Deftones
Encyclopedia
Deftones are an American alternative metal
band from Sacramento
, California
, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno
(lead vocals and guitar), Stephen Carpenter
(guitar), Chi Cheng
(bass), Frank Delgado (keyboards and turntable
s), and Abe Cunningham
(drums and percussion). Currently Sergio Vega
is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident. They have released six albums to date, with three Platinum (Adrenaline
, White Pony
, Around the Fur
) and one Gold certification (Deftones
). Their most recent studio album, Diamond Eyes
, was released in spring of 2010.
. Confined to a wheelchair for several months, he began teaching himself guitar by playing along to bands such as Anthrax
, Stormtroopers of Death
, and Metallica
. Supposedly, the driver paid Carpenter a cash settlement that allowed the band to purchase equipment, but Cunningham commented in an interview that this was "a myth about how our band was started."
Carpenter, Moreno, and Cunningham went to the same high school. They were childhood friends and remained friends through the skateboarding scene in Sacramento. When Moreno found out Carpenter played guitar, he set up a jam session with Cunningham, and the three began playing regularly in Carpenter's garage circa 1989. After playing with several bassists, the band settled on Chi Cheng and recorded a four track demo soon after. Within two years, the band began playing club shows and later expanded their playing territory to San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they played shows alongside bands such as Korn
. While closing for another band in L.A., after the majority of the audience had left, the band impressed a Maverick Records
representative. They were soon signed to the label
after showcasing three of their songs for Freddy DeMann
and Guy Oseary
.
The name "Deftones" was created by Carpenter, who wanted to pick "something that would just stand out but you know, not be all cheese-ball at the same time." Carpenter combined the hip hop slang term "def
," which was used by artists such as LL Cool J
and Public Enemy, with the suffix "-tones," which was a popular suffix among 1950s bands (e.g., Dick Dale
and the Del-Tones, The Quin-Tones
, The Monotones
, The Cleftones
, and The Harptones
). Carpenter said the name is intentionally vague to reflect the band's tendency to not focus on just one style of music.
, was recorded at Bad Animals Studio
in Seattle, Washington
and released on October 3, 1995. It was produced by Deftones and Terry Date
, who would go on to produce the band's next three albums. While they were initially unsuccessful, extensive touring, word-of-mouth, and Internet promotion built the band a dedicated fan base, as well as helping Adrenaline to sell over 220,000 copies without the singles "7 Words" and "Bored" (as well as their music videos) receiving any airplay. The band contributed the non-album track "Teething" to the soundtrack
for the 1996 film The Crow: City of Angels
and are also seen performing the song live during one of the film's scenes. The track "Engine No. 9" has since been covered by Korn
and Suicide Silence
and appeared in the film Law Abiding Citizen
.
The album spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, reaching a peak position of 23. When asked what he attributed the album's success to, Cheng responded, "One word: perseverance. We've been together for almost eight years, on the road for two, and we do it with honesty and integrity – and the kids can tell." The album was RIAA certified gold on July 7, 1999 in recognition of 500,000 units sold.
Regarding the recording of the album, Cunningham said, "At the time we did the first record – which I really like and think is good – you can tell the band was really young. We'd been playing most of those songs for quite a while, and we were just so happy to be making a record that we didn't really think a whole lot about making the songs better." Moreno felt that Adrenaline was recorded "really fast" and performed all his vocals live with the band in the room using a hand-held Shure SM58 microphone. A review of Adrenaline praised the album's musical control, precision, overall groove, and Cunningham's "surprisingly sophisticated drumming". It was also noted that "there is a bit of sameness in Chino Moreno's whispered vocal melodies, which drags the record down a bit."
Adrenaline was certified platinum on September 23, 2008 by the RIAA, in recognition of 1,000,000 units sold.
was recorded at Studio Litho in Seattle, Washington
and produced by Terry Date. Released on October 26, 1997, the album included a collaboration with singer Max Cavalera
(of Sepultura
/Soulfly
/Cavalera Conspiracy
) on "Headup", a tribute to Cavalera's late stepson Dana Wells, to whom the album was also dedicated. Although not yet a member of the band, Delgado is credited as "audio" on five of the album's tracks and Cunningham's wife, Annalynn, provides guest vocals on "MX".
"When we went in to make this record, we really didn't have a set idea of what we wanted to come out with," said Moreno in a 1998 interview with Chart magazine. However, he felt that the album "fell into place" once the band had settled into the studio. The band expanded its sound, spending more time with Date, and giving more thought to the album's production. Cunningham varied his drum sound and experimented by using different types of snare drum
on almost every track. The album was praised for its loud-soft dynamics
, the flow of the tracks, Moreno's unusual vocals, and the strong rhythm-section grooves created by Cheng and Cunningham. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
's review noted that "while they don't have catchy riffs or a fully developed sound, Around the Fur suggests they're about to come into their own."
The album was highly anticipated and propelled the band to fame in the alternative metal scene on the strength of radio and MTV airplay for the singles "My Own Summer (Shove It)
" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
". Around the Fur sold 43,000 copies in its first week of release, and entered the Billboard 200
at number 29 (its peak position), remaining on the charts for 17 weeks. The band went back to touring, making appearances at the Warped Tour
(in the United States, New Zealand and Australia), Pinkpop Festival, Roskilde Festival
, and Ozzfest
as well as releasing a live EP on June 22, 1999. Around the Fur went on to reach RIAA gold status on June 24, 1999. the album went platinum june 7th, 2011. "My Own Summer (Shove It)
" appeared on The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture
, released March 30, 1999.
On June 20, 2000, the band released their third album, White Pony
, again produced by Terry Date and Deftones. It was recorded at the Plant Studios in Sausalito, California
and at Larrabee Sound Studios, West Hollywood, California
. The album debuted at number three in the US Billboard chart with sales of 178,000 copies. Delgado (DJ Speedboat) was now a full-time band member, adding new elements to the band's music. The melancholy "Teenager", for example, was a radical departure in style and mood, a "love song
," according to Moreno, which incorporated elements of glitch
and trip hop
, with programming duties carried out by Moreno's friend and side-project Team Sleep
bandmate DJ Crook. A collaboration with singer Maynard James Keenan
of Tool
is present on "Passenger". The refrain in "Knife Party" features vocals by Rodleen Getsic
, and Scott Weiland
did some backing vocals on "RX Queen". Moreno also started contributing additional guitar on several tracks.
An interview with the band in Alternative Press
explained the recording process of White Pony. After a break from touring, the band spent four months in the studio writing and recording White Pony, the longest amount of time they had dedicated to an album thus far. Moreno explained that the majority of this time was spent trying to write songs, and that the writing of "Change (In the House of Flies)
" was the turning point where the band began working as a group. Despite being pressured to release the album sooner, the band decided to take their time making it. Cheng explained that "We didn't feel like we had anything to lose, so we made the record we wanted to make." Moreno did not have a common theme in mind lyrically, but made a conscious decision to bring an element of fantasy into his lyrics, explaining that "I basically didn't sing about myself on this record. I made up a lot of story lines and some dialogue, even. I took myself completely out of it and wrote about other things."
