Waves Moreno, AKA Deftones in Hindsight

DISCLAIMER: Donʼt expect Ohms (released September 25th) to be covered in the retrospective. A.H.M promises a separate review for it later down the road. Have patience, fellow music nerds. And now, buckle up, buckaroo -- the official debut post is here! 

Some Background

Sacramento, California is home to one of my all-time favorite entourages. Mystifying listeners since ʼ88, Deftones are celebrated as one of the most diverse bands to emerge from the alternative metal (vague term) movement. Their marriage of aggressive, melodic or just plain bizarre styles coupled with frontman Chino Morenoʼs image-laden lyrical ability is a recipe for success. Owning a discography which pretty much boasts something for everyone, the quintetʼs explored genres like trip hop; glitch; spoken word; alt rock; shoegaze; funk; post-hardcore, you name it! At the end of the day, theyʼre the type of act who must be heard to be believed. 

At present, the outfitʼs delivered nine studio albums -- eight of which weʼre going to tackle. Join me as I share my thoughts on their material pre-Ohms. Hope it turns out informative as it does entertaining!

Adrenaline [1995]

No one puts baby in the corner! ...Except for bulb syringes!

Upon checking it, one will come to see that the name Adrenaline was apropos. Deftonesʼ freshman LP was them at their most primitive in terms of both songwriting AND from a technical perspective. The specific direction was very “jumpdaf**kup”, too, in an epoch where the nu-metal subgenre was dubbed revolutionary. Those familiar with their work after Around the Fur would say this is a darling example of “Early Installment Weirdness.”

Out of the bandʼs releases, there is less incentive to revisit Adrenaline... Okay, telling a tiny lie, itʼs at least superior to Gore (not saying much). It aged terribly, especially concerning the production and lyricism, and the troupe didn't quite discover their unique voice, but their first record demonstrated potency. Few decent-quality bangers well into today. 

ACE TONES

• “Nosebleed”
• “Lifter”
• “Root”
• “Fireal”

Around the Fur [1997]

The next sentence does not compute: “Around the Fur is a sophomore slump.” On the contrary, Deftonesʼ second full-length was a SUBSTANTIAL improvement over Adrenaline in several aspects. Instrumentation was tighter and less elementary than its predecessor, and the songcraft allowed for some needed diversity; vestiges of that alt rock sound mentioned in the intro were creeping up. The nu-metal ingredient was kept, albeit handled with more bite; class and... ooh, staying power!

Honest, I love this beast to death. AtF was a cohesive, sturdy outing that took no prisoners. When even the more simplistic cuts on here such as “Rickets” impress, you know these Sacramento natives got a winning formula going. It remains a favorite, matched by Saturday Night Wrist (aka best record). Hotly anticipated, AtF was a commercial juggernaut. As far as critical reception went, it was well-regarded, though not seen as a milestone. That would come three years from then... 

ACE TONES

• “Lhabia”
• “Rickets”
• “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”
• “Dai the Flu”
• “Headup”
• “MX”

White Pony [2000]

Re-issue can go gently caress itself. “Feiticeira” as opener >>> “Back to School (Mini Maggit)”

Right place, right time, right audience. White Pony was the true watershed in Deftones history. Keyboardist/sample assassin Frank Delgado was inaugurated proper, a guest on the preceding two efforts. Chino began writing rhythm guitar parts. On that note, his lyrics were getting increasingly fantastical and relied less on first-person as well as angst. Sonically speaking, this was also where the groupʼs eclecticism gained prominence. Their nu-metal smog almost entirely bit the dust, in exchange for an alt metal attitude that mingled with unconventional influences like trip hop (“Teenager”) and industrial (“Rx Queen”). Though uncertain about the inclusion of guests at first, this act reached a decision to scatter them throughout the tracklist; most noteworthy being Maynard James Keenan on “Passenger.”

When grading Deftones, the common view is that White Ponyʼs the quintessential installment within their catalog, Diamond Eyes notwithstanding -- or the other way around. Iʼmma be real with you, chief: WP is a touch overrated. Mad respect went out to the individual performances and compositions in of themselves, though the entry lacked Around the Furʼs level of consistency. One can deliver a heterogeneous record and make it balanced. In addition, this album's production seemed off. Contrasting AtF, thereʼs this mechanical, feathery feel to the successor that was found disagreeable. That said, as a whole, WP  DID justify some razzmatazz -- and yes, I do mean “some.” Not “Dynamax Wailord chunks.” ...Christ.

