System of a Down guitarist/chief creative force Daron Malakian sets the tone for his new project early on when he sings, "Ain't nobody searching for a second chance/I'm just looking for a new romance." He could, of course, be talking about a real relationship, or perhaps SOAD's long-lasting hiatus. But in any event, Malakian and SOAD drummer John Dolmayan have indeed brought something new for their fans to love—and perhaps even for non-fans as well, given the more direct and accessible nature of Scars' music. The duo still delves into SOAD-style idiosyncracies via the sonic tumult and machine-gun dynamics of such tracks as "Serious," "Exploding/ Reloading," "Chemicals" and "World Gone Long," but Scars is just as apt to delve into the poppier melodicism of "Funny" and "Insane," the full-on funk of "Enemy" or the metallic muscle of "Stoner Hate." Scars, like Serj Tankian's solo album, makes SOAD's absence much easier to endure.—Gary Graff