Though it appeared earlier this year that the members of System of a Down were at loggerheads concerning new music, that may not be the whole story. In a new chat with Consequence of Sound, bassist Shavo Odadjian suggests that it may just be a matter of time before things eventually work themselves out to release new music, and when it happens, it will be worth the wait.

"Nothing between us has happened that’s so terrible that people can’t get in the studio and work. Nothing! Everything is just [a matter of] taste, and they just gotta get in and forget the past, and kind of move forward, and I think that will happen. I’m not worried. I’m not worried at all," says Odadjian, who reveals that Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian's comments that were made earlier this year more related to past issues and that while there were differing points of view, the band members are on good terms.

"We’re not even fighting. When we see each other, we’re so happy and we’re cool," says Odadjian. "It’s weird that we don’t have a new record, or many records, and it’s weird that we don’t go on world tours. We tour, but it’s so little."

The bassist confided that the music they have worked on was impressive. "We have material that tops everything we’ve done, and that’s me telling you, honestly," says the bassist. "I can’t wait to record that and drop it. It’s just a matter of time. I just hope it happens sooner than later. But we’ve written stuff together. Daron’s brought a lot of stuff in. I’ve brought stuff to Daron and we’ve worked it out. I have so much more stuff that is ready to go out. I’ve told Daron this, too. I’ve said, 'We’ve gotta get this done,' and he’s like, 'Yeah, I’d love to.' So, we all want to, and I think Serj is kind of doing his own thing, and I get it."

When asked about the importance of System in potentially revitalizing the rock climate, Odadjian stated, "I don’t think we owe it to anyone [to bring back rock music to the forefront], but it would be nice if we did that, because we’re capable of it." He also shot down the "rock is dead" debate, adding, "How could rock be dead with all those bands blasting in Ohio [at Sonic Temple]? Tell me that! Rock’s not dead. It just needs more creative bands busting their balls right now. The time will come. The industry is so oversaturated with these fly-by-night rappers who come in and come out. People who say 'rock is dead,' it’s because of that. It’s because of what’s out there saturating the industry. But it takes a couple of good bands to come with some good albums, and some great tours and festivals to bring it back."

System of a Down will return in 2019 with headlining spots at the Sonic Temple and Chicago Open Air festivals May 17 and 18.