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[teezzy]

Let's all just take a second amidst all this craziness to appreciate the fact that there was a new single released today, August 21st 2020 from the greatest band of all time...

... (the) MOTHERFUCKING DEFTONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We're surrounded
By debris of the past
And it's too late
To cause a change in the tides
So we slip into
Our hopeless sea of regret
As I stare

Through
The haunted maze in your eyes
Right through
Where I'll remain for all time

And time won't change this
This promise we made
Yeah, time won't change this
It's how it'll stay

This is our time
We devour the days ahead
We've been possessed
By these changing times
As we slip on through
We promised to meet again
Somewhere

Through
The haunted maze in our minds
Right though
Where we shall remain for all time

Yeah, time won't change this
This promise we made
And time won't change this
We shall remain

Shit slaps! So happy to hear the boys have not lost their magic whatsoever. I haven't been this hyped for a new album in forever.

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Pretty good. Need to listen to it a few more times, though.

 

[Insane Metal]

The video made me dizzy with all the flashing light, wtf

Music is good tho

 

[Scotty W]

Dreary and atonal.

 

[lock2k]

Loved it. Familiar yet daring. These guys never disappoint

 

[decisions]

Decent track but pretty standard for them and God what the fuck is that heavy static that just hangs in the background of the track the ENTIRE time?

 

[Mr Nash]

For some reason, I always mix these guys up with The Melvins, which makes no sense.

 

[Dark Star]

Long time Deftones fan here and I think their new track is a BANGER! I've been listening to it all day. I have a feeling their new album is going to sound a bit spacey like Koi No Yokan, but with the heaviness of Diamond Eyes, which is awesome. The production is also a lot cleaner than pretty much anything on Gore, which is a win since that was the major complaint from fans.

 

[Halo0629]

Man brand new song yet it feels so nostalgic.

 

[teezzy]

Long time Deftones fan here and I think their new track is a BANGER! I've been listening to it all day. I have a feeling their new album is going to sound a bit spacey like Koi No Yokan, but with the heaviness of Diamond Eyes, which is awesome. The production is also a lot cleaner than pretty much anything on Gore, which is a win since that was the major complaint from fans.

Steph busted out a goddamn 9 string for this one dude lmao

 

[The Scrivener]

I really need to get into this band more. I remember when they first came out me and my mates labelled them Nu-Metal, but then like 10 years later I heard a few of their early albums and loved it. I really need to check out their full discog.

 

[Punished Miku]

I honestly wasn't blown away by this track at all. I've only heard it once though, on poor speakers. I need to hear it on headphones a few times for sure.

Kind of surprised it's the last track on the album. Doesn't sound like the kind of thing they usually close out albums with.

 

[teezzy]

I really need to get into this band more. I remember when they first came out me and my mates labelled them Nu-Metal, but then like 10 years later I heard a few of their early albums and loved it. I really need to check out their full discog.

They may have started off as nu-metal but they've certainly ventured within post-rock/post-metal territory for the majority of their career at this point.

You can hear the natural progression from their debut (Adrenaline), to Around the Fur, and to White Pony which kinda set them free creatively to really play with all the dream pop and shoegaze influences they'd only hinted at on their earliest releases.

Funny thing is, when Nu-Metal was huge, Deftones actually went out of their way to avoid touring with those groups to avoid being labelled as such. They came from the exact same local scene as KoRn, but never actually wanted to be associated with the subgenre, especially not as their sound evolved.

And boy... did it ever evolve...

 

[bender]

I now know what epilepsy feels like...that video, geez. Didn't really care for the song but I've never cared for the Deftones outside of Change. Though, I think part of my disdain for the band comes from Alex Navarro. The GiantBomb crew tend to be really snobby about music. /weird

 

[The Scrivener]

They may have started off as nu-metal but they've certainly ventured within post-rock/post-metal territory for the majority of their career at this point.

