bassist Shavo Odadjian might not have released a new full-length album with his main band in almost 20 years, but he's hardly been idle. Ahead of the release of , the eponymous debut album from his new -inspired project, he spoke to about how this new project fits in with his ideas for System Of A Down and how he's kept creatively busy over the past two decades. “People are like, ‘Why don’t you just get together with the band [SOAD]?’ If I had it my way, I just get together with the guys, you know?" he says.

"But the band isn’t working right now so do you want me to just sit around on my own and just wait? So with all these thoughts, I decided to just do it [and work on another project]." During the chat, he also explains how Seven Hours After Violet evolved as a project after he started working on songs with Morgoth - guitarist/producer Michael Montoya - and Left To Suffer vocalist Taylor Barber. "At first we were going to do a record of all instrumentals, with every song have a new featured singer," he reveals.

"Maybe Serj [Tankian], maybe some other guys – just get them to come in. But then the music started getting , so I realised I wanted to start touring with this. It just developed into a thing.

” He also acknowledges comments in the past that if he had his way, "SOAD would have 10 albums and tour every year." Asked if that contributed to him not immediately working on another metal project, he agrees wholeheartedly. “You’ve hit the nail on the head.

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