SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian has defined his shocking resolution to shelve a collaboration with KORN‘s Jonathan Davis.
As lately as April 2023, Odadjian reported that his track with Davis was preparing for launch as a part of the self-titled debut from his new band SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, however when the LP got here out final fall, the tune was nowhere to be discovered.
Throughout a dialog with SNSMix.com, Odadjian revealed that SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET was initially conceptualized “like a DJ Khaled of rock” through which he’d “get a bunch of options” from varied well-known vocalists. One such collaborator was Davis.
“What occurred was the [SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET] music turned actually fascinating and I began desirous to play this stay,” he stated. “I used to be, like, ‘We must always play this stay,’ and at that time having simply options on the document would not work out as a result of then how do you play stay?”
When Odadjian determined SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET could be a full-fledged band, he realized that it could be unimaginable to take Davis out on tour. Shavo and his staff tried to alter the unnamed track in order that the KORN frontman was solely featured on the refrain. In the end, it simply didn’t sound correct.
“[The changed version] wasn’t nearly as good accurately, as a result of I feel Jonathan is wonderful,” Odadjian stated. “I even spoke to him [and] we determined if we ever do [another collaboration], we’ll write collectively, not use one thing that he already had [recorded] beneath one other rhythm.”
Different visitor vocalists who had been reportedly going to be on the SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET album included Odadjian‘s SYSTEM OF A DOWN bandmate Serj Tankian and former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Howard Jones. Shavo steered that the latter collaboration should still seem on SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET‘s second document.
SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET‘s self-titled debut album was launched on October 11, 2024 by way of Sumerian Information and 1336 Information.
Shavo is joined within the group by vocalist Taylor Barber (LEFT TO SUFFER),WINDS OF PLAGUE guitarist Michael Montoya (a.okay.a. Morgoth Beatz, a producer and songwriter who has beforehand collaborated with Travis Barker, JuiceWrld, Lil Xan, Jonathan Davis, ISSUES and lots of extra),guitarist/backing vocalist Alejandro Aranda (a.okay.a. Scarypoolparty, “American Idol”) and drummer Josh Johnson (WINDS OF PLAGUE).
SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET made its pageant debut finally yr’s Mayhem pageant on the Glen Helen Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, California.
Shavo informed RIFF Journal about how SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET took place: “It was humorous. My quantity’s 22, in order that’s why I’ve the [cannabis] model 22Red. So on February twenty second, 2022, we threw a celebration and the day of the celebration, I did a stay radio present on KROQ right here in Los Angeles. And that night, we had been throwing the celebration for 22Red, however I did that present earlier than and I invited the host to the celebration. He requested me if he might carry a pal. I stated, ‘Certain.’ He introduced his pal. It was Morgoth Beatz who ended up being the producer and now my rhythm guitar participant within the band and co-songwriter in a few of them songs and stuff. So he and I made a decision we will write music that day collectively. So we exchanged numbers and we bought collectively like a month later, wrote a track, after which we did one other one every week later. After which it simply turned this factor the place it was gonna be like one track we had been going to promote to a different artist, ‘trigger that is what he does; he writes plenty of music and he passes it on. However it turned this factor. And he talked about, he is, like, ‘Man, why do not you do a Shavo document? Like one thing with the entire songs that you simply wrote as an alternative of only one or two songs. These are popping out nice.’ And at that time, I wasn’t actually excited about doing my very own document like that, ‘trigger I’ve executed so many different initiatives. And one other factor is I’ve by no means executed heavy music outdoors of SYSTEM. It has been heavy, however by no means the identical style. I’ve all the time tried to remain in opposition to the grain, and I’ve executed EDM, I’ve executed hip-hop, I’ve executed rock-metal shit, however I have not actually simply targeted on that, which truly is my forte. I shut my eyes and it simply occurs, which is how we did this.”
Shavo continued: “So I used to be at his studio. I’ve my very own studio. I gave him the important thing. I stated, ‘Come via. We’re gonna begin engaged on this document.’ And a yr and a half later, we’ve a full document, plus one other half a document for album two. We now have a full band. I began my very own label and I signed it to Sumerian, who has worldwide distribution to Virgin, which is wonderful for me. That is what I sort of needed with the management. I have been doing this for 30 years, so I sort of knew how I needed it, and I am constructing it. And that is the way it began. And that is the place we’re at proper now. It began off as a ardour mission [and it] turned my factor.”
Relating to how the songwriting course of for SYSTEM OF A DOWN was completely different from how he approached his beforehand initiatives, Shavo stated: “Yeah, normally I will write at residence after which I will carry it to the band. Or my different initiatives, I’ve simply written at residence after which introduced it to the remainder of the fellows. This one, I’d simply have him play a beat that he made, and even only a 4/4, or perhaps a loop or one thing, after which I simply sort of… I imply, I simply began strumming and the music simply got here out of me. So we simply recorded all the things I did. And at any time when one thing was wonderful, we knew it. I used to be, like, ‘Okay, make {that a} factor.’ So we highlighted that second. After which afterwards I wrote a component that goes with that, after which sort of organized it, wrote all of it within the studio. So artistically it was actually refreshing. There was no boundaries, no regulation, no guidelines. I simply did it. It simply got here out so organically. All the pieces about it has been natural and never deliberate. And that is what the fantastic thing about SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET.”
On the subject of how he got here up with the title of the SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, Shavo stated: “He [Morgoth Beatz] needed to name it SHAV or SHAVO, so individuals know it is me, and I wrote 95 % of it. However nonetheless, I all the time like a unit, I like a band. I feel it is cooler. And plus he helped me quite a bit. These guys, they got here in and did their half, and it simply works completely. So I just like the collaboration. I’ve by no means had the ego, the place it is, like, ‘me, me, me.’ I’ve by no means executed that. I’ve by no means stated that. So I prefer it. It is us. And it turned a band. And SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, the acronym, is S.H.A.V. In order that’s cool. So that they bought what they needed and I bought what I needed. I bought a band, the cool title mysterious, nevertheless it additionally has a which means, however I am by no means gonna clarify the which means. It is sort of a kind of issues. There’s many meanings you’ll be able to consider what ‘Violet’ is — it might be a feminine, it might be a factor, the colour, an occasion, it might be something, and it is sort of cool. So there may be some deep which means to it and possibly sooner or later we’ll clarify it, however in the mean time, I prefer it the place we’re.”
Relating to the opposite members of SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET, Shavo stated: “My singer, Taylor Barber, he comes from the world of deathcore and the growling. His voice is an instrument, and he is a surprise. He is like the brand new surprise of the world that nobody is aware of but that is there. He does have a following and he comes from one other band referred to as LEFT TO SUFFER, which is a grindcore band. However he sings like a canary as nicely. His vary is so enormous. He is the proper member. He is the proper singer that got here in and might do all of the elements. After which additionally we bought Alejandro Aranda, who, he’s simply this musical genius who got here in. He was the final member, and I did not even know I wanted that member, however, now it is, like, after all I wanted him. After all he match completely. He does aspect vocals. He sings together with Taylor completely. So it is like a two-vocal band now, two-vocalist band. And we bought Josh Johnson on the drums, and he is wonderful. He hails from a band referred to as WINDS OF PLAGUE; he used to play with them. So he is gifted as hell. So, yeah, I am honored and fortunate to have these guys round me and for us to have the ability to do that music collectively.”
