System Of A Down made live debuts of new singles at first show in 2 years (videos, setlist)

System Of A Down played their first show in two years at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Friday (10/15). Their career-spanning, 30-song setlist included almost all of their classic Toxicity (which turned 20 this year), a few songs that hadn’t been played live in a while (“X,” “Soldier Side,” “Holy Mountains,”), and the live debuts of “Genocidal Humanoidz” and “Protect The Land,” the band’s first new songs in 15 years that came out in late 2020. Rolling Stone reports:

Prior to “Protect the Land” Friday, Tankian told the crowd, “The combined forces of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Syria mercenaries attacked a peaceful people living in Nagorno-Karabakh who have been living there on their indigenous land for thousands of years. Those are our people. At the time, System of a Down put out two songs to help bring attention to the cause, and what we want to do is thank you, because you helped join our effort to raise funds and bring attention to this very important event.”

Watch videos of the new songs and check out the full setlist below.

System Of A Down’s tour with Korn and Russian Circles (who sadly had their gear stolen on Saturday) continues in Oakland tonight (10/18), and then they do two big shows at LA’s Banc of California Stadium on Friday (10/22) and Saturday (10/23), with Helmet also on the bill.

Earlier this year, frontman Serj Tankian and bassist Shavo Odadjian spoke to Zane Lowe on Apple Music about the possibility of new music. Shavo said, “The thing is that for it to come out as good as it did and as good as it might in the future, we all have to be on the same wavelength and be as content and happy with what we’re doing. If one of us is not, it won’t be what it should be or what it needs to be. That’s the deciding factor of if we should or not.”

System Of A Down @ T-Mobile Arena – 10/15/21 Setlist (via)
X (First live performance since 2013)
Prison Song
Holy Mountains (First live performance since 2015)
Mind (Intro Only)
Cigaro
Suite-Pee
Needles
Deer Dance
Soldier Side – Intro
Soldier Side (First live performance since 2013)
B.Y.O.B.
Genocidal Humanoidz (Live Debut)
Suggestions
Psycho
Chop Suey!
Lonely Day
Question!
Lost in Hollywood
Radio/Video
Dreaming (Middle breakdown only)
Hypnotize
ATWA
Bounce
Chic ‘N’ Stu (First live performance since 2015)
Protect the Land (Live Debut)
Aerials
War?
Science
Toxicity
Sugar