You can hear the natural progression from their debut (Adrenaline), to Around the Fur, and to White Pony which kinda set them free creatively to really play with all the dream pop and shoegaze influences they'd only hinted at on their earliest releases.

Funny thing is, when Nu-Metal was huge, Deftones actually went out of their way to avoid touring with those groups to avoid being labelled as such. They came from the exact same local scene as KoRn, but never actually wanted to be associated with the subgenre, especially not as their sound evolved.

And boy... did it ever evolve...

Cool man, I knew most of this, but yeah, checking and I've only ever really listened to Around the Fur. Shame on me! I'll fix that this weekend!

 

[quickwhips]

They may have started off as nu-metal but they've certainly ventured within post-rock/post-metal territory for the majority of their career at this point.

You can hear the natural progression from their debut (Adrenaline), to Around the Fur, and to White Pony which kinda set them free creatively to really play with all the dream pop and shoegaze influences they'd only hinted at on their earliest releases.

Funny thing is, when Nu-Metal was huge, Deftones actually went out of their way to avoid touring with those groups to avoid being labelled as such. They came from the exact same local scene as KoRn, but never actually wanted to be associated with the subgenre, especially not as their sound evolved.

And boy... did it ever evolve...

I mean they did some songs with soulfly and korn so i don’t think they avoided them and they toured together during those years.

 

[Maiden Voyage]

I really need to get into this band more. I remember when they first came out me and my mates labelled them Nu-Metal, but then like 10 years later I heard a few of their early albums and loved it. I really need to check out their full discog.

Their first album is still my overall favorite. Probably just because the time it came out was perfect for me.



Of course, their hits are all great and White Pony especially gets a lot of love.

 

[Elektro Demon]

Meh, average track. Too slow for my taste.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Long time Deftones fan here and I think their new track is a BANGER! I've been listening to it all day. I have a feeling their new album is going to sound a bit spacey like Koi No Yokan, but with the heaviness of Diamond Eyes, which is awesome. The production is also a lot cleaner than pretty much anything on Gore, which is a win since that was the major complaint from fans.

Spot on. Diamond Eyes had some great tracks to it. This track has a good sound to it, but the lyrics aren’t that catchy. Usually I end up memorizing lyrics to their albums (Saturday Night Wrist, White Pony, and Diamond Eyes). Gore felt like a good album, but I couldn’t really get into the lyrics. I feel like I’m having a hard time picking up on the chorus. I wouldn’t dismiss the album for it though. Koi No Yokan took me a couple times to start enjoying it. It’s actually a pretty decent album. Gore is going to take another listen to. I honestly can’t make up my mind yet.

 

[teezzy]

I mean they did some songs with soulfly and korn so i don’t think they avoided them and they toured together during those years.

You're absolutely correct. The bands were very close friends coming up.

I guess I'm sorta pseudo citing this interview:

Deftones' Chino Moreno Explains Why They Turned Down Numerous Tours With Korn - Theprp.com

"I can't remember how many times I turned down Korn! And they got pissed at us. Jonathan would say, 'Why do you hate us?' and I didn't know what to say."...

www.theprp.com

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter both appear in a new piece in the latest issue of Metal Hammer which reflects on the coming 20th anniversary of their sophomore album “Around The Fur“. That album was originally released back on October 28th of 1997.


As part of the piece, both Steph and Chino express their thoughts on escaping the nü metal branding back in the day and answering a long running question. Just recently Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch explained how he feels that Deftones don’t want to tour with Korn. Carpenter first said of the nü metal genre and their mindset at the time.

“We didn’t really pay much attention to that. I remember when these subgenre names didn’t exist. It was just metal. So I don’t think we made a decision to step away from it—we’ve never paid attention to what anyone else was doing. We just did what we thought was right, and tried to make a killer album.”

