Deftones

Essential Albums

  • White Pony
    White Pony
    White Pony

    Sacramento’s Deftones spent most of the ‘90s feverishly navigating the fringes of alt-metal. By 2000’s White Pony, they had effectively seized that scene, drowning its rage and recklessness in a moody, muddy stew of experimental metal, shoegaze, post-hardcore and ambient noise. Opener “Back to School (Mini Maggit)”—a tidier rewriting of final track “Pink Maggit”—documents that takeover in radio-friendly format. Punctuated with adolescent angst, frontman Chino Moreno’s overblown raps bounce off the metallic squall as if ricocheting through locker-strewn hallways. But the rest of the album teases and torments within far more debaucherous environs, starting with the title itself, White Pony, a symbol of sex and a certain powdered stimulant. Lead single “Change (In the House of Flies)” speaks to the mania those corporeal pleasures can elicit—its menacing plod gives way to an explosive chorus, then a sinister request: “Give you the gun, blow me away,” Moreno chokes out at the bridge. It’s certainly not the only time he flirts with death. On “Digital Bath”, he daydreams about an electrocution, whispering seductively under the narcotic spell of a liquidy synth; on “Passenger”, he trades taunts with Tool’s Maynard James Keenan on a whiplashing ride that’s heading straight to either transcendence or hell. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter plays the willing accomplice throughout, slipping between silvery, snaking licks and atonal riffs. Meanwhile, keyboardist Frank Delgado washes it all in ghostly drones and gurgling effects, capturing a mood that ripples between paranoia and euphoria. It all makes for an intoxicating brew, one that Moreno blissfully bathes in on “Knife Prty”, in which he confesses: “I could float here forever.”

  • Around the Fur
    Around the Fur
    Around the Fur

    The massive, sludgy guitar stomp of opening track “My Own Summer (Shove It)”, coupled with Chino Moreno’s whisper-to-a-scream vocals, launched Deftones to stardom. But the Sacramento band’s talent goes far beyond that breakthrough lead single. Around the Fur is a hydra-headed, alt-metal monster, with the explosive, rocketing “Dai the Flu” and the emotional fireworks of “Mascara” showcasing their diverse array of musical tricks. It’s a vein-bulging, blood-pumping assault of shredding guitars and hammering drums that knocks the wind right out of you.

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About Deftones

Blending the bludgeoning power of metal with the detailing of shoegaze and the ambition of prog rock, Deftones have influenced the modern-rock landscape in many ways. Formed in Sacramento, California, in 1988, the group, led by vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno, had a fluctuating lineup early on, with the membership falling into place around 1993. In the chaotic world of ’90s alt-rock, they were an underground success, their fanbase steadily growing thanks to constant touring and devoted listeners spreading the word. Their 2000 breakthrough, White Pony, was a creative leap for the band, incorporating shoegaze’s shimmer and post-rock’s sprawl into its sound while spotlighting Moreno’s haunting, soaring vocals. The 2003 release Deftones, highlighted by the fuzzed-out single “Minerva”, and 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist continued their evolution. Longtime bassist Chi Cheng was seriously injured in a car crash in 2008, and the band put things on hold for a while, releasing Diamond Eyes in 2010. Deftones ascended to elder statesmen of hard rock in the 2010s, recording albums that added breadth and depth to their sonic arsenal; a 2020 remix release of White Pony with Mike Shinoda and DJ Shadow among the many remixers serves as testament to their wide influence.

ORIGIN
Sacramento, CA, United States
FORMED
1988
GENRE
Hard Rock

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