Reviews were generally positive, noting Moreno's increasing sophistication as a lyricist and the group's experimentalism. Of White Pony, one reviewer wrote that "Deftones went soft, but in an impressive way, to twist around its signature punk
sound."
The album was originally released as an 11 track version beginning with "Feiticeira" and ending with "Pink Maggit" and featuring gray cover art. A limited edition print of 50,000 black and red jewel case versions of White Pony were also released at the same time with a bonus twelfth track titled "The Boy's Republic". Later, the band released "Back to School (Mini Maggit)
", a rap-influenced interpretation of the album's closer, "Pink Maggit". "Back to School (Mini Maggit)" was track 11 on the leaked pre-release version of White Pony in April 2000 but not included on the original (official) issue of the album in June 2000. The leaked version of White Pony also included the slower version of "Pink Maggit", which appeared on the first official White Pony CDs. That song was listed as a bonus track (track 12) on the leaked pre-release version. The song was picked up as a single and placed as the new opening track (with "Pink Maggit" still the closer) of a re-released White Pony on October 3, 2000 featuring altered white cover art. Not entirely happy with re-releasing the album, the band negotiated to have "Back to School" made available as a free download for anyone who had already bought the original album. Chino noted that "Everybody's already downloaded our record before it came out anyway, otherwise I'd be kind of feelin' like, 'Man, why [are] we putting [out] all these different versions of the record?' [...] that's the best way we can actually get this song out to the people who already purchased this record, for free basically. And if they wanna buy the record again, it's cool."
White Pony achieved platinum status on July 17, 2002, selling over 1.3 million copies in the US, and earning the band a 2001 Grammy award
for Best Metal Performance for the song "Elite
".
Lovers. Regarding the album's direction, Cheng commented, "We've proven that we can musically go in any direction we want, and we want to get kind of heavy on this one." Moreno underwent vocal training as a precaution after severely damaging his vocal cords on the band's 2001 summer tour. The band converted their rehearsal space in Sacramento into a fully equipped studio and recorded most of the album there at negligible cost. The band brought in Date to assist with production and also received input on musical arrangement from Greg Wells
on several of the album's tracks. The band later added more material at Studio X in Seattle, WA and at Larrabee Studios in West Hollywood, CA. Overall, the album took twelve months and cost roughly $2.5 million to produce with the band being fined by Maverick for missing deadlines.
In January 2003, Deftones left the studio to perform some "one off" shows in Australia and New Zealand as part of the annual Big Day Out
Festival. Shortly after, the band returned to the studio to finish their fourth album. The self-titled Deftones
was released on May 20, 2003. Deftones entered the Billboard 200 at number two and sold 167,000 copies in its first week. The album remained in the Billboard top 100 for nine weeks, supported by the first single, "Minerva
". The band shot a video for their second single, "Hexagram
", with fans watching the band play the song in an indoor skatepark
in Simi Valley, California
. The band made a video for the track "Bloody Cape", but it was never released for play on television. The video was only made available on the band's official website for one day. It was later released on their B-Sides and Rarities
DVD.
Reviews were mainly positive, praising the band for the heavy album's progression and originality in the midst of declining creativity in contemporary metal. Moreno was quoted as saying, "It's all on record. We told motherfuckers not to lump us in with nu metal
because when those bands go down we aren't going to be with them." In reviewing Deftones, Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that "Hexagram", the album's opener, "hits hard — harder than they ever have, revealing how mushy Staind
is, or how toothless Linkin Park
is," but also goes on to say that the album "sticks a little too close to familiar territory." The Onion
's A.V. Club similarly called the album "less rewarding than its predecessor, though its peaks rival any in the genre."
The band released a compilation album titled B-Sides & Rarities
on October 4, 2005. The CD includes various b-sides and covers
from throughout their career, while the DVD contains behind-the-scenes footage and the band's complete videography up to that point.
Deftones released their fifth album Saturday Night Wrist
on October 31, 2006. It debuted at number ten in the US Billboard chart with sales of just over 76,000, a significant decrease on the first week sales of their two previous releases.
Rather than work with longtime producer Terry Date
, Deftones decided to record with Bob Ezrin
. Cunningham says that while the group enjoyed working with Date, "At this point, we just needed to change things up [...] And this is definitely a different style. Working with him [Ezrin] is just putting us fucking upside down. He's cracking the whip."
After recording all the instrumentals for the record, Chino Moreno decided to record his vocals separately. Chino thus finished recording the album with former Far
guitarist Shaun Lopez
as producer. According to interviews with members of Deftones, the tensions involved with the recording of Saturday Night Wrist nearly led to the demise of the band. Collaborations on the record include Annie Hardy
from Giant Drag
on the song "Pink Cellphone" and Serj Tankian
from System of a Down
on the track "Mein".
The album's first single was called "Hole in the Earth
", hitting the radio on October 16, 2006. "Hole in the Earth" was also featured as a downloadable song for the PS3 & Xbox 360 versions of Guitar Hero 3. "Mein
" was the album's second single, which aired in Spring of 2007.
As of September 2010, Saturday Night Wrist had sold approximately 325,000 copies (US) and a little over 600,000 worldwide, according to Neilsen Soundscan.
Deftones spent the majority of 2006 and 2007 touring around the world in support of the album. The band played shows in places including North America, Canada, Europe, South America, Japan, and Australia. The band also performed in such tours as Taste of Chaos
, Family Values Tour
, and the Soundwave Festival
.
described the album as weird, unorthodox, featuring a lot of atmosphere, soundscaping, and aggression. Recording started on April 14, 2008. The album was initially to be released early in 2009, but was delayed.
On November 4, 2008, Cheng was seriously injured in a car accident in Santa Clara, California
. As a result of the injuries sustained in the crash, he has remained in a minimally conscious state
since that time. Following the accident, Cheng's bandmates and mother, Jeanne, began using the Deftones blog to post updates on Cheng's condition. On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Chi had been moved into the care of an unnamed hospital that "specializes in the care and management of traumatic and non-trauma related brain injuries."
In late January 2009, the band released a new statement, stating that "our fallen comrade has not yet made significant progress," and that friend of the band Sergio Vega
(formerly of Quicksand
) would be taking over as bassist in Cheng's absence, as he had done temporarily in 1998. On April 5, the band played their first show without Cheng since 1998 at the Bamboozle Left Festival in Irvine, California
. In May 2009, it was revealed that Cheng is no longer in intensive care.
On June 23, 2009, Deftones announced on their official website that Eros will be delayed indefinitely, saying that "... as we neared completion on Eros, we realized that this record doesn't best encompass and represent who we are currently as people and as musicians. And although those songs will see the light of day at some point, we collectively made the decision that we needed to take a new approach, and with Chi's condition heavy on our minds while doing so. We needed to return to the studio to do what we felt was right artistically." They also said, "The decision to hold off on releasing Eros has no connection with Chi's condition or anything associated. This was, and is, purely a creative decision by the band to write, record, and deliver an amazing product." Deftones played some European dates in mid-2009, with shows in Amsterdam
and the United Kingdom, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals
.
Brian "Head" Welch and his long-time friend Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
, along with members of Sevendust
, Slipknot
, and other rock bands recently recorded and released an instrumental song for Cheng, with the benefits going towards him and his family. The song is titled "A Song for Chi
".
