Two of alternative metal’s biggest names appear to be lining up a joint return to Australia — though, for now, nobody involved has confirmed a thing.
A coordinated set of teasers pointing to a Faith No More and System Of A Down tour surfaced across Australia on Friday, July 24. No dates, venues, promoter or ticket details have been announced, and both bands’ official channels remain silent, so this sits firmly in rumour territory. But the sheer scale and coordination of what has appeared suggests a real announcement may not be far off.
The story broke when Australian outlet Wall of Sound captured a large light projection on a wall in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. The image paired Faith No More‘s eight-pointed star, the logo from their 1985 debut We Care A Lot, with the red-hand artwork from System Of A Down‘s 1998 self-titled album.
It did not stop in Brisbane. Within hours, matching teasers were reported in other cities: a mural outside Melbourne Central on La Trobe Street, another at the corner of William and Crown Streets in Sydney, and further projections in additional Australian cities and in Wellington, New Zealand. That spread points to a coordinated Australia-New Zealand rollout rather than a one-off stunt, most likely for 2027.
Physical teasers alone would be easy to dismiss. What makes this one harder to wave away is a business connection sitting behind both bands.
Faith No More recently signed a long-term global touring agreement with the Brazilian live-entertainment company 30e. System Of A Down entered a similar partnership with the same company earlier this year, after working with it on a major South American stadium run. A shared backer with the muscle to stage arena and stadium shows is a concrete reason to think a joint routing is genuinely being assembled.
The two have nearly shared stages before, too. They were booked together for several large US bills during the disrupted 2020 and 2021 touring cycle, though Faith No More ultimately pulled out of those plans.
For fans in the region, this would end a long wait.
System Of A Down have not played Australia since headlining the now-defunct Soundwave festival in 2012; a 2027 return would close a roughly 15-year gap. They remain active elsewhere, having recently wrapped a European and UK run and played Sick New World in Las Vegas in April.
Faith No More last appeared in the country at Soundwave 2015. Their road back has been anything but smooth — a planned 2020 tour was postponed by the pandemic, further 2021 dates were scrapped after frontman Mike Patton revealed an agoraphobia diagnosis, and a rescheduled 2022 Australian run was ultimately cancelled.
The tease follows Faith No More‘s confirmation last month that they intend to return in 2027. Bassist Bill Gould said the comeback would take in Australia alongside Europe, South America and the United States, and indicated shows could begin as early as January or February.
The band had gone quiet again in 2021 amid a disconnect with Patton, but Gould has since said those issues are resolved and the group is ready for an extended stretch on the road. If the projections mean what they appear to, an Australian leg with System Of A Down would be one of its centrepieces.
For now, though, the only thing confirmed is that something is being teased. An official announcement is the next thing to watch for.
