Artist: Deftones
Album: Deftones
Chino Moreno - Vocals
Chi Ching - Bass
Stephen Carpenter - Guitar
Abe Cunningham - Drums
Frank Delgado - Turntables
Released: 2003 (Maverick)
After a year and a half of extensive touring and the decleration of the bands third record 'White Pony' going platinum the Deftones should have been taking a long break. Instead they took two months off then headed back to the studio to record the fourth self titled album 'Deftones'.
'Deftones' see's the band return to the heavier 'Around The Fur' style after the light and experimental 'White Pony'. Not that this album is a carbon copy of 'Around The Fur'. The songs of the album are all unique and have their own original sound.
Chino's lyrics in this album are probably some of his best. They in alot of songs are still incredibly open to interpretation and it's up to the listener to put the lyrics into their own context but some songs have a pretty straight forward message. 'Minevera' the albums first single is a thankyou to the fans. "So god bless you all for the song, you saved us" Chino sings in the chorus. 'Hexagram' is a political statement about the wars in Iraq and Afghanastan. "Paint the streets in white, Death is the standard. Breach for a complex prize!" Chino sings about the war and "I think it's sweet of you And your parents are proud..." about George W Bush. Overall the lyrics are pretty good and they get you thinking which always a sign of good lyrics.
The musicianship in the album has taken a leap forward from 'White Pony'. Chi is really utilising his bass on this album. 'Deathblow' has some pretty good bass playing and he can still work well with Abe to create those thunder type sounding chorus's where the bass is just pounding out. Abe really extends his drumming on this album. Alot more variety in his style and it makes the album sound more interesting. The only part where the musicianship has decreased a bit is in the guitar. It seems in too many songs it's simply just distorded guitar with some clean chords. However Stephan still can pull out a huge sounding chorus and knows how to use his distortion. Franks touch is one that you really need to listen out for. He uses suttlety in his scratching and creates atmosphere opposed to most other DJs in the nu-metal scene. Finaly Chinos vocals are pretty good here. They don't experience the same range as they did on 'White Pony' but he can still go from a rowling scream to melodic singing as shown on 'Hexagram'.
To show the album isn't plain hardcore there are some still soft and experimental moments. 'Lucky You' is synth driven in most of it's melody and doesn't feature any distorded guitar at all. It's a track which could have been put on 'White Pony' almost and Chino makes it great with the singing in the chorus. 'Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event' is like the 'Be Quiet And Drive' of this album. The song is the albums slowest and most melodic. It pays off. The emotion in Chinos vocals is conveyed really well and the track works well.
'Minerva', 'Moana' and 'Deathblow' are halfway tracks. They have a hardcore edge but are somewhat soft aswell. 'Deathblow' is an almost pretty song and it shows the Deftones ability to alternate their style. The albums hardest track 'When Girls Telephone Boys' is one of the best. It's 4 and a half minutes of the Deftones at their hardest. Chino screams, howls and sings and does it perfectely. 'Good Morning Beautiful' has the catchiest chorus on the entire album. "You should wake up, before the wrath comes" Chino sings and the guitar goes perfectely with the vocals. 'Hexagram' is a standout track. It goes from a softer melodic verse to a hardcore chorus. The final track 'Moana' has one of the best intro's i've ever heard by the Deftones. The track opens with clean minor chords with a small guitar riff coming in every few seconds. It builds up the tension and it keeps building then it explodes. The song is a great way to end the album and catches the mood of the album just right.
Listning to this album is like a drug trip. It has huge highs then sudden lows. It's an emotional piece of work and it has such a truely unique sound. It puts the Deftones at the top of their game. The musicianship works really well with Chinos vocals and the album just has the proper sound. All the movements from tracks are done well and that is what makes this album give you such a trip. Filled with standout songs 'When Girls Telephone Boys', 'Hexagram', 'Good Morning Beautiful', 'Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event' and 'Moana' it's an album which is well worth the price.
i think that ure work as a reviewer is really good.....but i would rate this CD an overall.....4/5. i thought that thier previous CD was a lot better..but i love the song Minerva....it kicks ***.............Fender_Strat
I have this and White Pony, and I'd get their other two if I had any money. Anyway, when I first got this cd, I had convinced myself that I didn't like it as much as White Pony........until I realized that I had been playing it nonstop for two weeks. 4/5
I got this recently and liked most of it, its just with deftones they tend to make their albums drag because all of the tracks are rather samey. Still i think this album has some of their best stuff to date, and theyve definatley progressed
its an awesome cd. the deftones are a very different band with their own unique sound. mellow yet strong and powerful and emotional. however, it is definitely not for everyone, and on my first listen i thought the cd sucked.. but after a week i began to like it. yeah 4.5/5... not like it, LOVE it.
Not a 5/5. Some songs just aren't good enough for the album to be a 5/5. I mean, "Good Morning Beautiful"? "Lucky You"? "Deathblow"? These are the really dull songs on the album that weigh down the good ones... trust me, if they had done something different for those songs, it would be up there. I love all of the other tracks, however. A 4/5.
By the way, I would be pressed to say that "Hexagram" has nothing to do with politics unless you somehow proved it. That song isn't anything like that... it's a lot like "Moana", about a celebrity who can't take the pressure, and there might be a little suicidal lyricism. But it's nothing about politics at all.
I like this album, but its not a 5/5. Minerva, Needles and Pins and Hexagram are all great songs..When Girls Telephone Boys actually scared me first time I heard it, though I love it now. But there are a few tracks which let it down overall.
EDIT: having read this review, I went to find my Deftones CDs to listen to, and discovered I've lost Deftones and Around the Fur
It's funny how I first thought "When Girls Telephone Boys" was going to be cheesy. But when I put the cd in, it gripped me from my throat at the very first riff of Hexagram (my favorite song in Deftones").. and released me with the screeching pick slide at the end of Moana. Of course, When Girls Telephone Boys was VERY different and far more better than what I expected. I was shocked, really.
Anyways, the cd is pretty good; I dislike "Lucky You" a bit, and if listened continously, it gets a bit bland.. but in the end, it's great. 4/5
White Pony does own all of all Deftones CDs. "Good Morning Beautiful" is actually one of my favorites on this record though Subtle. I wish they had made more out of their slow electronic song, "Lucky You." The comparable song, "Digital Bath" is so strikingly amazing that I'm especially let down too. The CD is a 4/5 or a bit lower.
^Like I said, When Girls Telephone Boys scared the shit out of me first time I heard it, which is weird considering how much death/black metal I listen to. Partly I just wasn't expecting it, I think, after tracks like Minerva and Hexagram, but also there's something creepy going on with that track..like, it's so close to being normal, but there's something slightly sick or demented in it. It's a weird feeling.
EDIT: I think I'm spending too much time on my computer. I just looked out over my piles of CD's, wanting to find this one and listen to it, and my gut reaction was to press ctrl+f to search for it It's kinda like the first time I was reading a magazine, and looked to the bottom right of the page to check the time.
I'd have to say it's the vocals. Chino sounds like he's fuckin' lost it on that track. He makes the whole thing uncomfortable, which coincidentally makes it cool.