On October 2009, as stated on the Deftones official website, the band toured with Slipknot on select dates, touring parts of Canada as well as some US cities through the month of November. They were also selected to be part of the Smokeout festival in California supporting Cypress Hill
and others.
To aid in the fundraising for the Cheng family, the band announced two benefit shows in Los Angeles for November 19 and 20. On the 19th, the show was opened by P.O.D.
, Far
, and Cypress Hill
. The Deftones set itself contained many guest appearances by friends and peers of the band including Tommy Lee
, Mark McGrath
of Sugar Ray
, Greg Puciato
of The Dillinger Escape Plan
, Mike Shinoda
of Linkin Park
, Xzibit
, and members of Cypress Hill, Far, Incubus
, Phallucy
, and Team Sleep
. Vocalist Rodleen Getsic
also joined Deftones to reprise her performance on "Knife Party". The second night's performance included a second appearance by Puciato and contributions from Suicidal Tendencies
members Mike Muir
and Mike Clark
, ex-Suicidal Tendencies members (and current Metallica
bassist) Rob Trujillo and Rocky George
, Dave Lombardo
of Slayer
, Alexi Laiho
of Children of Bodom
, and System of a Down
members Daron Malakian
, John Dolmayan
, and Shavo Odadjian
.
The website www.oneloveforchi.com was launched by Deftones fan Gina Blackmore about four months after Cheng's accident. The site is a platform for updates and information on Cheng's condition, as well as serving as an auction site for items donated by friends of the band. All proceeds raised by the One Love for Chi website are donated to his family in order to provide him the best possible medical care. Items auctioned on the site have included rare and autographed pieces from the likes of Sevendust
, Alice in Chains
, Nikki Sixx
, Chris Cornell
, and others.
, on May 4, 2010. Its release was pushed forward from the initially reported May 18 release date, most likely due to the entire album having been leaked onto the Internet in March 2010. On February 23, 2010, the album's first single, "Rocket Skates
", was available for free download at www.gunsrazorsknives.com.
The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz
. Former Quicksand
bassist, Sergio Vega, plays bass on the album as a substitute for Cheng
.
Deftones released the official music video for the album's first single, "Rocket Skates", on March 10.
On March 15, Deftones debuted their first radio-ready single, "Diamond Eyes
". Both "Diamond Eyes" and "Rocket Skates" received positive reviews from fans and critics alike, many making comparisons of the two singles' style and sound to that of material from their album Around the Fur
.
Deftones released the official music video for the album's second single, "Diamond Eyes", on April 13.
On December 9, Apple Inc.’s iTunes Store named Diamond Eyes the 2010 "Rock Album of the Year".
Teaming up with bands Mastodon
and Alice in Chains
, Deftones went on tour in fall of 2010 in the United States and Canada. The tour was called Blackdiamondskye
, a portmanteau of the three bands' latest albums (Black Gives Way to Blue
, Diamond Eyes, and Crack the Skye
). They also announced their first UK tour since 2007 and confirmed several Australian dates.
On April 16, 2011, in honor of Record Store Day, the band released an LP titled Covers
, containing several cover songs that the band had recorded over the years, including "Drive" (originally by The Cars), "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" (originally by The Cure), and "No Ordinary Love" (originally by Sade).
They recently finished a song with the popular underground rapper Tech N9ne
on his new album All 6's and 7's
. The song title is called "If I Could" featuring the Deftones' own Stephen Carpenter and Chino Moreno. The album was released on June 7, 2011.
Plans to film two Russian shows in 2011 for the band's first live DVD were later scrapped, for unknown reasons. Moreno is said to have had plans to film a one-off show in Amsterdam to make up for this, but it was too short notice, so was unable to acquire and set up sufficient cameras.
On October 25, Deftones released the vinyl collection of their albums as limited edition (1,000 copies).
, art rock
, dream pop
, experimental rock
, nu metal
, post-grunge
, post-hardcore
, progressive rock
, drone rock, metalgaze or post-metal
, psychedelic rock
, and rap metal
. Their B Sides & Rarities compilation includes cover songs from favorite artists, ranging from metal, hard rock
(Lynyrd Skynyrd
) and post-hardcore (Helmet
and Jawbox
), to gothic rock
, art rock and new wave
(Duran Duran
, Cocteau Twins
and The Cure
), mainstream R&B
(Sade Adu
) and hip hop
(a collaboration with B-Real
of Cypress Hill
).
Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "Rock critics usually reserve a special place for Deftones above or at least away from the rest of the turn-of-the-century metal movement [....] Deftones have always seemed more curious, more willing to incorporate traditionally revered sounds like D.C. hardcore
and dream pop into their Northern California alt-metal."
Deftones have been cited as an influence by various bands, including the British bands Muse
, Fightstar
and other modern rock bands such as Linkin Park
, Seether
, 10 Years
, and numerous others.
Moreno's lyrics were described by Time magazine
as "suggesting emotions rather than announcing them."
, which features Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill
and Richie Londres
of C.L.P. Carpenter has also worked with a group called Kush
, featuring members of Fear Factory
and Cypress Hill. Other side projects include Moreno's Team Sleep
and Cunningam's Phallucy
. Deftones's Frank Delgado is a member of a DJ group with DJ Crook of Team Sleep, DJ Julez, and Matt D called Decibel Devils. Chino has made a number of guest appearances on numerous younger groups' songs, such as "Bender" by Sevendust
, "Paralytic" by Dead Poetic
, "Vengeance Is Mine" by Droid
, "Caviar" by Dance Gavin Dance
, "Surrender Your Sons" by Norma Jean
, and "Reprogrammed to Hate" by Whitechapel
. In 2000, Cheng released a CD composed of his own spoken word
poetry, called The Bamboo Parachute
. Chino Moreno
and Stephen Carpenter
are featured on the song "If I Could" by Tech N9ne
, which will be on Tech's upcoming album All 6's And 7's
.
Diamond Eyes session/tour members
| || "Elite
" || Best Metal Performance (Grammy) ||
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band from Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
(lead vocals and guitar), Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
(guitar), Chi Cheng
Chi Cheng (musician)
Chi Cheng, is a Chinese American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Deftones.-Personal life:...
(bass), Frank Delgado (keyboards and turntable
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
s), and Abe Cunningham
Abe Cunningham
Abe Cunningham, , is an American musician, he is the drummer of the alternative metal band Deftones. He is known for his use of ghost notes and other technical drumming techniques.-Biography:...
(drums and percussion). Currently Sergio Vega
Sergio Vega
José Sergio Vega Cuamea , better known by his stage name "El Shaka", was a Mexican banda singer. He was born in Ejido Hornos, Sonora, located near Ciudad Obregón in Mexico. On 26 June 2010, he was killed by gunfire in the Mexican state of Sinaloa after a car chase...
is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident. They have released six albums to date, with three Platinum (Adrenaline
Adrenaline (album)
-Personnel:Deftones*Chino Moreno – vocals*Stephen Carpenter – guitars*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drumsProduction*Kim Biggs – art direction*Victor Bracke – cover photo...
, White Pony
White Pony
White Pony is the third studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones. Released in 2000, it marks a significant growth in the band's sound, incorporating New Wave and shoegaze influences with the alternative metal edge the group had become known for...
