It's been a long, long time since System of a Down have released an album … about seven-and-a-half years to be exact. Now that the band has been playing live shows again over the past couple of years, fans have been drooling for some new material, and according to drummer John Dolmayan, System of a Down "are going to make a new album at a certain point."

System of a Down have been taking it relatively easy since announcing their return from a hiatus. In 2011, the band performed some shows on the U.S. West Coast and Canada, followed by a string of European festival dates and a handful of gigs in South America and Australia. The band finally invaded North America's East Coast in the summer of 2012, giving a large portion of their fan base a decent chance to catch System live in concert.

Not much has changed when it comes to System of a Down's new touring formula, as the act will spend the summer on a European festival circuit, while performing only one North American show in 2013 at California's famed Hollywood Bowl.

Despite the side projects of vocalist Serj Tankian and guitarist-singer Daron Malakian, System of a Down are still dedicated to creating a new album, according to a recent KROQ radio interview with both John Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian.

“We are going to make a new album at a certain point, it’s just a matter of when the four of us decide it’s the right time to make it,” reveals Dolmayan. “We don’t want anyone to go in there and do it because the rest of us want to do it. We all want to do it because it’s the right thing to do for everybody. I wouldn’t want to go in and make an album that doesn’t represent the best that we have to offer. If you force someone in the studio ahead of when they’re ready for it then you’re probably going to make something mediocre.”

Stay patient, System fans! And stay tuned as more System of a Down news continues to break.

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