SYSTEM OF A DOWN’S “HIATUS” IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVER
Were System of a Down the first band to use either the phrase “hiatus” or “indefinite hiatus” instead of the phrase “breaking up?” It certainly seems like they were trend setters in that regard. Now let’s see if they can set a trend of reuniting in a half decade or less.
Yes, SOAD — confirming rumors that have been floating around for damn close to a year — have announced tour dates for 2011.
Thus far, they’re all headlining festival gigs, like Rock im Park/Rock am Ring in Germany, Download in England, and Metaltown (No one could come up with a better name than “Metaltown?” Seriously? Is it a metal festival or a part of ABC Family’s new midseason line-up?) in Sweden. Presumably this will be part of the de rigeur “headline Euro fests in the summer/North America in the fall or winter” formula that so many bands utilize these days, but I guess we’ll wait and see. Faith No More certainly put us on the edge of our seats by breaking with that tradition.
Like I said, the band only “split” less than five years ago and we’ve basically known about this reunion forever, so the news doesn’t strike me as being quite on the level of, say, the actual reunions of FNM, At the Gates, and Carcass. Still, it’s not like I’m gonna COMPLAIN about getting to see SOAD live again. I doubt we’ll get a new studio album before 2012, but that at least gives us something to look forward to besides the realization of a prophecy foretold by a horrible Roland Emmerich movie and President Sarah Palin.
Here are the SOAD reunion dates announced thus far, according to Metal Underground:
June 2nd – Milan Fiera Arena, Milan, Italy
June 4th – Rock im Park, Nuremberg, Germany
June 5th – Rock am Ring, Nurburgring, Germany
June 6th – Omnisports de Bercy, Paris, France
June 9th – Greenfield Festival, Interlaken, Switzerland
June 11th – Download Festival, Donington, England
June 13th – Novarock, Nickelsdorf, Austria
June 15th – Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
June 17th – Metaltown Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden
June 19th – Provinssirock, Turku, Finland
-AR
We got so many e-mails about this subject over the weekend that I’m not even sure I’m telling you anything you don’t already know. Thanks to all the various tipsters.