, Around the Fur
Around the Fur
-Band members:*Stephen Carpenter – guitar*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drums*Chino Moreno – vocals-Additional personnel:...
) and one Gold certification (Deftones
Deftones (album)
Deftones was well received by critics earning an aggregate rating of 74 on Metacritic. The music website Sputnikmusic gave it a perfect score and praised the band for have returned to their heavy sound without leaving behind their experimental side, lauding also Moreno's abstract lyrics and the...
). Their most recent studio album, Diamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes is the sixth album by American Alternative metal band Deftones, released worldwide on May 4, 2010 through Warner Bros. and Reprise Records...
, was released in spring of 2010.
Early years (1988–1993)
When Carpenter was 15 years old, he was hit by a car while skateboardingSkateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
. Confined to a wheelchair for several months, he began teaching himself guitar by playing along to bands such as Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
, and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. Supposedly, the driver paid Carpenter a cash settlement that allowed the band to purchase equipment, but Cunningham commented in an interview that this was "a myth about how our band was started."
Carpenter, Moreno, and Cunningham went to the same high school. They were childhood friends and remained friends through the skateboarding scene in Sacramento. When Moreno found out Carpenter played guitar, he set up a jam session with Cunningham, and the three began playing regularly in Carpenter's garage circa 1989. After playing with several bassists, the band settled on Chi Cheng and recorded a four track demo soon after. Within two years, the band began playing club shows and later expanded their playing territory to San Francisco and Los Angeles, where they played shows alongside bands such as Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
. While closing for another band in L.A., after the majority of the audience had left, the band impressed a Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
representative. They were soon signed to the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
after showcasing three of their songs for Freddy DeMann
Freddy DeMann
Frederick "Freddy" DeMann is a film producer, music executive, and co-founder of Maverick Records. During his music career, he managed two of the century's biggest stars: Michael Jackson and Madonna. During DeMann's tenure, two of...
and Guy Oseary
Guy Oseary
Guy Oseary is an Israeli-American expert businessman who began his career in entertainment at 17 at what was to become Maverick Records. He is Madonna's manager.-Maverick:...
.
The name "Deftones" was created by Carpenter, who wanted to pick "something that would just stand out but you know, not be all cheese-ball at the same time." Carpenter combined the hip hop slang term "def
Def
-In medicine:*Deferoxamine*Diprivan, Esmeron and Fentanyl, a notable drug combination in anesthesia*Desaturation Event Frequency*Dose Effect Factor-Other:* Design Exchange Format* Diesel Exhaust Fluid* Disarmed Enemy Forces...
," which was used by artists such as LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Public Enemy, with the suffix "-tones," which was a popular suffix among 1950s bands (e.g., Dick Dale
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
and the Del-Tones, The Quin-Tones
The Quin-Tones
The Quin-Tones were an American doo wop group from York, Pennsylvania.-History:The group's members all attended William Penn High School in York, and originally formed under the name The Quinteros to sing at local functions. Paul Landersman, a disc jockey at WHGB in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania became...
, The Monotones
The Monotones
The Monotones were a six-member African American doo-wop vocal group in the 1950s. They are considered a one-hit wonder, as their only hit single was "The Book of Love", which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1958....
, The Cleftones
The Cleftones
The Cleftones were a doo-wop group from Queens, New York. They were formed in 1955 at Jamaica High School. The group consisted of Herbie Cox , Charlie James , Berman Patterson, , William McClane , and Warren Corbin . They were originally called The Silvertones...
, and The Harptones
The Harptones
The Harptones are an American doo-wop group, which formed in Manhattan in 1953.The group never had a top forty pop hit, or even a record on the national R&B charts, yet they are still considered one of the most influential doo-wop groups, both for their lead singer, Willie Winfield and their...
). Carpenter said the name is intentionally vague to reflect the band's tendency to not focus on just one style of music.
Adrenaline (1994–1996)
The band's debut album, AdrenalineAdrenaline (album)
-Personnel:Deftones*Chino Moreno – vocals*Stephen Carpenter – guitars*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drumsProduction*Kim Biggs – art direction*Victor Bracke – cover photo...
, was recorded at Bad Animals Studio
Bad Animals Studio
Bad Animals Studio is a music and media recording studio on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. It was originally founded as Steve Lawson Productions by founders Steve and Debbie Lawson in 1979. In 1991, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Lawson to create Studio X. In 1992, the studio...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and released on October 3, 1995. It was produced by Deftones and Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
, who would go on to produce the band's next three albums. While they were initially unsuccessful, extensive touring, word-of-mouth, and Internet promotion built the band a dedicated fan base, as well as helping Adrenaline to sell over 220,000 copies without the singles "7 Words" and "Bored" (as well as their music videos) receiving any airplay. The band contributed the non-album track "Teething" to the soundtrack
The Crow: City of Angels (album)
The original soundtrack of the 1996 motion picture The Crow: City of Angels, sequel to the 1994 film The Crow. The album includes a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song "Gold Dust Woman" by Hole, as well as tracks by other heavyweight artists such as White Zombie, Korn and Iggy Pop...
for the 1996 film The Crow: City of Angels
The Crow: City of Angels
The Crow: City of Angels is a 1996 action film directed by Tim Pope. It is a sequel to the 1994 cult film The Crow.-Plot:The film is set in Los Angeles, where drug king Judah Earl controls it all...
and are also seen performing the song live during one of the film's scenes. The track "Engine No. 9" has since been covered by Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music...
and appeared in the film Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not...
.
The album spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, reaching a peak position of 23. When asked what he attributed the album's success to, Cheng responded, "One word: perseverance. We've been together for almost eight years, on the road for two, and we do it with honesty and integrity – and the kids can tell." The album was RIAA certified gold on July 7, 1999 in recognition of 500,000 units sold.
Regarding the recording of the album, Cunningham said, "At the time we did the first record – which I really like and think is good – you can tell the band was really young. We'd been playing most of those songs for quite a while, and we were just so happy to be making a record that we didn't really think a whole lot about making the songs better." Moreno felt that Adrenaline was recorded "really fast" and performed all his vocals live with the band in the room using a hand-held Shure SM58 microphone. A review of Adrenaline praised the album's musical control, precision, overall groove, and Cunningham's "surprisingly sophisticated drumming". It was also noted that "there is a bit of sameness in Chino Moreno's whispered vocal melodies, which drags the record down a bit."
Adrenaline was certified platinum on September 23, 2008 by the RIAA, in recognition of 1,000,000 units sold.
Around the Fur (1997–1999)
Deftones's second album, Around the FurAround the Fur
-Band members:*Stephen Carpenter – guitar*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drums*Chino Moreno – vocals-Additional personnel:...
was recorded at Studio Litho in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and produced by Terry Date. Released on October 26, 1997, the album included a collaboration with singer Max Cavalera
Max Cavalera
Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
(of Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
/Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
/Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy is a Brazilian heavy metal band founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera , along with American guitarist and bassist Marc Rizzo and Johny Chow. The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons...
) on "Headup", a tribute to Cavalera's late stepson Dana Wells, to whom the album was also dedicated. Although not yet a member of the band, Delgado is credited as "audio" on five of the album's tracks and Cunningham's wife, Annalynn, provides guest vocals on "MX".
