The Deftones’ first album since 2000’s “White Pony” picks up where its predecessor left off. The band blends melodic sounds with its signature brand of heavy metal to create a unique experience that sets it apart form its Nu-Metal brethren.
The self-titled album is a definite progression for the band, and most of the album is crafted in a style unlike previous Deftones albums. For the most part, the heavy screaming of vocalist Chino Moreno is kept to a minimum; on “Deftones,” he chooses to highlight his voice by doing more singing.
The rage of the music has toned down quite a bit as well; there aren’t as many typical heavy-metal trademarks on the album, such as palm-muting or double bass drumming. Instead, there is more space for the songs to breathe, as the band has learned to incorporate more ambiance and harmony into the songs.
The album opens with “Hexagram,” a moody song that sounds like it could have been left over from the “White Pony” sessions. It is a light song by Deftones standards, but still shows glimpses of some of the great music that the band has created; borrowing some of the heavier elements that made previous albums “Adrenaline” and “Around the Fur” fan favorites.
“Needles and Pins” has a similar story; it doesn’t sound like older material, but it doesn’t sound fresh and new like some other songs on the album. That being said, it’s one of the heaviest songs on the album and will be sure to please Deftones fans.
The album’s lead single, “Minerva,” is a huge departure for the band. The Deftones have never produced material that sounds like this; it’s heavy, but the lyrics are delivered more personally and passionately than Moreno has ever done before. It’s not anything like what fans have come to expect from the band, and a bold move to put out a single that sounds so different from the hard and heavy formula that endeared the band to so many.
“Good Morning Beautiful” is a mid-tempo rocker that shows perfection of a style that the band has experimented with over their career. The song should appeal to anyone that was a fan of “Change in the House of Flies” from “White Pony,” or “Bored” from “Adrenaline.”
“When Girls Telephone Boys” is vintage Deftones. Those who have hated to see the band journey into lighter territory should love this track. It’s not a fast song, but far more aggressive than anything the band has put out since its first two albums. It’s not the best song that the Deftones have ever put out, but it ranks as one of the best cuts on an album that sounds as though it has purposely been toned down.
“Battle-axe” boasts some of the strange vocals that Moreno has never done. He has had a very distinct voice in a sea of imitators, alternating between off-tune melodies and light screaming, but it just doesn’t come off as haunting as it has in the past. It may be because Moreno seems to incorporate this technique at some point in every song.
What was a cool effect on a handful of songs has turned into overkill, and it sounds like Moreno is trying to force people to accept this as his signature style. It used to be heavier artists would put songs like this on an album to show that they could sing when they wanted to, but it was always just to showcase – not an occasion to abandon the sounds that made the band.
Though there is nothing wrong with a group testing new waters, there needs to be more of the older material included, instead of the band all but abandoning its roots. This album should appeal to people that like lighter hard-rock, but it may take fans of the band a while to come around to the band’s new style.
