I owe Daron Malakian an apology. I was going to make every effort to try and disaggregate Scars on Broadway from System Of A Down, but Malakian is such a huge, distinctive personality and performer with a powerful influence and a unique (and that’s not a word that is used lightly on these hallowed pages) way of presenting his musical ideas that it’s impossible to do so. Added to this, we now know from statements emanating from both Malakian and Serj Tankian that some of the tracks on the second Scars… album, Dictator (independent release) had been mooted for a potential SOAD reunion album, but with that possibility, seemingly increasingly distant, Malakian, who recorded all the instruments as well as the songwriting and performing the vocals, has taken the step of releasing the album after sitting on the tracks for six years. Continue reading →