System Of A Down are back with new music and an extremely important message.

On Friday (11/06), the GRAMMY Award-winning alternative metal band broke their silence with back-to-back singles 'Protect The Land' and 'Genocidal Humanoidz' in an effort to draw attention toward the ongoing war in their cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia.

We as SOAD have just released new music for the first time in 15 years. The time to do this is now, as together, the four of us have something extremely important to say as a unified voice. Read our full statement at https://t.co/QSDoanwK3B. #ProtectTheLand #GenocidalHumanoidz pic.twitter.com/AypVZ8b71l

— System Of A Down (@systemofadown) November 6, 2020

"The current corrupt regimes of Aliyev in Azerbaijan and Erdogan in Turkey not only want to claim Artsakh and Armenia as their own, but are committing genocidal acts with impunity on humanity and wildlife to achieve their mission," the 'Toxicity' act write in a statement. "They are banking on the world being too distracted with COVID, elections and civil unrest to call out their atrocities."

"Freedom of speech is not something that is enjoyed by everyone, but it is enjoyed here, so part of that responsibility is getting the truth out there whenever possible. We’re here to protect our land, to protect our culture, and to protect our nation. This is not the time to turn a blind eye," they write.

The music and lyrics speak for themselves. We need you to speak for Artsakh. https://t.co/3zHg44xj2j to download, pre-order, and donate now. pic.twitter.com/qAhwmR0ewp

— System Of A Down (@systemofadown) November 6, 2020

After being unable to find creative middle ground for more than a decade, drummer John Dolmayan revealed in an interview with Rolling Stone, that he was the first to reach out to the other members of the band.

He texted them, "Irrespective of your feelings for each other and the past, we have to put everything aside and get in the studio and create a song for our people to bring attention to the situation and galvanize the forces of good worldwide."

Vocalist Serj Tankian says bringing attention to the current situation in Armenia was worth letting his guard down. "This is a decision of activism, and that takes precedence over all other things for us," he said, while guitarist Daron Malakian added, "We came together because our country needed us, not necessarily because we’re so amped to do a brand-new System of a Down song. Our people needed us to do this."

'Protect The Land' and 'Genocidal Humanoidz' are now available for purchase at System Of A Down's official Bandcamp page. Proceeds from the singles and pre-order merch will be donated to the ArmeniaFund to provide aid and basic supplies for those affected by the war.

Stream the new tracks below.

Read their full statement below.

We as System Of A Down have just released new music for the first time in 15 years. The time to do this is now, as together, the four of us have something extremely important to say as a unified voice. These two songs, “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz,” both speak of a dire and serious war being perpetrated upon our cultural homelands of Artsakh and Armenia.

The current corrupt regimes of Aliyev in Azerbaijan and Erdogan in Turkey not only want to claim Artsakh and Armenia as their own, but are committing genocidal acts with impunity on humanity and wildlife to achieve their mission. They are banking on the world being too distracted with COVID, elections and civil unrest to call out their atrocities.

They have the bankroll, the resources and have recruited massive public relations firms to spin the truth and conceal their barbaric objective of genocide. Between these two dictatorships, there’s a lot of disinformation and silencing of voices within their own countries.

Freedom of speech is not something that is enjoyed by everyone, but it is enjoyed here, so part of that responsibility is getting the truth out there whenever possible. We’re here to protect our land, to protect our culture, and to protect our nation. This is not the time to turn a blind eye.

As SOAD, this has been an incredible occasion to put everything aside and speak out for our nation, as one, as four Armenian guys. “Protect The Land” and “Genocidal Humanoidz” are now available for purchase on our official Bandcamp page: SystemOfADown.bandcamp.com - where band proceeds go toward the ArmeniaFund.

The funds from Bandcamp + pre-orders of our new merch collection will be used to provide crucial, desperately needed aid and basic supplies for those affected by these hideous acts. Please consider the opportunity to download these songs as an act of charity irrespective of how you choose to listen to them today, tomorrow and for years to come.

The music and lyrics speak for themselves. We need you to speak for Artsakh. soad.lnk.to/PTLGH to download, pre-order, and donate now.