ACE TONES

• “Digital Bath”
• “Rx Queen”
• “Knife Prty”; dem Rodleen wails tho
• “Change (In the House of Flies)”
• “Pink Maggit”

Deftones [2003]

From the hour White Pony came into existence, the guys felt as if they were on fire. In the face of adversity, given how outside individuals showered it with praises, Deftones figured they could lather rinse repeat for the followup. ...Nope! The writing/recording process for Deftones was lethargic, so much so that longtime producer Terry Date had enough -- he wouldn't collaborate with them afresh until Ohms, though he did work on that unreleased Eros LP. Who knows when thatʼll drop? Or more like, “Who can say IF thatʼll drop?” Getting ahead there. In any case, thanks to fixed circumstances, this self-titled outing is even bleaker and loads angrier than WP. The band composed some of their most ferocious songs during the period -- and a couple abnormalities, such as the glitch-tinged “Lucky You”. A mournful penultimate track in “Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event” was filled with piano upon piano. Frank discarded his turntables and stressed usage of keys and synths. Stef Carpenter would record utilizing seven-string guitars.

If it wasnʼt abundantly clear, Deftones didn't quite meet (much less exceed) expectations. It sold poorly compared to White Pony and wasnʼt met with a glowing response -- reception stood favorable. My stance on it, however, goes against the grain -- in that I PREFER this one over Deftonesʼ ʼ00 behemoth... ah, Diamond Eyes and Koi no Yokan are worse, as well. The self-titledʼs sole major flaw came in the form of tracklist structure. ...Real talk, WHY the hell is “Moana” the closer? WHAT was their damage when they opted not to add in “Lovers” as opposed to, say, “Good Morning Beautiful”?  Besides that, underappreciated six ways from Sunday. 

ACE TONES

• “Minerva”
• “Deathblow”
• “Battle-axe”
• “Bloody Cape”
• “Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event”

Saturday Night Wrist [2006]

It was Deftones where the bandmatesʼ habits went unmanageable while working on that disk. Come Saturday Night Wrist, their mojo would go from bad to worse -- MUCH worse. That dearth of self-esteem stemming from the predecessor was amplified by things which wound up obstructing SNWʼs creative process, like Chinoʼs degrading union with Celeste Schroeder -- never mind his massive drug/drinking problem; tensions within the outfit nucleus; and arguments with Bob Ezrin, the producer of this record. The whole deal surrounding SNW was so nightmarish and so well-publicized, you can find sites that have spoken about what transpired better than this dull blog can. To get back into a relatively healthier mindset, Deftones went on hiatus -- Chino focused on his Team Sleep side project, for instance. By early ʼ06, the group finalized SNWʼs content with Shaun Lopez using new takes from the frontman to substitute previously recorded vocals. So what of the material itself? At 51 minutes, the album included a dense amalgam of shoegaze and alternative metal, topped with an unmistakably spacey vibe. No matter what, as was tradition, thereʼs a bevy of influences exhibited. “Rats!Rats!Rats!” was tantamount to metalcore, while the infamous “Pink Cellphone” fused spoken word with trip hop. SNW housed the quintetʼs lone instrumental “Konami Code”.

Saturday Night Wrist is living proof that negativity is able to birth gems. Warmness emanating from the production values; contributors firing on all cylinders with their songwriting and playing; well-oiled sequencing. Nary a blemish, SNW  is Deftonesʼ genuine #1! 

ACE TONES

• “Rapture”
• “Beware”
• “Cherry Waves”
• “Rats!Rats!Rats!”
• “Konami Code”
• “Combat”
• “Kimdracula”

Diamond Eyes [2010]

Guns, razors, knives, and owls --- OH MY!

Before Diamond Eyes came to be known as numero seis, Deftones proposed an initial successor to Saturday Night Wrist tentatively called Eros. Touted as heavier than its mysterious antecedent, the unfinished product contained less input on the guitars from Chino, who stuck to writing his vocals and lyrics so that Stef could hold center stage. The bandʼs reunion with Date made this development all the greater. Alas, bassist Chi Cheng was grievously injured in a car crash on November 4, 2008, delaying Eros -- indefinitely. Chi would later pass April 2013. Cause of death? Cardiac arrest did him in. He was a marvelous bass player with an endearing persona to boot, and he helped Deftonesʼ rhythm section really stand out alongside Abe Cunningham. R.I.P. So, getting back to DE, the proxy sixth album introduced Sergio Vega into the canon -- himself a striking figure as he has employed bass duties for Quicksand, inspirational to this group. Stef took to playing an eight-string guitar here, allowing riffs to be presented in a lower, overall dirtier pitch than on precursory LPs. Beyond that, the songs on DE were a modern, streamlined version of what the performers have done hitherto -- thereʼs a chance the songwriting was plainer due to the automobile episode. Whether or not that was proven true, be prepared to encounter HOOKS.

