"The time to do this is now"

Bands often cite musical differences when they split - but intra-group tension over political differences is generally far less common. I can only think of a few examples.

The Ramones managed to hold it together despite Joey being a progressive leftie and Johnny a vocal Republican who took the opportunity to declare "God bless George Bush" when the band were inaugurated into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. When Run The Jewels' Killer Mike gave a pro-gun ownership interview to the National Rifle Association's TV channel (for which he later apologised), accomplice El-P stepped in to defend him. If Morrissey has started spouting his bullshit while The Smiths were still together, you could be fairly sure that Johnny Marr wouldn't have stuck around.

Political differences are at the heart of the strained relations within System Of A Down, with vocalist Serj Tankian on the left of the political spectrum and drummer John Dolmayan, an avowed Trump supporter, on the right. That's no doubt partly why the band, who continue to perform together, haven't released any new music since 2005. Or hadn't, until yesterday.

Ironically, it was actually politics that caused them to put their differences aside and get back into the studio - that and solidarity with the people of their "cultural homelands", Artsakh and Armenia. "The time to do this is now", they've said, "as together, the four of us have something extremely important to say as a unified voice."

The two new tracks - one anthemic ('Protect The Land'), the other fast and furious ('Genocidal Humanoidz'), both proof that the band deserved far better than being lumped in with the nu-metal dross - are intended to raise awareness of "the aggression and injustice being perpetrated against the Armenian people in Artsakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey", which Tankian has branded "a human rights violation and a war crime". You wouldn't get that from Limp Bizkit, would you? It's good to have them back.