Review Summary: That album, by that band.
Every now and then a band releases that album. You know, that one album. An album that is unlike anything you have or ever will hear in you entire life. This is that album, from that band.
Deftones have garnered critical acclaim from critics and fans alike for the unique blend of Alternative rock, Shoegaze, and Metal fusion. In 1995 they released their debut LP, Adrenaline. This gained Deftones some fame in the music world, albeit it took about two years for them to really take off. It was a great album and critics praised it for Chino Moreno's unique vocal styling. There was, however, a down side to this album. It lumped Deftones into the Nu-metal category. I'll admit myself I like some Nu-metal bands, but Nu-metal is not one of the most liked and respected of the metal category.
1997 brings another classic album. Around the Fur was released and brought even more success to the band. The tracks My Own Summer (Shove It) and Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) where played non-stop on MTV. But the term Nu-metal was still being used to describe the band. Fast forward three years later to the year 2000 and we have White Pony. This is where Deftones went soft, but not radio rock soft. This was an experimental album that captivated people world wide. This is generally regarded as Deftones best album, and for good reasoning as well.
Their signature Heavy metal sound was dropped for a more refined Alternative rock sound that worked very well for the band. Add in Frank Delgado, the newly indited member who was in charge of samples, and you have an eerie and beautiful experience on your hand. Chino's voice has gotten even better, Stephen is starting to use more effects, and the whole band is feeling great. The band even won a Grammy for the song Elite. This was defiantly a great album. How does it stand up to today standards you may ask? Well, lets just run through the track listing.
1) Feiticeira - This is one of my favorite tracks by Deftones. It starts off with a very unique sounding riff and hits hard with Chino saying "F**k I'm drunk!" Each song on the album talks about a different story, and this one is no different. It's about a man who has been kidnapped by a woman and is begging her to let him go as she calmly says, "soon I'll let you go." It really puts you in this persons position and makes for a great experience.
2) Digital Bath - A classic by Deftones. Yeah I know, lots of you are saying, "man this is a great sex song" but if you were to really dig deep into the lyrics you'd change your mind. This songs about a man that is infatuated with a woman and decides to electrocute her as she lays down in a bath tub. He then proceeds to take her out of the tub, dry her off, put on her clothes, and drive her away. Yeah, I know right.
3) Elite - Many have speculated that this song is a about the menstrual cycle, but they are dearly mistaking. As said by Chino Moreno himself, this song is about trying to be somebody that you already are, hence the name "Elite". But enough about the meaning, lets talk about the catchy ass guitar riff. It really fits the feel of this song and brings some energy to it.
4) RX Queen - So there's this guy. He likes the girl, but the girl has a deathly medical condition. The guy really doesn't care, he just wants to have her by his side. There you have the meaning of this song. It's quiet then loud, and all over the place. It's a beautiful composition. This is one of my favorites of the album and a great listen for anybody.
5) Street Carp - Fast paced and in your face; that's what this song is about. This one is about meeting somebody on the street that you used to know. They want to start getting to know you again and would like your address. So what do you do? You tell them that your address is 665... oh I forget. Funny how Deftones could make a song about giving some your address so awesome.
6) Teenager - This is a quiet and calm song. It's about those years when you where young and in love. You go on your first date with a girl you really like, but then she moves away. Quiet sad, but the song still has a keep your head up high, it's okay type of feel to it.
7) Knife Party - This song must have one of the best and most memorable intros to any song I have ever heard. Shooting up on heroin is what this songs about, but it might take some searching on the internet (or a visit to a lyric website) to find that out. It's a beautiful song that really captures the emotion in the human spirit.
8) Korea - Yeah, this song is all over the place. Supposedly this song is suppose to talk about what the White Pony is, but I can't seem to find it. This is probably the heaviest song on the album. I challenge anybody to listen to this song and try to figure out what the lyrics are about.
9) Passenger - This is a collaboration between Tool's Maynard James Keenan and Deftones (obviously). The song is about having sex in a high speed car. It's a 6+ minute epic that will have you wondering what you just listened to. It's one heck of a ride.
10) Change (In The House Of Flies) - According to Chino this song was about him being a complete asshole to everyone. Again this is a great song that on once occasion actually made me cry. I go hard when it comes to music. Give it a listen if haven't already.
11) Pink Maggit - Oh the emotion. This is the epitome of emotion. Everything in this song is filled with heart. I don't think there is ever going to be another song that will top this. But as for the lyrical interpretation of this song, it's pretty straight forward. Don't let people bully you in school. Yeah, that's it. Still an amazing song.
And there you have it. This album is as good as it was when it first came out twelve years ago. Don't ever pass up a chance to listen to this album.
