12 Hard Rock Bands That Quit In Their Prime

At the dawn of the 2000's, every brand of heavy music seemed to have its own lane. Whether it was the baggy-jeans brunt of nu metal or the spiky-haired tunefulness of pop punk, most kids could find an outlet for their adolescent angst. While it may have been easy to categorize these bands, no one knew what the hell to do with System of a Down.

The band's music was definitely heavy metal, but the exotic harmony selections and poignant political topics made the band a real oddity at the time. As the band went from one record to the next, they seemed to be getting better and better up to 2006's Hypnotize. With fans gearing up for another go-around, the band quickly announced their dreaded hiatus while they all pursued solo outings. Though fans were prepared for a few years away from the band, it quickly turned into a full-fledged breakup when no new music seemed to come down the pipeline.

While frontman Serj Tankian has pursued interests in jazz and avant garde music, guitarist Daron Malakian has been able to keep the fighting spirit of the band alive on his solo project Scars on Broadway. Though the band have reunited for live shows in the last few years, it's unclear whether we will ever have the true System working at full capacity again.