Deftones complete Discography reviews with GORE +Crosses, Team Sleep and Palms

 Deftones complete Discography review + Side Projects


Deftones

Adrenaline (1995)

Genre: Nu Metal, Alternative Metal

This is the review of Deftones first album, which is sort of a trail blazer production, with Korn’s first album, for Nu Metal bands. When I was a teen I had first bought “Around the Fur” (Their second album), it’s was probably the fifth album that I ever had, and I wanted more from these guys so searching around at some alternative record stores here in my city Cordoba Argentina I discovered this little gem.

 Chino Moreno raps the most on this production compared to any other album to come after this one. Mr. Moreno as a song writer is still in his formative stage and he tends to use too many words that end in the letter r to make the lyrics work on a song level, but I must say his singing is top notch. The band plays great, most of Deftones song writing style is already established on this album, note Frank Delgado the DJ and Keyboard guys isn’t a full member he`s only on two tracks. All of the songs on Adrenaline are Deftone classics and the production is pretty basic but effective. Adrenaline is a great introductory album to the Deftone catalogue which is very enjoyable, so I recommend this album for people that are taking baby steps into the heavier side of music.

Deftones

Around the Fur (1997)

Genre:  Nu Metal, Alternative Metal

This is probably Deftones heaviest and the most aggressive album in their catalogue, with Terry Date in the production seat again he seems to have pushed the band further into heavy Territory, really putting enfaces on heavy  guitar distortions and a clean drum sound. I remember being a teen and channel surfing past much music I saw the end of the "my own summer" video and I thought to myself holy shit this band kicks ass, and a shark just ate the singer, that's some hardcore shit, the next day I bought the album, my fifth album ever, and I blasted it out of my stereo scaring the shit out of my parents.

Vocals and Lyrics: Chinos singing and song writing has improved a lot, and he has already has started to establish his trade mark style of singing. 9

Instrumentation:  The band does a great job, Abe the drummer really shines and Frank DJ\sound FX dude who isn't a full member is little bit more present on this album. Chi bass has some type of cool distortion on his bass at moments and Stephen’s super heavy guitars are just fantastic. 7

Melody and/or Structure:   The songs mostly have a Nu Metal structure: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, break, heavy freak out, final chorus, with a hard/heavy parts with riffs/distortions and verse more relaxed and more melodic, with Chino holding up the melody on  each song. 8

Sound, Production and Feeling: As I said in the intro heavy guitars and clean drum sound, simple but effective. 8.5

Songs: Every track is a classic, there is a secrret track super hidden that I didn't know was there, I actual feel to sleep with headphones on once with this album playing when that hidden track started it almost gave me a heart attack, it scared the shit out of me. 11

Originality: This album show a band that is more focused and has a singer that has really grown. 9

Overall: 52.5

Deftones

White Pony (2000)

Genre:  Alternative Metal, Experimental Rock, Nu Metal, Rap Metal

Ok this my review of Deftones best album, this production caught people off guard shifting away from the heaver side of music and diving into a more experimental and mature terrain. This album alienated most metalheads but opened the door to new listeners from the alternative and indie seen. I personally got to see these on tour promoting these songs and wow they sounded great and the band put 100% in a show that was raining like hell and Chino was crowd surfing and singing like crazy without missing a note, that was a kick ass show.  

Vocals and Lyrics: Chino's singing and song writing has taken a quantum leap, he has matured a a vocalist taken his voice into new territory and lyrically he's getting more sophisticated.  Also we have one track the guest vocals of Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer)  10

Instrumentation:  The band is at total service of the songs all the members are totally focused in making great songs. Stephan's guitars enter new territory experimenting with texture and with sound and Franks  glichy samples and subtle key boards take the songs to another level. 7.5

Melody and/or Structure:   Songs are simple in structure but fresh and the band really learns how to work with melody in a interesting ways. 10

Sound, Production and Feeling: The sound and production are just perfect for the context of this album, Terry Date has done a incredibly sophisticated album with simple songs. Deftones make a interesting jump from simple and raw emotions to more complex feelings. 12

 

Songs: The album divides itself seamlessly into three types of tracks heavy songs,  like Elite or Korea, experimental songs like Digital Bath and one rap metal songs, Back to school 12

The Bad:

Originality:  This album is probably Deftones best Album to date and they take some major risks with some incredible results. 10

Overall: 61.5

Deftones

Deftones (2003)

Genre: Alternative Metal

The Deftones self titled album has the widest sonic rang it has of Deftones heaviest tracks "Hexagram" too electronic heavy "Get lucky" that ended up on the Matrix II sound track. The only bad thing about this album is that I don't like the bass guitars sound in the mix, but other than that Terry Date's mix is great. It seem that on this album the band is trying to recuperate fan lost or alienated by the experimental White Pony.
Overall: 55

B-Sides and Rarities (2005)

Alternative Metal

If you are a Deftones fan you know that these guys tend to seek for inspiration outside of the metal world and have a soft spot for covers, which its pretty enjoyable to hear how they rework  songs from Jawbox, Cocteau Twins, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Helmet, Sade, The Cure, The Smiths and Duran Duran, with fantastic results. On the other hand the band has a couple of reworked song of their own made acoustic like "Digital Bath", "Change( in the House of flies)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" and two new track with the treat that B-Real from Cypress Hill is on one of them.

