System Of A Down Headline Huge Nu-Metal Festival

System Of A Down are headlining the brand new Sick New World festival on 13 May at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.

The full line-up also features Korn; Good Things Festival favourites Deftones and Lacuna Coil, Incubus, Evanescence, Laneway Festival rockers Turnstile, Chevelle, Papa Roach, Death Grips, Flyleaf with original vocalist Lacey Sturm, Mr Bungle, Ministry, Coal Chamber, Knotfest Australia's hyped act Spiritbox, Soulfly, HEALTH, Cradle Of Filth, Body Count, The Birthday Massacre, and many more.

While it would be easy to label Sick New World a nostalgia festival, the truth is that these bands rip, and there are enough newer acts to fill out the line-up.

Most intriguing, of course, is System Of A Down as headliners.

Two weeks ago, vocalist Serj Tankian told Kyle Meredith in an interview that the Toxicity band will announce something soon. "As of now, we haven't talked about anything," he said. "We will be making an announcement about something next year that I can't really tell you about. So there is that. But further than that, I can't really say." 

System Of A Down haven't released an album since November 2005 with Hypnotize. However, in 2020, they unveiled two surprise tracks, Protect The Land and Genocidal Humanoidz. 

Tankian released his second-ever solo EP, Perplex Cities, a few weeks ago. The EP sees the iconic vocalist in a far more reflective fashion that explores electronic elements while displaying his range beyond metal and rock music. 

In an EP review, Riff Magazine wrote, "The subdued I Spoke Up is deceivingly complex, filled with acoustic intricacy and multipart harmonies. Lyrically, Tankian takes a political tone with his keen cultural observations about power and control. The frontman, who is Armenian American, has been outspoken about attacks on Armenians in a disputed region of Azerbaijan.

"'Justice can't be served without the truth/ Even though my life's at stake/Freedom's not an oath you break, he sings." 

Check out the Perplex Cities EP here.

We know what comes next for System Of A Down will be powerful.