When Shavo Odadjian first announced his project Seven Hours After Violet, the plan was ambitious: a revolving-door collaboration featuring different vocalists, much like what DJ Khaled does in hip-hop. One of the biggest names set to appear was Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, whose track was reportedly ready for release as part of the band's self-titled debut. But when the album arrived in October 2024, Davis' contribution was nowhere to be found.
In a recent interview with SNSMix.com (transcribed by Blabbermouth), Odadjian explained why he ultimately chose to shelve the track, despite his excitement about it. Initially, Seven Hours After Violet was meant to be a studio-based project with an emphasis on guest appearances. However, as the album took shape, Odadjian realized he wanted the band to have a strong live presence – something that wouldn't work if most of the songs relied on outside vocalists.
"What happened was the Seven Hours After Violet music became really interesting and I started wanting to play this live," he said. "I was, like, 'We should play this live,' and at that point having just features on the record wouldn't work out because then how do you play live?"
To make the track more viable for a tour, Odadjian and his team attempted to rework it so that Davis would only appear on the chorus. But the revision didn't capture the same energy: "The changed version wasn't as good as it should be, because I think Jonathan is amazing," Odadjian admitted. "I even spoke to him and we decided if we ever do another collaboration, we'll write together, not use something that he already had recorded under another rhythm."
While Davis' feature didn't make the cut, Odadjian had also lined up other high-profile collaborations. His System of a Down bandmate Serj Tankian and former Killswitch Engage singer Howard Jones were both reportedly involved in the project. Though Tankian's contribution didn't materialize on the debut album either, Odadjian hinted that his track with Jones might still appear on Seven Hours After Violet's second record.
Despite the shift away from a feature-heavy approach, the debut album – released via Sumerian Records and 1336 Records – marks an exciting new chapter for Odadjian. And while we may not hear the Davis track anytime soon, the possibility of a future collaboration seems to remain open.