"When we went in to make this record, we really didn't have a set idea of what we wanted to come out with," said Moreno in a 1998 interview with Chart magazine. However, he felt that the album "fell into place" once the band had settled into the studio. The band expanded its sound, spending more time with Date, and giving more thought to the album's production. Cunningham varied his drum sound and experimented by using different types of snare drum
Snare drum
The snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
on almost every track. The album was praised for its loud-soft dynamics
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
, the flow of the tracks, Moreno's unusual vocals, and the strong rhythm-section grooves created by Cheng and Cunningham. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
's review noted that "while they don't have catchy riffs or a fully developed sound, Around the Fur suggests they're about to come into their own."
The album was highly anticipated and propelled the band to fame in the alternative metal scene on the strength of radio and MTV airplay for the singles "My Own Summer (Shove It)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
"My Own Summer " is a single by Sacramento, California-based alternative metal band Deftones; their first to be taken from the album Around the Fur. It was released in 1997 by Maverick Records. This opening track is a definitive fan favourite and a staple of every Deftones concert. It was Deftones'...
" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)
"Be Quiet and Drive " is the second single released from Deftones' second album, Around the Fur. It was their first single to chart on the US charts, peaking at number 29 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and in fiftieth spot in the UK Singles Chart...
". Around the Fur sold 43,000 copies in its first week of release, and entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 29 (its peak position), remaining on the charts for 17 weeks. The band went back to touring, making appearances at the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
(in the United States, New Zealand and Australia), Pinkpop Festival, Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
, and Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
as well as releasing a live EP on June 22, 1999. Around the Fur went on to reach RIAA gold status on June 24, 1999. the album went platinum june 7th, 2011. "My Own Summer (Shove It)
My Own Summer (Shove It)
"My Own Summer " is a single by Sacramento, California-based alternative metal band Deftones; their first to be taken from the album Around the Fur. It was released in 1997 by Maverick Records. This opening track is a definitive fan favourite and a staple of every Deftones concert. It was Deftones'...
" appeared on The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture is one of the two 1999 soundtrack albums from the blockbuster film, The Matrix ....
, released March 30, 1999.
White Pony (2000–2002)
White Pony
White Pony is the third studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones. Released in 2000, it marks a significant growth in the band's sound, incorporating New Wave and shoegaze influences with the alternative metal edge the group had become known for...
, again produced by Terry Date and Deftones. It was recorded at the Plant Studios in Sausalito, California
Sausalito, California
Sausalito is a San Francisco Bay Area city, in Marin County, California, United States. Sausalito is south-southeast of San Rafael, at an elevation of 13 feet . The population was 7,061 as of the 2010 census. The community is situated near the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, and prior to...
and at Larrabee Sound Studios, West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood...
. The album debuted at number three in the US Billboard chart with sales of 178,000 copies. Delgado (DJ Speedboat) was now a full-time band member, adding new elements to the band's music. The melancholy "Teenager", for example, was a radical departure in style and mood, a "love song
Love song
A love song is about falling in love and the feelings it brings. Anthologies of love songs often contain a mixture of both of these types of song. A bawdy song is both humorous and saucy, emphasizing the physical pleasure of love rather than the emotional joy...
," according to Moreno, which incorporated elements of glitch
Glitch (music)
Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The glitch aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate use of glitch based sonic artifacts that would normally be viewed as unwanted disturbances reducing the overall sound quality and are thus...
and trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, with programming duties carried out by Moreno's friend and side-project Team Sleep
Team Sleep
Team Sleep is an American experimental alternative rock group led by singer/guitarist Chino Moreno, better known for fronting the Sacramento-based band Deftones....
bandmate DJ Crook. A collaboration with singer Maynard James Keenan
Maynard James Keenan
Maynard James Keenan is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids...
of Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
is present on "Passenger". The refrain in "Knife Party" features vocals by Rodleen Getsic
Rodleen Getsic
Rodleen Getsic is an American singer, activist, actress, film producer and performance artist.-Biography:...
, and Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
did some backing vocals on "RX Queen". Moreno also started contributing additional guitar on several tracks.
An interview with the band in Alternative Press
Alternative Press (music magazine)
Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
explained the recording process of White Pony. After a break from touring, the band spent four months in the studio writing and recording White Pony, the longest amount of time they had dedicated to an album thus far. Moreno explained that the majority of this time was spent trying to write songs, and that the writing of "Change (In the House of Flies)
Change (In the House of Flies)
-Cultural references:*The song was used in the movies Queen of the Damned, Little Nicky and Cooler's Revenge.*It was also used in the episode "Hourglass" of the television show Alias and in the pilot episode of the short lived television show Wolf Lake.*An acoustic version appears on the MTV The...
" was the turning point where the band began working as a group. Despite being pressured to release the album sooner, the band decided to take their time making it. Cheng explained that "We didn't feel like we had anything to lose, so we made the record we wanted to make." Moreno did not have a common theme in mind lyrically, but made a conscious decision to bring an element of fantasy into his lyrics, explaining that "I basically didn't sing about myself on this record. I made up a lot of story lines and some dialogue, even. I took myself completely out of it and wrote about other things."
Reviews were generally positive, noting Moreno's increasing sophistication as a lyricist and the group's experimentalism. Of White Pony, one reviewer wrote that "Deftones went soft, but in an impressive way, to twist around its signature punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
sound."
The album was originally released as an 11 track version beginning with "Feiticeira" and ending with "Pink Maggit" and featuring gray cover art. A limited edition print of 50,000 black and red jewel case versions of White Pony were also released at the same time with a bonus twelfth track titled "The Boy's Republic". Later, the band released "Back to School (Mini Maggit)
Back To School (Mini Maggit)
"Back to School " is a song composed by Deftones. It is an altered version of the song "Pink Maggit" from the band's album White Pony...
", a rap-influenced interpretation of the album's closer, "Pink Maggit". "Back to School (Mini Maggit)" was track 11 on the leaked pre-release version of White Pony in April 2000 but not included on the original (official) issue of the album in June 2000. The leaked version of White Pony also included the slower version of "Pink Maggit", which appeared on the first official White Pony CDs. That song was listed as a bonus track (track 12) on the leaked pre-release version. The song was picked up as a single and placed as the new opening track (with "Pink Maggit" still the closer) of a re-released White Pony on October 3, 2000 featuring altered white cover art. Not entirely happy with re-releasing the album, the band negotiated to have "Back to School" made available as a free download for anyone who had already bought the original album. Chino noted that "Everybody's already downloaded our record before it came out anyway, otherwise I'd be kind of feelin' like, 'Man, why [are] we putting [out] all these different versions of the record?' [...] that's the best way we can actually get this song out to the people who already purchased this record, for free basically. And if they wanna buy the record again, it's cool."
White Pony achieved platinum status on July 17, 2002, selling over 1.3 million copies in the US, and earning the band a 2001 Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Metal Performance for the song "Elite
Elite (song)
"Elite" is a song by American rock band Deftones from their 2000 album White Pony. In 2001, Deftones won a Grammy for performing "Elite", and received an award for Best Metal Performance. "Elite" was also featured on the Dragon Ball Z feature film Lord Slug. By many Deftones fans, "Elite" has been...
