Serj Tankian Recalls System of a Down Bandmates Holding an Audition for a New Singer Without His Knowledge

Serj Tankian has been a member of System of A Down for decades, but there was a time in the group's career when his bandmates considered replacing him with a new vocalist, and they even held an audition without him knowing.

The musician opened up about the moment in his new memoir, Down With the System. In an excerpt shared by Rolling Stone, he noted that his bandmates Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian, and John Dolmayan were pushing to do more with the band.

However, he admitted that he was "holding them back" because he didn't want to do a proper tour with his bandmates.

In late 2017, Tankian recalled having a band meeting at their manager David "Beno" Benveniste 's office. He told his band mates he wanted to add an agenda, and they discussed business.

By the end of the meeting, he opened up his agenda, initially joking with his bandmates by asking them who would throw his "going-away party." Although he chuckled a bit, his decision was firm and serious.

"'Look guys, I've been very clear that I'm no longer interested in touring both due to my back and because it's just no longer something within my vision,'" he remembered telling his band mates.

He added that he didn't want to hold other members back because it was their dream, and they had worked on being in a group much of their lives.

"I think you guys should find a new singer," he told the rest of his bandmates.

Since he wanted his band mates to be happy, he said he would help them train a new singer and help make the transition amicable.

Even though the idea didn't advance, he once found out that his bandmates held an audition without him knowing.

Tankian thought the group had forgotten about looking for a new singer, but when he and some attended a fundraiser, one musician went up the stage and sang a "beautiful Armenian song."

Odadjian leaned over Tankian and told him they "tried this guy out as a singer," but he couldn't "scream and growl."

The musician was surprised by what he had just discovered, saying, "I was taken aback. Not that they had been auditioning replacements, but that they'd kept it a secret."

Regardless, the group went on and Tankian never left. Instead of going on long tours, System of A Down went on to perform at one-off shows like the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas and a show at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

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