Review Summary: A perfectly shaped ball of dung
It is of course a well worn cliché, but the Deftones of 2010 can best be described as a wounded dung beetle. In tests, male horned dung beetles were able to pull 1,141 times their own body weight - the equivalent of a person dragging six fully-laden double decker bus.
On Diamond Eyes, (interestingly enough their sixth full length album), they have once again crafted a perfectly shaped ball of dung and moulded it into compact disc form, this time without the help of comatose bassist Chi Cheng. The formula is well worn at this point and this album should not surprise anybody who has heard their previous efforts. Pristine production, relentlessly chugging riffs and of course, lead singer Chino Moreno’s patented half crooned, half screamed vocals are the hallmarks of any Deftones album and this is no different. I live near an airport, and while listening to the album I sometimes like to stand outside and raise my fists to the sky as the roar of passing jets shakes the asbestos tiles of my house. Of course, this album isn’t all about the riffs. It can be argued that Moreno’s consistently impressive lyrics are at an all time high here. On ‘Rocket Skates’, an instant classic, Chino describes how the technology of the future may result in dangerous footwear.
GUNS, RAZORS, KNIIIIIVES!
In this way, Chino is showing that he is capable of aggression. On Sextape, Moreno describes having sex with a female fan while her boyfriend waits outside for him to sign an autograph as
the sound of the waves collide. It’s a beautiful image and really illustrates Chino’s newfound body confidence since losing weight.
All in all, the album is an enjoyable listen and I recommend it heartily. I place it next to Audioslave, The Prodigy, Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N Roses in my music cabinet. It is quite a good album and therefore I give it a 5/5 immediately.