".
Deftones (2003–2005)
Deftones began work on their fourth album under the working titleWorking title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
Lovers. Regarding the album's direction, Cheng commented, "We've proven that we can musically go in any direction we want, and we want to get kind of heavy on this one." Moreno underwent vocal training as a precaution after severely damaging his vocal cords on the band's 2001 summer tour. The band converted their rehearsal space in Sacramento into a fully equipped studio and recorded most of the album there at negligible cost. The band brought in Date to assist with production and also received input on musical arrangement from Greg Wells
Greg Wells
Greg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
on several of the album's tracks. The band later added more material at Studio X in Seattle, WA and at Larrabee Studios in West Hollywood, CA. Overall, the album took twelve months and cost roughly $2.5 million to produce with the band being fined by Maverick for missing deadlines.
In January 2003, Deftones left the studio to perform some "one off" shows in Australia and New Zealand as part of the annual Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
Festival. Shortly after, the band returned to the studio to finish their fourth album. The self-titled Deftones
Deftones (album)
Deftones was well received by critics earning an aggregate rating of 74 on Metacritic. The music website Sputnikmusic gave it a perfect score and praised the band for have returned to their heavy sound without leaving behind their experimental side, lauding also Moreno's abstract lyrics and the...
was released on May 20, 2003. Deftones entered the Billboard 200 at number two and sold 167,000 copies in its first week. The album remained in the Billboard top 100 for nine weeks, supported by the first single, "Minerva
Minerva (song)
"Minerva" is a song by American alternative metal band Deftones and the lead single from their fourth studio album, Deftones. Released in April 2003, it charted at #9 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart, #16 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #15 on the UK Singles Chart...
". The band shot a video for their second single, "Hexagram
Hexagram (song)
"Hexagram" is a song by alternative metal band Deftones and the second single from their eponymous fourth album. The song failed to chart on the Modern and Mainstream rock charts in America and charted at a low #68 in the UK, which could be seen as a testament to its non-commercial sound...
", with fans watching the band play the song in an indoor skatepark
Skatepark
A skatepark is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, aggressive inline skating and scooters. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs stairsets,...
in Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
. The band made a video for the track "Bloody Cape", but it was never released for play on television. The video was only made available on the band's official website for one day. It was later released on their B-Sides and Rarities
B-Sides & Rarities (Deftones album)
-DVD:# "7 Words"# "Bored"# "My Own Summer "# "Be Quiet and Drive "# "Change "# "Back to School "# "Digital Bath"# "Minerva"# "Hexagram"# "Bloody Cape"# "Engine Number 9"# "Root"-Credits:...
DVD.
Reviews were mainly positive, praising the band for the heavy album's progression and originality in the midst of declining creativity in contemporary metal. Moreno was quoted as saying, "It's all on record. We told motherfuckers not to lump us in with nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
because when those bands go down we aren't going to be with them." In reviewing Deftones, Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that "Hexagram", the album's opener, "hits hard — harder than they ever have, revealing how mushy Staind
Staind
Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...
is, or how toothless Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
is," but also goes on to say that the album "sticks a little too close to familiar territory." The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
's A.V. Club similarly called the album "less rewarding than its predecessor, though its peaks rival any in the genre."
The band released a compilation album titled B-Sides & Rarities
B-Sides & Rarities (Deftones album)
-DVD:# "7 Words"# "Bored"# "My Own Summer "# "Be Quiet and Drive "# "Change "# "Back to School "# "Digital Bath"# "Minerva"# "Hexagram"# "Bloody Cape"# "Engine Number 9"# "Root"-Credits:...
on October 4, 2005. The CD includes various b-sides and covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
from throughout their career, while the DVD contains behind-the-scenes footage and the band's complete videography up to that point.
Saturday Night Wrist (2006–2007)
Saturday Night Wrist
Saturday Night Wrist is the fifth studio album by American metal band Deftones. It was released on Maverick Records on October 31, 2006. Despite early contributions that were later scrapped, Saturday Night Wrist marks the departure of mainstay Deftones producer Terry Date.The band's fifth album...
on October 31, 2006. It debuted at number ten in the US Billboard chart with sales of just over 76,000, a significant decrease on the first week sales of their two previous releases.
Rather than work with longtime producer Terry Date
Terry Date
Terry Date is an American record producer and engineer, specializing in the rock and metal genres...
, Deftones decided to record with Bob Ezrin
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
. Cunningham says that while the group enjoyed working with Date, "At this point, we just needed to change things up [...] And this is definitely a different style. Working with him [Ezrin] is just putting us fucking upside down. He's cracking the whip."
After recording all the instrumentals for the record, Chino Moreno decided to record his vocals separately. Chino thus finished recording the album with former Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...
guitarist Shaun Lopez
Shaun Lopez
Shaun Lopez is a US musician and the guitarist for Far, a band from Sacramento, CA.After a number of local releases, including their first demo tape, Sweat A River, Live No Lies, and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick, they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their major label...
as producer. According to interviews with members of Deftones, the tensions involved with the recording of Saturday Night Wrist nearly led to the demise of the band. Collaborations on the record include Annie Hardy
Annie Hardy
Annie-Summer Hardy is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the American rock act Giant Drag.Previously signed to Interscope Records, she was voted one of NMEs "50 Coolest People," and has received major news coverage in NME, Spin, MTV News and Rolling Stone, among others.She is known...
from Giant Drag
Giant Drag
Giant Drag is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formerly a duo, the band was founded in 2003 by Annie Hardy who continues to be the band's sole singer and songwriter....
on the song "Pink Cellphone" and Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist...
from System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
on the track "Mein".
The album's first single was called "Hole in the Earth
Hole In The Earth
"Hole in the Earth" is a song by American alternative metal band Deftones. The song was released as the first single from their fifth album Saturday Night Wrist, and appears as the opening track for the record.-Success and reception:...
", hitting the radio on October 16, 2006. "Hole in the Earth" was also featured as a downloadable song for the PS3 & Xbox 360 versions of Guitar Hero 3. "Mein
Mein (song)
"Mein" is the second single from alternative metal band Deftones' fifth album, Saturday Night Wrist, and their eleventh overall single. The song features Serj Tankian of System of a Down on vocals...
" was the album's second single, which aired in Spring of 2007.
As of September 2010, Saturday Night Wrist had sold approximately 325,000 copies (US) and a little over 600,000 worldwide, according to Neilsen Soundscan.
Deftones spent the majority of 2006 and 2007 touring around the world in support of the album. The band played shows in places including North America, Canada, Europe, South America, Japan, and Australia. The band also performed in such tours as Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos 2006
Taste of Chaos 2006 was the second of the Taste of Chaos tours created by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman.- 2006 line up :*Adair*American Eyes*As I Lay Dying*Atreyu*Broke*The Confession*Deftones*Dredg*Funeral for a Friend*Greeley Estates*Millionaire...
, Family Values Tour
Family Values Tour 2006
The 2006 Family Values Tour was a summer concert tour headlined by Korn. The tour originally started in 1998.-Overview:Although originally conceived as an annual tour, the Family Values Tour returned in 2006 after a five year hiatus....
