 17 agreed to a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the conflict over the contested enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, which is called Artsakh by Armenians. The dispute dates to the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Nagorno Karabakh declared independence from Azerbaijan, sparking a violent conflict that ended in a 1994 ceasefire. However, tensions have risen since July.
Listen to the Protect the Land here