Deftones could have followed every other nu-metal band out there and it was getting to a point where they were leaning against that scene. However, Deftones were always different from those other bands. Using melody and atmosphere to carve their unique sound, the band weren’t pigeon-holing themselves into the low tuned, whine your guts out scene that was going on at the time. The album which showed that Deftones were going to be bigger and better than all those bands was White Pony. Of course, it was a landmark album for the band and is definitely their best by a long shot but after this hard rock/nu-metal masterpiece, there was an album that everyone seemed to have forgotten about. It was a delight to fans but to the casual listener, it isn’t really acclaimed to be the band’s high point.
This album is actually quite a nice bundle of songs; there is a mix of amazing songs and okay songs and you know when you get an amazing feeling while listening to the album. Chino has a very long voice, this does sound quite stupid but he holds notes for quite long and it adds to a certain atmosphere that the Deftones portray. He also has this whisper-to-scream quality about him which makes the Deftones interesting. Stephen is a favourite of mine, not for his technical skill but for the melody he can produce and the hard, distorted riffs he can make up as well. Abe is an okay drummer but his main point is some very fun beats he makes up. I really like a lot of the songs here.
A few favourites of mine are opener
Hexagram,
Needles and Pins,
Good Morning Beautiful.
Hexagram is a perfect opener and is also a perfect use of quiet to loud phases.
Needles and Pins is a favourite mainly because the main riff and how it flows so well. Deftones are pretty unique and original; they don’t fall into one genre and try new interesting things and the best part about this album is that they just push that theory further. Stephen can make some sweet clean licks and he doesn’t think, “Oh, I need to put a few solos in here”, no, there is no need and that’s the good thing. They know what they’re doing but album number four seems to make them or break them but I find it a shame comparing this to
White Pony as that album was in a field of it’s own. This isn’t darker, it isn’t better, it isn’t more complex but what it does serve is a certainly nifty album. Buy this if you’re a Deftones fan.