Moreno however opened up further on the matter, offering:

“We did make a very conscious choice of who we were going to play shows with. It was hard to be this young band and having to turn down tours. I can’t remember how many times I turned down Korn! And they got pissed at us. Jonathan would say, ‘Why do you hate us?’ and I didn’t know what to say.
I’d tell him, ‘Dude, I don’t hate you. I love you guys, you’re my friends. But I don’t want to tour with you. I don’t want to be on the Family Values with you and Limp Bizkit.’ The name of the genre was nü metal, so anything that is new is one day going to be old. And I didn’t to be old with it.”

 

[Prison Mike]

Let's all just take a second amidst all this craziness to appreciate the fact that there was a new single released today, August 21st 2020 from the greatest band of all time...

... (the) MOTHERFUCKING DEFTONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



We're surrounded
By debris of the past
And it's too late
To cause a change in the tides
So we slip into
Our hopeless sea of regret
As I stare

Through
The haunted maze in your eyes
Right through
Where I'll remain for all time

And time won't change this
This promise we made
Yeah, time won't change this
It's how it'll stay

This is our time
We devour the days ahead
We've been possessed
By these changing times
As we slip on through
We promised to meet again
Somewhere

Through
The haunted maze in our minds
Right though
Where we shall remain for all time

Yeah, time won't change this
This promise we made
And time won't change this
We shall remain

Shit slaps! So happy to hear the boys have not lost their magic whatsoever. I haven't been this hyped for a new album in forever.

Seen them years ago at civic in Wolverhampton fucking great gig

 

[TheMan]

Ooh thanks for the heads up, haven’t listened to these dudes in a while and I didn’t realize they were releasing an album this year.

 

[Dark Star]

I really need to get into this band more. I remember when they first came out me and my mates labelled them Nu-Metal, but then like 10 years later I heard a few of their early albums and loved it. I really need to check out their full discog.

I'm a huge fan of Adrenaline, even bought the CD back in the day. I always consider it more "post-metal" than "nu-metal", but genre labeling is whatever in 2020.

IMO White Pony is a solid introduction to Deftones. Just listen to the drums on Digital Bath. It's one of their best songs to date.




If you like slower, shoegazey, experimental stuff, Koi No Yokan is fantastic. Sextape from Diamond Eyes also has Chino's best singing. Perfect chorus.




That being said, there is SO MUCH good music in between these 2 tracks that is all killer, no filler. Deftones is band that only cranks out bangers. Underrated albums would be Saturday Night Wrist and Self-Titled.

Also, pretty much any song that has a music video is some of their best work : Rocket skates, Be Quiet and Drive, Hole in the Earth, Knife Party, Change, etc, etc.

 

[teezzy]

Surprised to see all the love for Adrenaline in here. While I don't dislike it, it's easily my least listened to Deftones album. Too rough around the edges, and there's a lot of rap metal baggage. Nothing wrong with that, but certainly not what I listen to Deftones for.

I was introduced to the band through White Pony as a teen, and then fell head over heels when Saturday Night Wrist dropped. I'd argue SNW is their most atmospheric and 'gazey, but allegedly there was tons of in-fighting and substance abuse while recording that one, and people claim it sounds disjointed. I don't hear it.



Koi No Yokan is solid. Arguably their most mature work, but Swerve City feels so out of place as an intro track. Not a bad song but it never sets the tone for the rest of the album.

My personal favorites are their 2003 Self Titled and Diamond Eyes. I think if you wanted to really capture the essence of Deftones, those would be what I'd recommend.




That shit perfectly encompasses what I've grown to love about the band. There's like this serene heaviness to them that no other band has ever really been able to quite capture. Not even post-metal favorites like Isis, Jesu, Alcest, etc.

Deftones just make it sound effortless. The music is never overly complex, but they nail it every time. It transports me somewhere else whenever I listen.
I feel as though I'm skateboarding in early 2000's California, or skinny dipping at the lake with a signifiant other, yet something sinister is lurking just around the bend. I'm not sure how else to describe it. Chino's always singing about water and sex lmao.