Classed as a rebirth of sorts for Deftones, Diamond Eyes is without question the easiest release to recommend to greenhorns. In that regard, it wins. Youʼll also take notice of how highly ranked it is -- White Pony to a degree I get, but THIS chapter...? Adrenaline aside, it was the ensembleʼs safest assortment of ditties yet. An overly polished, compressed production/mix job by Nick Raskulinecz exacerbated the monotony dwelling in two or three pieces. Be that as it may, DE was a nice 41 minutes drenched in good proficiency and catchiness up the wazoo. To reiterate, a great kickoff for strangers.

HIGH DEF

• “Royal”
• “Beauty School”
• “Prince”
• “Risk”
• “976-EVIL”

Koi no Yokan [2012]

With Diamond Eyes mending their state of mind, Deftones marched onward for the next record. Titled after a phrase in Japanese that translates to “premonition of love” (exotic), Koi no Yokan demonstrated extra compositional participation from Sergio and was stressed as generally more collective than older offerings. Raskulinecz returned behind the boards, though he wasnʼt in attendance a fair deal because of his involvement on Clockwork Angels (Rush), so engineer Matt Hyde worked with the band to set the seal on a close. KNYʼs perceived as a sister album to DE, mainly for their aesthetic choices and the work ethic behind them. Unlike its sibling, it accommodated for lengthier numbers and an altogether busier sound that was nevertheless recognizable. Going hand in hand with the usual Deftones bag of tricks were elements of post-metal/rock and doom metal. Broadly speaking, the LP was marked with a romantic air that could be spotted in its dynamics.

Putting it kindly, Koi no Yokan was closer to my liking than Diamond Eyes. Itʼs marred by the same overproduced nature, sure, but that was a little less of a stumbling block. Besides complexities that just didnʼt show plenty on its kin, the 2012 concoction straight up had genuine 5-star jams that could go toe-to-toe with the standouts from Around the Fur; White Pony and of course Saturday Night Wrist. When all is said and done, KNY took the strongest moments on DE while toning down (if not erasing) the weaknesses. Lovely!

HIGH DEF

• “Leathers”
• “Entombed”
• “Tempest”
• “Rosemary”
• “What Happened to You?”

Gore [2016]

(UN)FUN FACT: I still own a tee of this. ...Stop drooling, itʼs one of those generic designs you can find at a Hot Topic -- which I did. Sigh. ʼTwas a simpler day.

Originally intending to cooperate with Raskulinecz thrice, Gore saw the band take what was chiefly a DIY approach to producing. Koi no Yokan engineer Hyde came onto the scene to help Deftones with the recording procedure. Leading up to launch day, the eighth album gained attention for Stefʼs muted presence, as he mentally checked out and didnʼt show a wealth of interest in the tunes at first -- specially “Hearts / Wires”. Gore was the point where the five-piece accented a lighter, softer sound relative to many a prior Deftones. The space rock component off Saturday Night Wrist was back, but executed differently, together with a pinch of sludge metal (“Acid Hologram”). Its fuzziness was vital to saving its character.

Iʼll be blunt: this oneʼs trash -- less because itʼs atrocious, more a boring mess I somehow enjoyed when it was still recent. Gore had cool concepts screwed by pacing that went at the speed of a snail and unmemorable artistry. The biggest albatross around its neck was how it came about on a technical level: Gore was (to understate) done dirty. The cymbals on Abeʼs drums were mixed too loud; bassʼ placement was inconsistent; thin axes would overpower other tools... Then thereʼs clipping egregious enough to be that rotten cherry on top -- “Credit” went to Gentry Studer. When even non-audiophiles (or people impersonating audiophiles à la me) can detect Goreʼs production hiccups, thatʼs a whoops on the personnel end. Despite these complaints, if there is a silver lining, Deftonesʼ Gore not only saw 3-4 likable compositions, they would also learn from this eraʼs missteps and bring the universe a superior experience in Ohms. 

BUT that will arrive at a future juncture, like I said at the start. Until then, I offer you a conclusive remark: PEEP THESE DUDESʼ SHIT PRONTO. YOU'RE BOUND TO GET MILEAGE OUTTA DEFTONES BY HOOK OR BY CROOK! ...Promise. 

HIGH DEF

• “Acid Hologram”
• “Doomed User”
• “Gore”