SYSTEM OF A DOWN's SHAVO ODADJIAN Picks METALLICA's 'Master Of Puppets' Over 'Ride The Lightning', Explains Why

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian was asked which METALLICA album he thinks is better, "Ride The Lightning" or "Master Of Puppets". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Personally, 'Master Of Puppets' was listened to more, but there's some bangers on 'Ride The Lightning' that are undeniably some of the greatest metal songs ever written. Those two albums not only have inspired me, but I still listen to them. That's what they are. And that's where you know something's that good. So it's so hard to compare. They're different beasts. 'Master', to me, is more commercial, which is completely not a commercial, but, to me, it's more [commercial] because there's more memorable parts and songs because they have riffs are just like... But 'Ride The Lightning' had these long compositions, and that's what… I mean, so did 'Master'."

He continued: "See, it's like really hard, bro. But 'Ride' was the first one that I was, like, you have to listen — put those headphones on and just fricking go into it and just kind of let it take you… 'Fade To Black' was one of those tearjerkers, like, 'Tears are coming out and I don't know what's going on' — that kind of stuff. There's vibes in there, bro, there's vibes and they created that without any real future plans. They did that — they did that. It came out of them and I love that.

When MikeZ asked if "Ride The Lightning" would be Shavo's pick of the two, the bassist said: "I don't know. I can't say that. I didn't say that. This is a hard one, because I've listened to them just as much. 'Ride' has more — to me; this is personal — compositions, where they're not catchy; they're just compositions. But then there's catchier tunes, more memorable tunes on 'Master'… 'Orion' is ridiculous. That's like a masterpiece on that record."

After MikeZ said that "Orion" "pushes" "Master Of Puppets" "over the edge" for him, Shavo concurred. "You know what? Now that you said that, I'm gonna agree with you on the 'Master' thing, because 'Orion'is on 'Master'," he said. "And that's the debate that I'm gonna take that side because of the song 'Orion'. That thing is ridiculous. And to know that humans wrote that and they're still out there writing and they're still out there performing, like all the power."

Shavo's new band SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET will release its self-titled debut album on October 11 via the Sumerian Records imprint 1336 Records. Shavo is joined in the group by vocalist Taylor Barber (LEFT TO SUFFER),WINDS OF PLAGUE guitarist Michael Montoya (a.k.a. Morgoth Beatz, a producer and songwriter who has previously collaborated with Travis Barker, JuiceWrld, Lil Xan, Jonathan Davis, ISSUES and many more),guitarist/backing vocalist Alejandro Aranda (a.k.a. Scarypoolparty, "American Idol") and drummer Josh Johnson (WINDS OF PLAGUE).

SEVEN HOURS AFTER VIOLET will make its live debut at this year's Mayhem festival, set to take place on October 12 at the Glen Helen Amphitheatre in San Bernardino.