Deftones

Formed: 1988
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Genre: Metal, Alternative Metal
Years Active: 1995 -
Meaning of the Name: Def is slang for excellent.
Core Members: Chino Moreno (vocals), Stephen Carpenter (Guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums)
Way of Working: Collaborative
Associated: Team Sleep, Crosses

Essential Releases

Around the Fur (1997)

An aggressive album full of nu-metal intensity.

White Pony (2000)

Their masterpiece. Marked by a significant leap in songwriting and a darker sound.

Koi no yokan (2012)

Blends their heavy aggression with lush atmospherics.

Disparate genres crash and thud into each other at breakneck speed. The tyres of a white sports car shriek during a handbrake turn. Sparks leap from exposed metal rims as they make contact with the hard concrete, and for a moment, hell awaited them all. They ignore another red light as if it were a mere suggestion, and then, at last, freedom; the driver cruises on an outstretched California highway in an attempt to stay ahead of the sun.

This sense of controlled chaos is precisely what defines the music of Deftones. They're a hybrid configuration of metal, hardcore punk, shoegaze, and hip hop, whose influences are as remote as their members. Formed in late-80s Sacramento by three high school friends with vastly different tastes in music, they have remained together through tragedy, the death of their bassist Chi Cheng, and intense creative differences.

Lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter prefers a straight metal sound while Chino Moreno, the vocalist, yearns for the atmospheric. This constant push and pull creates a tension that holds the various elements together, like how a magnetic field holds the stars. The whole thing is at risk of spectacularly disintegrating at any moment but miraculously retains its equilibrium.

Carpenter told Rolling Stone that he "didn't want to play on the record to begin with" when talking about 2016's Gore, and the band had to record their 2006 album Saturday Night Wrist separately, with members not even in the same room. Upon finishing the project, Moreno remarked, "That record is so unconfident, that’s why I hate it. I don’t feel like it’s me, it’s this unconfident version of myself that doesn’t know what he’s doing."

This sense of dangerous unease permeates Deftones music. Passenger, with its brooding rhythms and stark, loud-quiet dynamic shifts, is about the risky business of having sex in a car. Be Quiet and Drive uses syncopated kick drum patterns to create a sense of movement and is about desperately wanting to escape. The band's unofficial mascot is a white pony, and they have many other songs, such as Swerve City (horses) & Engine No. 9 (trains), themed around moving at speed.

That Chi Cheng lost his life after sustaining injuries from a car crash in Santa Clara, California, in 2008 is a sad irony. The car he was in flipped three times, which indicates travel at high velocity, and Chi was ejected from the vehicle because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. Some people say you can still hear the faint echo of his bass while speeding in Santa Clara. For fans of full-throttle, genre-defying metal, Deftones are an essential listen.

Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?

70

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.

75

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.

90

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.

65

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?

55

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.

70

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.

90

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.

85

Screaming

i Technical attributes.

80

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.

85

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?

70

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lower value.

55

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.

75

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?

70

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.

45

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.

55

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

• Grammy WINNER! 2001: Elite - Best Metal Performance

Certifications >>>

• Adrenaline: Platinum in USA; Gold in UK
• Around the Fur: Platinum in USA; Gold in Australia, UK
• White Pony: Platinum in USA; Gold in Australia, Canada, UK
• Deftones: Gold in USA, Canada; Silver in UK
• Diamond Eyes: Silver in UK
• Koi no yokan: Silver in UK

Charts >>>

• White Pony: #2 in Australia; #3 in USA
• Deftones: #1 in Canada; #2 in USA
• Gore: #1 in Australia; #2 in USA

Critics >>>

• Loudwire: Around the Fur - Best Hard Rock Albums of 1997: #3
• Loudwire: Gore - Best Albums of 2016: #5
• Loudwire: Ohms - Best Albums of 2020: #1
• Guardian: White Pony - Best Albums of the 20th Century: #29
• Kerrang: White Pony - Best Albums of 2000: #3
• Kerrang: Diamond Eyes - Best Albums of 2010: #1
• Metal Hammer: Ohms - Best Albums of 2020: #1
• Revolver: Diamond Eyes - Best Albums of the 2010s: #1
• Revolver: Koi no yokan - Best Albums of 2013: #1
• Revolver: Ohms - Best Albums of 2020: #1
• Rolling Stone: White Pony - Best Metal Albums of All Time: #66

CRITICISM

• Stephen Carpenter believes the Earth is flat.

Similar Acts

• Hum
• Fleshwater
• Narrow Head
• A Perfect Circle

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