Review: Deftones - Self-Titled

artist: deftones album: self-titled label: maverick records released: 5/20/2003 by: eduardo moutinho Alright folks, I think it is only fair to let you all know that next to hopesfall, the Deftones are my favorite band. Yes, the Deftones. These guys are the reason that a blood.sweat.tears even exists, as they converted me from my gangsta rap lovin' shizzle fo dizzle stage to a rock obsessed one. Not to say that I dislike rap now, I'm just not engulfed by it as I used to be. You can attribute the sudden shift of musical tastes to the song "Be Quiet and Drive," a track from Around the Fur, the Deftones' second album. Hearing that song sparked something inside that started the snowball rolling down the hill that is the musical chamber of my mind. To this day, that song is tied with "The End of an Era" by hopesfall as my favorite song. Anyway, it's a real shame that the Deftones are put in the same vein as Limp Bizkit, Korn, Mudvayne, and the lot. They're on a completely different plane, always reinventing themselves, and actually showing musical prowess as they do it. From Adrenaline to the album that I'm reviewing as you read, Deftones, you can see an impressive evolution of sound. Plain and simple, the music on Deftones is not nu-metal, not in the least. It's atmospheric, and dare I say, spiritual. The music exhibited on this release is deep, heavy, and uncharacteristically slow-tempo. Not to say that the Deftones haven't penned these types of songs before, but the stuff on this album has "epic" written all over it. Chino Moreno's vocals are more haunting than ever. It's almost like he's narrating some viciously fascinating dark opera. Songs like "Hexagram," "Minerva," and "Moana" are such narratives, alluring and captivating. While there are songs that seem to stem from the Deftones' chaotic beginnings, like "Good Morning Beautiful" and "Bloody Cape," that are relatively heavy and more upbeat through and through, the overlying theme of the record shines through on every single track. This is truly an outcry by the Deftones, to reaffirm their foothold as leaders of the first generation nu-metal bands. What makes me laugh though, is that they're doing it by not playing nu-metal. In fact, maybe they're trying to establish a foothold in the experimental rock genre. This is more new Cave In than it is Saliva. And that my friends, is a good thing. As far as the musicality of this record goes, it's top notch. Considering the history of the Deftones, how they went from a group of friends that got some free instruments because a certain band member got an unexpected amount of cash from his father to a world famous group that managed to author the music on this record, is really amazing. Along with Moreno's unique and well executed vocals, Stephen Carpenter's guitar is as atmospheric as ever, evident on songs such as "Needles and Pins" and "Hexagram." Chi Cheng and Abe Cunningham follow suit on both bass and drums respectively. Also, DJ Frank Delgado finally comes into his own as the forgotten fifth member of the band, as his compliments are actually integral parts of the music, unlike his ghost-like debut on the last record, White Pony. He's not the kind of pseudo hip hop DJ type that has been plaguing many bands of the genre, rather, he adds an even higher level of atmosphere and mood to the music. You won't hear any scratching by this guy. The song "Lucky You" is all Delgado, as it's basically a techno rock ballad, accompanied by exceptionally hollow-sounding vocals by Moreno. It's a complete departure for the band, even by the standards set forth by the pure rock tracks on this album. In conclusion, this is by far the most experimental collage of tracks that the Deftones have ever put out. This is the kind of album that might disillusion a large portion of the band's fan base, as its slower, more involved tracks may leave certain listeners uninterested. Yet, in the end, I commend the band for doing this and not taking the Durst route, by following the MTV horde. I'm still proud to be a devoted fan of the Deftones, and that's a lot to say, because I loved the other bands I mentioned in the second paragraph, but now I find them to be quite the joke. favorite song: “hexagram” rating: 93%/100% listen to deftones