Deftones - 'Deftones' (Maverick)
4/5
By: Toby L
There's a skull on the sleeve for a reason, bucko.
Following the units-shifting wizardry of 'White Pony' - almighty rock-assaulters the Deftones' third, full-length studio excursion - now comes the eponymous effort. In the past, the self-titled treatment of a record traditionally harks to an artist attempting to re-publicise and categorise their sound - a statement-of-intent, as to where the performers have come from, and where they presently reside.
Thus, if this eleven-track splice of slicing riffage, industrial dimness and raged vocal-splutters is to represent California's finest angst-merchants - well, put it this way: they could have done one steaming hell of a lot worse.
Testament to the strength of their produce is the topical 'death' of nu-metal of late. Linkin Park's recent return, by many accounts, heralded a sadly predictable rehash of before, marking the definitive cut-off point for one of rock's most fly-by-night, passing phases. But, one thing: Sacramento's Deftones were there before all the newbies and - by looks of their enduring defiance after all these years - seem set to still be with us long afterwards, too.
So, although their latest work still bears the group's trademark, yearning, mammoth labyrinth of sound, the only difference now is that the textures are edgier, and contrasts more devastating - a complete aural escape for an engrossing 47 minutes. Whether the manic insanity of 'When Girls Telephone Boys', chopping intensity of 'Battle-axe', or single-worthy combustion of 'Good Morning Beautiful', the amps may be cranked and the production taut and uncompromising, but it's never too much.
Possibly, because the band know the concept of context - that is to say, a time and a place. So, after the head-f**k inferno of 'Bloody Cape', the piano-drenched, mood-piece 'Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event' ensues, languishing the volume, and serving as a captivating pre-cursor to the expansive eeriness of closer, 'Moana', an epic of chopping rhythms and undercurrent of bubbling bleakness, vocalist Chino's wails and groans as deftly heart-breaking as ever.
A band of their own, nu-metal may now well be up there in the clouds and heavens above, but - reassuringly - the Deftones are more thunderously compulsive and vivid than ever before.
Artists in this article: Deftones
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