SYSTEM OF A DOWN To Go On Lengthy Hiatus Following OZZFEST

May 3, 2006

SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist Daron Malakian has told MTV.com that the band's headlining stint on this summer's Ozzfest will be the last time in a "a few years" that they be appearing onstage together under the SYSTEM banner.

"I'll always be a member of SYSTEM OF A DOWN," he said. "That will never change. There's no rule that says you have to make records constantly, like clockwork, to continue being who you are. We want to live our lives, [because being in a band] really consumes a big part of your life, and sometimes you just want to stop and slow down. We started being just these guys in a band, and the next thing you know, everyone's asking for autographs. It plays with your head."

Malakian said, after this summer's Ozzfest — which will kick off in Seattle on June 29 and wrap up August 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida — SYSTEM OF A DOWN will go on "hiatus."

"We're not breaking up," Malakian insisted. "If that was the case, we wouldn't be doing this Ozzfest, because we're a little nervous" about trying to fill Ozzy Osbourne's shoes. Ozzy will be headlining just 10 of this year's Ozzfest dates, with SYSTEM topping the bill on Ozzy's off days. "We're going to take a very long break after Ozzfest and do our own things," he added. "We've done SYSTEM for over 10 years, and I think it's healthy for us to get away from it for a while and come back to it later on. So, this is probably going to be ... well, it's not a farewell tour, but it's going to be a little while before we go out again."

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