System of a Down’s Daron Malakian Says Guns Are Essential Tools for Self-Defense

System of a Down and Scars on Broadway guitarist Daron Malakian has declared his stance on gun control, calling guns “essential tools for self-defense.”

Upon re-sharing a video by Instagram user GunDrummer, which shows him drumming and shooting along to System of a Down’s “BYOB,” Malakian wrote, “Guns are essential tools for self-defense! And they make great percussive instruments as well!”

The end of his caption contained several hashtags, including “2nd Amendment,” “Defund Gun Control” and “Guns are Loaded,” which is a song by Scars on Broadway. See his post below.

Just the other day several gun-owning musicians also spoke out on gun control, following the two mass shootings in Georgia and Colorado. Dee Snider wrote, “Proud gun owner, 2nd Amendment advocate and believer in intelligent gun control! If you need an AR-15 for self defense… you are a terrible shot.”

All That Remains’ Phil Labonte said, “Any gun laws are infringements. That’s the definition of infringe. The justification for the law is ‘it will reduce murders’ but it clearly does not. So there is no good justification for violating the constitution.”

With the exception of the two songs they released in the fall, the members of System of a Down spent the majority of 2020 going back and forth about their American political beliefs — particularly frontman Serj Tankian and drummer John Dolmayan. Tankian admitted that it is frustrating being in a band with his “political opposite” on American issues, however they completely see eye-to-eye on Armenian topics.