Review Summary: Around the Fur proves that the Deftones wee on the road to success with their sophomore album, featuring 10 awesome songs that still remain as consistent and awesome as ever even years after its release
In 1997, the Deftones were on the road to success. “Adrenaline” had put them on the map and established them as one of the pioneer bands of nu-metal. Sadly, it was somewhat overlooked when it was released in light of Korn’s debut album being immensely popular and ‘revolutionary’. Despite this, it was a great album nonetheless, featuring amazing vocal melodies and extremely heavy riffing combined with a great rhythm section that created some amazing tracks. Anticipation was key in dealing with the release of their next album, “Around the Fur”.
The album kicks off to a heavy start with the famous single ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’. The song works extremely well, featuring one of Stephen Carpenter’s most well-known riffs and a chorus that gets you jumping and screaming along the lyrics. It’s a perfect example of the Deftones sound, combining Chino’s ambient and melodic vocals in the verses and his unique and screeching screams in the chorus. It gives everyone a chance to shine, as Chi’s bass lines are very prominent through the whole song and Abe’s drumming is great and keeps the whole beat of the song in check. Frank Delgato, who is not a permanent member of the band at this time, provides some additional sampling on the song which adds to the somewhat mysterious mood of the track. Once it’s suddenly over, you want more, and the album doesn’t waste any time kicking into the riff of the next track, ‘Lhabia’.
Part of what makes the Deftones stand out among all of their peers is the fact that they inject an enormous atmosphere into their songs. ‘Mascara’, ‘Dai the Flu’, and ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’ are the best examples of this on the album. ‘Mascara’ is a very mellow and quiet song with a sinister vibe, as Chino whispers the visceral lyrics on top of Carpenter’s creeping riffs that lead to an ending that leaves you feeling somewhat uncomfortable in a good way, if that makes any sense. ‘Be Quiet and Drive’ is another single from the album, featuring great guitar work and one of the best vocal performances on the record. In ‘Dai the Flu’, the rhythm section shines the most, as Chi and Abe keep the song alive with heavy and deep bass lines that explode into an intense ending when combined with Chino and Carpenter.
When the Deftones opt for a heavy track, they often hold nothing back. A perfect example of this would be ‘Lotion’. The track is brutal from start to finish, not holding up as Chino unleashes his best screams on the album. The title track is also one of the best on the record, featuring an angry chorus and an opening drum beat which proves to be really catchy and one of Abe’s standout points on here.
Despite the fact that the atmospheric and heavy tracks are combined into one album, it flows very well. On this album, they took their sound that they presented on Adrenaline and pushed it even further, adding more to the tracks to give them that signature Deftones feel that we all have come to know and love today. It might not get as much attention as "White Pony", but "Around the Fur" will forever stand as a benchmark in the Deftones discography, a gem in its overwhelming power and originality.