 

[Tesseract]

beautiful video, track is aight

kinda muddy

 

[teezzy]

Also, I absolutely have to share this video every time I get the opportunity to.




Back when they were young bucks

RIP Chi

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Also check out one of Chino's side acts Crosses (or stylized †††).



The 3 EPs they put out were killer. These 3 were combined into a single LP that's up on spotify.

 

[Northeastmonk]

beautiful video, track is aight

kinda muddy

Crazy thing is, I like the song a lot more without the video. It’s like Digital Bath. It has a pretty good music video, but it never hits that personal feeling when you listen to it on the album.

 

[Scotty W]

The fact that people are listening to this when it has probably been at least a week since they listened to THIS makes my bllod boil!

 

[Alter_Fridge]

Deftones need to be buried in 1997

Shove it and the Drive song were the only good songs they ever wrote

 

[lock2k]

Deftones need to be buried in 1997

Shove it and the Drive song were the only good songs they ever wrote

Passenger alone from White Pony crushes these two songs. LMAO

 

[Alter_Fridge]

Passenger alone from White Pony crushes these two songs. LMAO

Yeah that was actually one of the best Deftones songs

 

[teezzy]

We're back, boyz

 

[Foamy]

I know the Deftones have been popular for many for a long time but I never listened to them before. I just listened to all the songs posted and I gotta say the singer's voice is straight up garbage. Don't like his vocal tone or the way he sings.

 

[Punished Miku]

We're back, boyz

Definitely better than the first track. That guitar tone is sick.

 

[TaySan]

Man the last time i've listened to Deftones was Diamond Eyes. Good stuff.

 

[AV]

Full album's out now, listened once, really enjoyed it so far. Needs more listens when I'm not distracted with work.

Feels like they're back on form after Gore, that album was such a let-down and even the band knew it.

Album playlist:

 

[Punished Miku]

@0:32

 

[Hakiroto]

Really liked that new track. Dreamy like some of their other recent stuff. I'm looking forward to going through the whole new album later today.

 

[TTOOLL]

Greatest band from that nu-metal era. They have evolved but they've also kept what makes them the fucking Deftones. I love them!!

 

[Maiden Voyage]

New Deftones, new Menzingers, and new Sufjan Stevens. Today is too much music.

 

[teezzy]

new Joji too

 

[Punished Miku]

Well I've had a day to sit with the album, and listen to it a few times. At first, I kind of felt disappointed, and thought the album was kind of aimless and soft. Then I listened on an actually good set of speakers instead of just sitting at my computer, and I think this is one of their best albums to date.

I feel like this is their most melodic, and most dreamy vocally, kind of like depeche mode. But then the guitar player, bass player and drummer just decided this is the album to go for Godflesh level guitar tones backed up with minimalist drumming. It's a subtle shift, but it was enough to throw me off for a bit. Now that I'm used to it, this is one of the heaviest albums I've heard since the last Meshuggah, but it's mixed in with blatant pop and melody causing an extremely usual mix. This album has to be listened to loud, and on speakers capable of really doing the guitar tones justice. I think live, this whole album is going to be a wall of sound, and absolutely crushing, but still melodic enough to sing along to.

I like every track on the album now. A lot.

Favorite tracks:

Radiant City: The intro with just bass alone is sick, then when the guitar comes in, it's just the heaviest tone ever. By the time the true chorus kicks in, the tempo changes completely and goes into the most melodic line on the album, while the drums go for a strange, extreme minimalist line to let the vocals shine. It's jarring, and just makes the song pop even more.



Pompeji: The heaviest change-up on the album, mixed in with a dreamy, melodic complimentary part. The vocals fluctuate in between yelling and pure sing-a-long pop throughout every part.



Urantia: Opens up with the sugariest pop we've seen since Cherry Waves, then just goes into a complete sing-a-long the entire time, with bassy guitar melodically holding it down with an additional catchy rhythm. The perfect summer rock song.



Headless: Godflesh pop. Really cool dreamy, washed out ending.



