Serj Tankian reveals he emotionally checked out of System of a Down during final albums

Serj Tankian revealed he had "emotionally checked out" of System of a Down while making their last albums before the band's hiatus. He described feeling passive and unable to fully express his creative ideas during that time. Despite these challenges, Tankian acknowledged that the albums "Hypnotize" and "Mezmerize" contain great songs and had some positive moments during their recording. He noted that it was a difficult phase in his life. After the band went on hiatus in 2006, Tankian felt it was crucial to stay active. He began writing songs independently, leading to his first solo album, "Elect The Dead," released a year later.