Album Review: Scars on Broadway

Scars on Broadway - Scars on Broadway
7.5 of 10





Back in 2006, I was completely disheartened when I learned that System of a Down will go on hiatus. It's a good thing, however, that the members immediately announced their individual projects. Serj went to record a solo, Shavo formed Achozen (with RZA of Wu-Tang Clan), and Daron and John worked on a project called Scars on Broadway. Even though they'll be releasing their work separately, and not as System of a Down, at least, I had something to look forward to. Now, two years after they announced their hiatus, Scars on Broadway finally released their debut album.

Scars on Broadway's debut is a decent offering to music. Though I can't help but still compare them to System of a Down, only this time their music sounds shaved and dismembered. No more odd-time signatures, nonstandard dynamics, and other bells & whistles that Malakian and Dolmayan regularly displayed in their previous band. Even the metallic weight of their music has been toned down. This time, it's just plain rock songs with straight-forward structures, guitar riffs and drumworks. The lyricism, humor and the crazy vocal stylings of SOAD, which adds extra flair to their songs, however, is not lost in them (although Daron's voice is much more subdued and "normal" than Serj's).

Objectively, Scars on Broadway is a pretty good listen. However, after two years of waiting, it was a disappointment to me. I find them to be a half-baked System of Down. But maybe it's my fault because I was expecting them to deliver the sound like before, or even heavier than before. So if you're a big fan of SOAD, you might want to read more reviews about Scars on Broadway, and maybe preview some of their songs before you dive in. Other than that, if you're not a big fan of System of a Down you'll definitely enjoy this album.