Bassis System Of A Down, Shavo Odadjian Call Nu Metal Bukan Genre Musik

Bassis System of a Down, Shavo Odadjian (Instagram @shavooddjian)

JAKARTA - Bassis System of a Down, Shavo Odadjian has an opinion on nu metal, a musical genre that was popular in the late 1990s until the early 2000s, which was pinned to the band.

Having a different opinion, Shavo said nu metal is not a musical genre like what many people call music. He is more inclined to see nu metal as an era.

"Recently someone asked me about being a 'nu metal' band. And I have different views on nu metal. It's not a genre. It's an era where bands play heavy music, but do it in other ways," said Shavo Odadjian, during an interview with Matt Pinfield from a recent New & Approved show.

They didn't play the basic heavy in the 80s. They combine rock-metal with something different, whether it's hip-hop, punk rock, eclectic, complicated, progressive, psychedelic prog. People do different things," he continued.

The 50-year-old bassist said, every era a band appears that carries cool ideas, then another band appears to 'break it up'.

Heavy metal was great in the 80s. Then these bands appeared and damaged it. Cheaper glam metal bands appeared. I don't want to mention their names, but some cheap bands appeared," he said.

Previously, Shavo also revealed how he initially opposed when System of a Down was embedded in the same genres as Korn, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit. But in the future, he could begin to accept it.

"I never liked being compared to anyone," said during an interview with Metal Hammer magazine last month.

"When they put us in a group, I would always say, 'We're not nu metal. We belong to ourselves.' Now I'm older and wiser."

Talking about other bands emerging from the "nu metal" movement, Shavo has his own experience. He claimed to be close to many nu metal musicians.

"They are my friends. I make a lot of good friends in that community. Tour with them and hang out with them every night creating a special bond, and I'm proud of it. We are still in that group and era," he said.