Ohm: If you let the whole album play out, the washed out ending of Headless goes right into the most washed out guitar tone into to Ohm, ending the album with the catchiest single. Totally sick album.

 

[teezzy]

Punished Miku

You know a band is onto something when you compare them to depeche mode, meshuggah, and godflesh in the same paragraph lol

 

[Lionel Richie]

Radiant City: The intro with just bass alone is sick, then when the guitar comes in, it's just the heaviest tone ever. By the time the true chorus kicks in, the tempo changes completely and goes into the most melodic line on the album, while the drums go for a strange, extreme minimalist line to let the vocals shine. It's jarring, and just makes the song pop even more.

Goddamn you can't teach someone to play drums like that. That wasn't learned, that was EMERGED. Absolutely phenomenal stuff.

 

[Dark Star]

Well I've had a day to sit with the album, and listen to it a few times. At first, I kind of felt disappointed, and thought the album was kind of aimless and soft. Then I listened on an actually good set of speakers instead of just sitting at my computer, and I think this is one of their best albums to date.

I feel like this is their most melodic, and most dreamy vocally, kind of like depeche mode. But then the guitar player, bass player and drummer just decided this is the album to go for Godflesh level guitar tones backed up with minimalist drumming. It's a subtle shift, but it was enough to throw me off for a bit. Now that I'm used to it, this is one of the heaviest albums I've heard since the last Meshuggah, but it's mixed in with blatant pop and melody causing an extremely usual mix. This album has to be listened to loud, and on speakers capable of really doing the guitar tones justice. I think live, this whole album is going to be a wall of sound, and absolutely crushing, but still melodic enough to sing along to.

I like every track on the album now. A lot.

Favorite tracks:

Radiant City: The intro with just bass alone is sick, then when the guitar comes in, it's just the heaviest tone ever. By the time the true chorus kicks in, the tempo changes completely and goes into the most melodic line on the album, while the drums go for a strange, extreme minimalist line to let the vocals shine. It's jarring, and just makes the song pop even more.



Pompeji: The heaviest change-up on the album, mixed in with a dreamy, melodic complimentary part. The vocals fluctuate in between yelling and pure sing-a-long pop throughout every part.



Urantia: Opens up with the sugariest pop we've seen since Cherry Waves, then just goes into a complete sing-a-long the entire time, with bassy guitar melodically holding it down with an additional catchy rhythm. The perfect summer rock song.



Headless: Godflesh pop. Really cool dreamy, washed out ending.



Ohm: If you let the whole album play out, the washed out ending of Headless goes right into the most washed out guitar tone into to Ohm, ending the album with the catchiest single. Totally sick album.

Totally agree with your assessment of the album. I’ve given it quite a few listens as well on Spotify with headphones, car speakers, desktop Monitors and subwoofer, etc. and I think it’s one of their most cohesive sounding projects to date. Unique mixing and each song flows nicely. I can’t comment much on the lyrics yet, but I like the vibes. Very much a wall of sound styled production with interesting dynamics.

Though I think Ohms and Genesis make good closer/intros respectively, they could have released any of the songs from album as singles and I would have dug it. I’d love to see high budget music videos of the tracks you mentioned, they deserve the visual element.

I’m so glad they went back to Terry Date for this one. Overall, a great album that I’ll be playing forever alongside the rest of their discography. I really do think Deftones have pushed the envelope once again. Sure, I can’t expect them to release another “White Pony” at this point in their career, but I’ll always consider their older albums (pre-Gore) to be their best material. I respect their progression and maturity as a band, and I’d like to see them release new sounds/styles on whatever comes next for sure.

 

[AfterTheFall]

Album is certainly better than the previous. That I can confirm.

 

[bronk]

It's growing on me for sure.

 

[teezzy]

I swear, I'm like the one dude who didn't hate Gore.

 

[TheMan]

Is it weird that it warms my heart to see the deftones still getting love?