More about: Deftones

Let’s face it, 2020 hasn’t been easy. However, this bizarre year has been made slightly more bearable thanks to Deftones.  

Sacto’s finest have raised spirits by releasing their transcendental ninth album Ohms to critical acclaim in September, showing that they are still sonically evolving, even after nearly 3 decades into their career. If that wasn’t enough, they also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their magnum opus White Pony back in June and announced that remix album Black Stallion would be dropping too.  

What better way to gear up for the latter’s impending release than to take a look at Deftones ascent from scraggly Californian skaters to alt-metal godfathers in the form of their 11 most underrated tracks. 

'One Weak' 

At a time when heavy music was crying out for a new leader, Deftones released their debut album Adrenaline in 1995. Raw and unhinged, Adrenaline more than lived up to its name, with its fusion of rap and metal catapulting the band from the underground into the alternative limelight. Perhaps best known for the stomp of ‘Engine No.9’ or the angsty ‘7 Words’, Adrenaline truly excels during the skulking ‘One Weak’. Featuring a pulsating bassline courtesy of the late, great Chi Cheng, it’s an early example of Deftones beginning to hone the loud/quiet dynamic that would shape the rest of their career, with Chino Moreno’s whispered intro blown to bits by Stephen Carpenter's skyscraper riffing.  

'Can’t Even Breathe' 

The halfway house between Adrenaline and sophomore effort Around the Fur, ‘Can’t Even Breathe’ sees Moreno channel his inner Morrissey as he bemoans a causal relationship that he can’t prize himself away from, amid Abe Cunningham’s tumbling drum patterns and Carpenter's see-sawing guitar lines. Inexplicably denied an album release, the track appeared on the ‘Escape from LA’ soundtrack (us neither) in 1996 and is a rarity live, last being aired in 2007. 

'Crenshaw Punch/I’ll Throw Rocks at You'

Named after a cheap wine that the band were fond of at the time, ‘Crenshaw Punch/I’ll Throw Rocks at You’ was the last track recorded for the Around the Fur sessions and was an “experiment in sound and texture” according to Cunningham. Dissonant and bleary eyed, ‘Crenshaw..’ is almost the anti ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’ in sentiment, but it captures Deftones at their unrelenting best - with Moreno’s indecipherable, whispered verses offset by its hulking “For moths, I’m sharing lungs” refrain. The track would fit seamlessly on ‘Around the Fur’, rather than appearing on the ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ single and later the B-Sides and Rarities compilation. 

'MX'

Around the Fur’s (official) parting shot ‘MX’ sees Moreno assume the position of stereotypical rock-star as he engages in a sexually charged back and forth with a woman (Abe Cunningham’s then wife Annalynn) to lust after the trappings of fame – girls, money and new clothes. Unfazed, the female protagonist hangs on the frontman’s every word before he unveils his true intentions during its bruising chorus “Closer to the lung, shove her over railing”. Equal parts sinister and sophisticated, legend has it that Moreno originally intended for PJ Harvey to lend her voice to the track, but due to touring constraints it wasn’t possible. Imagine, eh. 

'Pink Maggit'

The closest example of Deftones fulfilling their “Radiohead of metal” tag, this 7 minute closer to the colossal White Pony remains a twisted sonic statement of intent that thrust the band into previously uncharted territory. Despite being reworked into the rap infused hit single ‘Back to School (Mini Maggit)’, it’s underlying messages of leadership and self-belief remain extremely relevant in the context of White Pony as a body of work - as Deftones transcended their peers for good.   

'Lovers'

A song good enough to open any album, ‘Lovers’ was recorded too late to be included on Deftones' 2003 self-titled effort - as the band entered their notorious “dark days”. The track blasts into life and refuses to let up, with Carpenter's pummelling riffs perfectly juxtaposing Moreno’s impassioned croon that addresses a very one-sided relationship - “For the first time, I wish she’d call”. Devastating and lovelorn, this forgotten gem only featured the ‘Hexagram’ single but should have been so much more.   

'Battle-Axe'

Deftones at their most brooding, ‘Battle-Axe’ is a favourite amongst hardcore fans but it deserves far more recognition. Its sedate introduction gives way to thick, dual guitars that provide the perfect canvas for Moreno to give one of the most affecting vocal performances of his career. Such is the poignancy of the songs subject matter, the vocalist refused to play it live for years as it brought him back to a “shitty part of [his] life”. Much to fan's delight, the band recently dusted it off for their appearance at Robert Smith’s Meltdown Festival in 2018 - playing it for the first time in over a decade.  

'Rivière'

‘Rivière’ ghosts into life as the final track on 2006’s Saturday Night Wrist. Widely regarded as Deftones most progressive album, Saturday Night Wrist is usually remembered for the crushing ‘Beware’, ‘Cherry Waves’ or single ‘Hole in the Earth’ - but ‘Riviere’s gently plucked guitar partnered with Moreno’s textured voice and Frank Delgado’s nuanced keys propel the track into the ether. Its gigantic climax will keep fans of the heavier stuff interested, but the real beauty lies in its sombre verses. 

'Risk'

'Risk' is a touching tribute to Deftones' former bassist Chi Cheng, who tragically passed away in 2013 after he was left in a coma as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash in 2008. Chi was in a semi-comatose state during the song's inception, as it appeared on the bands 2010 comeback album Diamond Eyes. Moreno’s willingness and desperation to see one of his closest friends regain consciousness is evident during the tracks verses, “You can’t talk, I’m anxious, I’m off the walls right here just” and its heartbreakingly poignant chorus “I will save your life”. Chi’s legacy will live on forever through Deftones, and organisations such as Buckle Up for Chi are continuing to raise money to promote seatbelt awareness in his memory - through selling art, taking donations and organising raffles. Buckle up for Chi will also be releasing one of Chi's live poetry readings from 2001 entitled ‘The Head Up Project’ on CD in the coming months.  

Gauze 

Crashing into life on Deftones' seventh full length album Koi No Yokan, ‘Gauze’ is an exercise in prog-rock, as Frank Delgado lends glistening synth leads and otherworldly samples to complement Carpenter's chugging guitar. The track's gigantic chorus bends space and time, as Moreno watches on in vain as a loved one continues to exhibit self-destructive behaviour - “I can’t stop what you began, I can’t fight for what you began”.  

'Gore'

A cracker from Deftones' divisive eighth album Gore, the title track contains a relentless riff and some blood curdling screams courtesy of Moreno during its crescendo. Granted, the album itself may be the weakest in Deftones' glittering back catalogue, but tracks such as ‘Gore’ show that even when the band isn’t firing on all creative cylinders, they are still capable of creating a piece of brutal brilliance.  

More about: Deftones