Overall: 55.3

Team Sleep (2005), Chino Moreno's side porject

Genre: Dream pop, Alternative Rock, Electronic, Trip Hop

Dream pop has been an important part of Deftones sound after White Pony, we always get one or two tracks experimenting with this genre on each Deftones album, and this project make a really interesting contrast with Chino's heavier stuff. This production pretty much is Chino Moreno taking his ambient dream pop fetish and running with it, with a batch of really good songs, this album is really good pop with a lot of substance something that has gone extinct in the 2000's music era. Chino collaborates with DJ Crook, who is an old Deftones associate and  just have bunch of Moreno's buds appear on different tracks, I most mention the live Drumming is stunning, being played by Zach Hill, the album is very rhythmic even though it super mellow and melodic.  

Overall: 62

This cover reminds me of the one the band used for around the Fur

Saturday Night Wrist (2006)
Genre: Alternative Metal

Saturday Night Wrist  is good album in general and it has the highlight to Serj Tankian on "Mein" and "Beware of the Water" is one of my all time favorite Deftones songs. The band changes Terry Date for Bob Ezrin, who is more known for his work with not so heavy bands like Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and Phish, but on this album  there isn't a colossal change in the band's sound.  

Overall: 56

Diamond Eyes (2010)

Genre: Alternative Metal

Wow wow wow, what a magnificent album, personally I think its Deftones definitive album its dark, sexy and heavy. It's the band first album without Chi who sadly was in coma because of a car accident who past away recently  , he was replaced with Sergio Vega from Quicksand. The band sound reinvigorated just pumping out fantastic material, just go out and listen to this album nuff said.

Overall: 60.4

Covers (2011)

Genre: Alternative Metal, Alternative Pop

This compilation album  is somewhat  redundant to their catalogue mostly  stuff that they already put out on their Rarities album with some   new stuff like the cover "Drive" from the Cars, "Do you   Believe" from the Cardigans," Ghost" by Japan and Sleep walk by Santo & Johnny.

Overall: 49.5

Koi No Yokan (2012)
Genre: Alternative Metal

Koi No Yokan has a more robust and muscular sound Sergio Vegas bass sounds great in the mix elevating the rest of the band, the album in general is an enjoyable listen but sort of a letdown because  the previous album "Diamond Eyes" was fantastic and elevated my expectation to high for this album. 

                                                                      

Overall:   56.2

Palms (2013)

Genre: Dream pop, Alternative Rock

This other side project of Chino Moreno but it  isn't  as good as his other  stuff, it's pretty bland, like a  soft Deftones without the feeling, album just goes nowhere.

Overall: 40.5

Chino Moreno's side project

Crosses (2014)

Genre: Electronic Rock, Dream Pop

Wow I stumbled on this project, I didn't know it existed and boy what a pleasant surprise it falls in line with Team Sleep in style and in some aspect but it's much more focused and rock oriented. Chino and his crew do branch out and try tons of new stuff but maintaining the central core sound, some songs a very pop but never loose substance or its dark feel. In a interesting note legendry rocker Duff Mckagan is a guest bass player on one of the tracks. 

Overall: 57.2 

 Deftones Gore (2016)

Genre: Alternative Metal, Experimental Metal/Rock

What a stunning album, it's very well balanced on a composition scale you have those beautiful atmospheric melodies accompanied with some super heavy moments, Deftones just keeps on perfecting on their craft. Throwing some interesting left turns on a couple tracks, keeping things really interesting as the album progresses.

We  finally get a Jaw  dropping guitar solo on a Deftones album thanks to Alice in Chains's  Jerry Cantrell on Phantom Bride, and  that track is a master peace. And Stephan Carpenter  does bring a lot to the table  using the full potential of his super low end guitars, he also moves a bit more on the fret board looking  for more contrast. Abe's drums are fascinating, he really tries to do some crazy stuff on the drums, but never over shadowing the songs. Sergio Vega's bass lines are interesting and he finally completely melds with the band finding his place. Frank Delgado the DJ and Keyboards is very present on the album just adding some nice details to each song and finally Chino does his thing just fine.

The album has a fantastic production, really pushing the experiential with their sound, sonically it fascinating, I recommend this album it one of their best and the best thing to come out in 2016 so far.

Overall: 63.3