Serj Tankian Contracts COVID-19, System of a Down Postpone Stadium Shows

System of a Down have been forced to postpone two of their stadium shows in Los Angeles to early next year after confirming that singer Serj Tankian has tested positive for COVID-19.

The shows, which also feature Korn, Helmet and Russian Circles, were originally set to include Faith No More before frontman Mike Patton bowed out of all 2021 tour dates in order to prioritize his mental health. Korn then stepped in to round out the bill, and, a little over a week ago, drummer Ray Luzier contracted COVID-19. The group tapped FEVER 333's Aric Improta as Luzier's temporary fill-in so the shows could continue, but in System of a Down's case, moving forward without their singer was not feasible for the most obvious of reasons.

In a statement shared across System of a Down's social media platforms, the band lamented, "It is with great regret that we must reschedule our Los Angeles performances to February 4th and 5th, 2022. Despite multiple precautionary measures, Serj has unfortunately tested positive for COVID."

"We're sorry to disappoint our amazing fans with this last minute news, as we could not wait to finally play for you," the statement continued, "However, the health of our band, crew, venue staff, and all of our fans is our top priority. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Refund availability will be sent to all ticket buyers via email."

For Russian Circles, it's an additional blow to an already rough week in which quite a lot their gear was stolen. A GoFundMe has since been launched to help the post-metal group recover some finances.

Loudwire wishes Tankian a quick and full recovery.