One album that I've been consistently recommended by people to check out for a long time now is the Deftones album "White Pony". I was reluctant to however after checking a few of the bands songs out from before off of "Minerva". I did eventually buy "White Pony" because of
"Change (In The House of Flies)", a song I've loved ever since hearing it on a Dragon Ball Z movie B-). The 'word' on this was that it separated the Deftones from the rest of the nu-metal pack. Essentially purging themselves of that tag. I see it a different way however. While the song writing here is high above that of the normal nu-metal band, or any regular band of that matter, "White Pony" still shares many similarities of a nu-metal band. The guitar is tuned low, the riffs vary somewhat, and there is a user of both singing and screaming.
"Elite" seems like older
Mudvayne, but without an interesting baseline that actually stands out (it does have amazing vocal work though, again, reminiscent of Mudvayne).
The main point I'm trying to reach here is that even though "White Pony" is hyped beyond measure, it's nothing new. It's indeed a great record and I highly recommend it, but those who are coming in expecting something mind-blowing are going to be disappointed. Songs such as
"Teenager" and
"Change (In The House of Flies)" do break out of the nu-metal tagging, but
"Back To School" and
"Digital Bath" only work against what people have to say about "White Pony", What needs to be touched on here has nothing to do with whatever genre the group goes in, it's how enjoyable the album is and it's pretty damn good. It’s no surprise that
"Change (In The House of Flies)" is a major player here. The song is absolutely beautiful and it's Chino's singing that makes it so pleasing as well as the somber guitar riff. One of the more interesting things on "White Pony" is Manyard James Keenan's guest appearance on here. Along with the Deftones, he co-wrote
"Passenger" and his presence is definitely felt. The song is the second longest of the whole record coming in at six-minutes and even though I have an incredible disliking of Tool I still find this the best overall song. Chino and Manyard's shared vocals really make for an exciting combo by taking turns in the early parts.
"Passenger" eventually fades out, but not before the last minutes are dominated by a piano and some slight vocalizations. As mentioned, "White Pony" is incredibly overrated, but that does not mean it isn't a fantastically written album and a joyous experience. It definitely should be remembered twenty-five years from now as an excellent album, not something that changed, or affected the music industry.
Pros:
+Supreme song writing
+Chino's vocals
+Easy to get into
+Guest appearance by Manyard James Keenan of Tool on
"Passenger"
+Not a bad song
Cons:
-Where's the bass?
-Hideously overrated (not to be considered an actual con)
Recommended Tracks:
"Passenger"
"Change (In The House of Flies)"
"Pink Maggit"
"Feiticeira"
"Digital Bath"
