Review Summary: If you are not a Deftones fan, do not start here. But for longtime fans such as myself, for nostalgia's sake and just to rock the fuck out to one of the greatest bands of our era, this is pretty much worth checking out
Most Deftones fans are familiar with the bands demo tape
(Like) Linus and yet it is rarely discussed on this site. The reason for that, is that it is so raw, under-produced and eclectic that I even found myself skipping most tracks on the EP when they came up on shuffle. The Deftones that we have come to love in 2000's
White Pony to 2010-era
Diamond Eyes is most certainly not the band that began in 1988 in Stephen Carpenter's garage in Northern California. This is the reason why most of us fans love the Tones. They have constantly evolved, maturing and invoking new elements into thier music. They took a new sound that they helped to create and warped it into something that is beautiful and revered by many fans and critics alike.
Back in 1992 however when the Tones recorded the extremely amateur demo tape
(Like) Linus, we hear a record that for the most part resembles what 1995's Adrenaline would become. The difference between the demo and the debut album are enough to warrant a listen, even if simply to see the evolution of this band. That's the key here: it's ***ing incredible how far they have come. The songs on this demo sound like a mix of early Incubus, Korn, Pantera and the Melvins. The screaming is few and far between. Chino doesn't quite sound as pissed as he does on
Adrenaline. Don't misunderstand me, this is still an aggressive album. The buzzsaw distortion that Stef is so famous for on
Adrenaline is still there, but experimental basslines, reggae and hip-hop influenced lyrical passages, simple riffs and incredible drumming make this a decent ride. Chino is found singing predominately and you can clearly hear the youth in his voice. It is somewhat refreshing to hear what he was capable of 19 years ago and very interesting to hear the comparison from his vocal style then and now.
Make no mistake, the sound quality is horrible, the production weak and the song writing slightly above average. Some tracks would go on to make the cut for
Adrenaline such as Engine No 9, 7 Words and Root, however the majority of these tracks would almost never be included in the Tones setlists as they toured the world.
If you are not a Deftones fan, do not start here. But for longtime fans such as myself, for nostalgia's sake and just to rock the *** out to one of the greatest bands of our era, this is worth checking out.