, and the Soundwave Festival
Australian Soundwave Festival
Soundwave is an annual music festival held in major cities around Australia. The festival originated in Perth, Western Australia and began travelling to the other Australian capital cities in 2007. It features a number of international and Australian music acts, from various genres including rock,...
.
Eros sessions and Cheng's car accident (2008–2009)
Deftones were working on their upcoming sixth studio album Eros and had been writing songs since Fall 2007. Chino MorenoChino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
described the album as weird, unorthodox, featuring a lot of atmosphere, soundscaping, and aggression. Recording started on April 14, 2008. The album was initially to be released early in 2009, but was delayed.
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
. As a result of the injuries sustained in the crash, he has remained in a minimally conscious state
Minimally conscious state
Minimally Conscious State is a disorder of consciousness distinct from Persistent vegetative state and Locked-in syndrome. Unlike persistent vegetative state, patients with MCS have partial preservation of conscious awareness. MCS is a relatively new category of disorders of consciousness. The...
since that time. Following the accident, Cheng's bandmates and mother, Jeanne, began using the Deftones blog to post updates on Cheng's condition. On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Chi had been moved into the care of an unnamed hospital that "specializes in the care and management of traumatic and non-trauma related brain injuries."
In late January 2009, the band released a new statement, stating that "our fallen comrade has not yet made significant progress," and that friend of the band Sergio Vega
Sergio Vega (bassist)
Sergio Vega is an American musician. He is the former bassist of post-hardcore band Quicksand, which originated in New York City in 1990. In 1995, Quicksand disbanded, although they reunited again in 1997 to tour with Deftones...
(formerly of Quicksand
Quicksand (band)
Quicksand was an American post-hardcore band from New York City founded in 1990 by singer/songwriter Walter Schreifels. Their debut self-titled EP was followed by two major label albums, Slip and Manic Compression...
) would be taking over as bassist in Cheng's absence, as he had done temporarily in 1998. On April 5, the band played their first show without Cheng since 1998 at the Bamboozle Left Festival in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. In May 2009, it was revealed that Cheng is no longer in intensive care.
On June 23, 2009, Deftones announced on their official website that Eros will be delayed indefinitely, saying that "... as we neared completion on Eros, we realized that this record doesn't best encompass and represent who we are currently as people and as musicians. And although those songs will see the light of day at some point, we collectively made the decision that we needed to take a new approach, and with Chi's condition heavy on our minds while doing so. We needed to return to the studio to do what we felt was right artistically." They also said, "The decision to hold off on releasing Eros has no connection with Chi's condition or anything associated. This was, and is, purely a creative decision by the band to write, record, and deliver an amazing product." Deftones played some European dates in mid-2009, with shows in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and the United Kingdom, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
.
Brian "Head" Welch and his long-time friend Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
, along with members of Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, and other rock bands recently recorded and released an instrumental song for Cheng, with the benefits going towards him and his family. The song is titled "A Song for Chi
A Song for Chi
"A Song for Chi" is an instrumental alternative metal song recorded by several high profiled rock and metal musicians to raise money for poet and Deftones bassist Chi Cheng who was involved in a car accident in Santa Clara, CA, on November 4, 2008 which left Cheng in a coma, later it was revealed...
".
On October 2009, as stated on the Deftones official website, the band toured with Slipknot on select dates, touring parts of Canada as well as some US cities through the month of November. They were also selected to be part of the Smokeout festival in California supporting Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
and others.
To aid in the fundraising for the Cheng family, the band announced two benefit shows in Los Angeles for November 19 and 20. On the 19th, the show was opened by P.O.D.
P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
, Far
Far (band)
Far is a band from Sacramento, USA.-Releases :After a number of local releases including their first demo tape Sweat A River, Live No Lies and two independent albums Listening Game and Quick they signed to Epic/Immortal Records and released their first major record, Tin Cans With Strings To You...
, and Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
. The Deftones set itself contained many guest appearances by friends and peers of the band including Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
, Mark McGrath
Mark McGrath
Mark Sayers McGrath is an American singer of the rock band Sugar Ray. McGrath is also known for his work as a co-host of Extra, and he was the host of Don't Forget the Lyrics! in 2010...
of Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
, Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato
Greg Puciato is the lead singer of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan. He is known for his reckless live performances, wide vocal range, and outspoken views, having caused controversy due to both performances and interviews...
of The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
, Mike Shinoda
Mike Shinoda
Michael "Mike" Kenji Shinoda is an American musician, record producer, and artist. He is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Linkin Park, along with his co-frontman and lead singer Chester Bennington, and as a solo rapper in...
of Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, and members of Cypress Hill, Far, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
, Phallucy
Phallucy
Phallucy was a rock/alternative metal band from Sacramento, California. The band's drummer, Abe Cunningham, later became the drummer with the band Deftones, which is now a worldwide success...
, and Team Sleep
Team Sleep
Team Sleep is an American experimental alternative rock group led by singer/guitarist Chino Moreno, better known for fronting the Sacramento-based band Deftones....
. Vocalist Rodleen Getsic
Rodleen Getsic
Rodleen Getsic is an American singer, activist, actress, film producer and performance artist.-Biography:...
also joined Deftones to reprise her performance on "Knife Party". The second night's performance included a second appearance by Puciato and contributions from Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
members Mike Muir
Mike Muir
Mike Muir is the lead vocalist of the Venice skate punk bands Suicidal Tendencies Los Cycos and the funk rock band Infectious Grooves...
and Mike Clark
Mike Clark (guitarist)
Mike Clark is an American heavy metal and punk rock guitarist. He is best known for being the rhythm guitarist with Suicidal Tendencies. He has been playing with the band since 1987, and was the only member besides Mike Muir to return to the band when they reunited. He originally played in the...
, ex-Suicidal Tendencies members (and current Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
bassist) Rob Trujillo and Rocky George
Rocky George
Rocky George is an American heavy metal guitarist who has been a member of several notable musical acts. George's guitar playing career began in 1982 when he joined a local punk rock band called Pap Smear. He became lead guitarist of Suicidal Tendencies in 1984 and stayed with the band until their...
, Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
of Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Alexi Laiho
Alexi Laiho
Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho is a Finnish singer, composer, and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead guitarist as well as lead vocalist for melodic death metal band Children of Bodom, and he is also the guitarist for Sinergy and Kylähullut...
of Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom
Children of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
, and System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
members Daron Malakian
Daron Malakian
Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist of the heavy metal band System of a Down and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and songwriter of the alternative...
, John Dolmayan
John Dolmayan
John William Dolmayan is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American songwriter and drummer. He is best known as the drummer of System of a Down. Dolmayan is also the drummer for the band Scars on Broadway and Indicator....
, and Shavo Odadjian
Shavo Odadjian
Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian is an Armenian American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director/editor, music producer, and artist/painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning rock band System of a Down...
.
The website www.oneloveforchi.com was launched by Deftones fan Gina Blackmore about four months after Cheng's accident. The site is a platform for updates and information on Cheng's condition, as well as serving as an auction site for items donated by friends of the band. All proceeds raised by the One Love for Chi website are donated to his family in order to provide him the best possible medical care. Items auctioned on the site have included rare and autographed pieces from the likes of Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, author, fashion designer, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder and bassist of the band Mötley Crüe. Prior to forming Mötley Crüe, Sixx was a member of Sister before going on to form London with his Sister band mate Lizzie Grey...
, Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
, and others.
Diamond Eyes (2010–present)
Deftones released their sixth album, Diamond EyesDiamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes is the sixth album by American Alternative metal band Deftones, released worldwide on May 4, 2010 through Warner Bros. and Reprise Records...
, on May 4, 2010. Its release was pushed forward from the initially reported May 18 release date, most likely due to the entire album having been leaked onto the Internet in March 2010. On February 23, 2010, the album's first single, "Rocket Skates
Rocket Skates
"Rocket Skates" is a song by the American alternative metal band Deftones. It is the first single released from Deftones' sixth studio-album Diamond Eyes, and twelfth single overall. It is also the first single released without bassist Chi Cheng, who was in a coma during the time of recording...
", was available for free download at www.gunsrazorsknives.com.
The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.-Production career:Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville on a 8-track recorder that his grandfather bought for him...
. Former Quicksand
Quicksand (band)
Quicksand was an American post-hardcore band from New York City founded in 1990 by singer/songwriter Walter Schreifels. Their debut self-titled EP was followed by two major label albums, Slip and Manic Compression...
bassist, Sergio Vega, plays bass on the album as a substitute for Cheng
Chi Cheng (musician)
Chi Cheng, is a Chinese American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Deftones.-Personal life:...
.
Deftones released the official music video for the album's first single, "Rocket Skates", on March 10.
On March 15, Deftones debuted their first radio-ready single, "Diamond Eyes
Diamond Eyes (song)
"Diamond Eyes" is a song by American alternative metal band Deftones. It is the second single and title track released from Deftones' sixth studio album Diamond Eyes, and their thirteenth single overall. It is the second single recorded without bassist Chi Cheng, due to a coma induced by an...
". Both "Diamond Eyes" and "Rocket Skates" received positive reviews from fans and critics alike, many making comparisons of the two singles' style and sound to that of material from their album Around the Fur
Around the Fur
-Band members:*Stephen Carpenter – guitar*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drums*Chino Moreno – vocals-Additional personnel:...
.
Deftones released the official music video for the album's second single, "Diamond Eyes", on April 13.
On December 9, Apple Inc.’s iTunes Store named Diamond Eyes the 2010 "Rock Album of the Year".
Teaming up with bands Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
and Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Deftones went on tour in fall of 2010 in the United States and Canada. The tour was called Blackdiamondskye
Blackdiamondskye
Blackdiamondskye was a 2010 North American concert tour by American bands Alice in Chains, Mastodon, and Deftones. Blackdiamondskye is a portmanteau of the three band's most recent albums: Alice in Chains' Black Gives Way to Blue, Deftones' Diamond Eyes, and Mastodon's Crack the Skye. The tour...
, a portmanteau of the three bands' latest albums (Black Gives Way to Blue
Black Gives Way to Blue
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late...
, Diamond Eyes, and Crack the Skye
Crack the Skye
Crack the Skye is the fourth studio album by American sludge metal band Mastodon, released on March 24, 2009 through Reprise Records. It features seven tracks and runs at 50 minutes and 6 seconds. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. In...
). They also announced their first UK tour since 2007 and confirmed several Australian dates.
On April 16, 2011, in honor of Record Store Day, the band released an LP titled Covers
Covers (Deftones album)
Covers is a compilation album by the American alternative metal band Deftones. The album was released through Warner Bros. Records as a limited edition release for Record Store Day on April 16, 2011...
, containing several cover songs that the band had recorded over the years, including "Drive" (originally by The Cars), "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep" (originally by The Cure), and "No Ordinary Love" (originally by Sade).
They recently finished a song with the popular underground rapper Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
on his new album All 6's and 7's
All 6's And 7's
All 6's And 7's is the twelfth studio album of American rapper and songwriter Tech N9ne, and was released on June 7, 2011, on Strange Music...
. The song title is called "If I Could" featuring the Deftones' own Stephen Carpenter and Chino Moreno. The album was released on June 7, 2011.
Plans to film two Russian shows in 2011 for the band's first live DVD were later scrapped, for unknown reasons. Moreno is said to have had plans to film a one-off show in Amsterdam to make up for this, but it was too short notice, so was unable to acquire and set up sufficient cameras.
On October 25, Deftones released the vinyl collection of their albums as limited edition (1,000 copies).
Musical style and influences
Though initially rooted in heavy metal, Deftones have always claimed diverse influences, with their musical style diversifying over their career. Their sound has been described as alternative metalAlternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
, dream pop
Dream pop
Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
, experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
, nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
, post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
, post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, drone rock, metalgaze or post-metal
Post-metal
Post-metal is a music genre, a mixture between the genres of post-rock and heavy metal.Hydra Head Records owner and Isis frontman Aaron Turner originally termed the genre "thinking man's metal", demonstrating that his band was trying to move away from common metal conventions...
, psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, and rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
. Their B Sides & Rarities compilation includes cover songs from favorite artists, ranging from metal, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
(Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
) and post-hardcore (Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
and Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
), to gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
, art rock and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
(Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
and The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
), mainstream R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
(Sade Adu
Sade Adu
Helen Folasade Adu OBE , is a British singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer. She first achieved success in the 1980s as the frontwoman and lead vocalist of the Brit and Grammy Award winning English group Sade.-Biography:Sade was born in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria...
) and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
(a collaboration with B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
).
Critic Johnny Loftus writes, "Rock critics usually reserve a special place for Deftones above or at least away from the rest of the turn-of-the-century metal movement [....] Deftones have always seemed more curious, more willing to incorporate traditionally revered sounds like D.C. hardcore
Washington, D.C. hardcore
Washington, D.C. has had one of the first and most influential hardcore punk scenes in the United States since the early 1980s.Among the earliest DC punk bands were the Bad Brains, Slickee Boys, Teen Idles, Minor Threat, S.O.A., Chalk Circle, Velvet Monkeys, Void, The Faith, DC Youth Brigade,...
and dream pop into their Northern California alt-metal."
Deftones have been cited as an influence by various bands, including the British bands Muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
, Fightstar
Fightstar
Fightstar are an English alternative rock band from London. They formed in 2003 and their lineup comprises lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and vocalist Alex Westaway, bass guitarist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi...
and other modern rock bands such as Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
, 10 Years
10 Years
10 Years is an American alternative metal band, formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999.-Early Years, Into the Half Moon :10 Years was initially formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 with singer Mike Underdown, drummer Brian Vodinh, bassist Lewis Cosby, and guitarists Ryan "Tater" Johnson and Matt...
, and numerous others.
Moreno's lyrics were described by Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
as "suggesting emotions rather than announcing them."
Side projects
Deftones members have worked on several side projects, such as Carpenter's group Sol InvictoSol Invicto
Sol Invicto is a project which involves Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter with producers Richie Londres & AJ Cookson as well as Eric Bobo .-History:...
, which features Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
and Richie Londres
Richie londres
Richie Londres, is an English musician, hip hop record producer, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist and runs Altered Beats Records. Londres has worked with Deftones and Cypress Hill on various projects...
of C.L.P. Carpenter has also worked with a group called Kush
Kush (band)
Kush is an American rap metal band formed in 2000 by rapper B-Real, Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter and former Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers.-History:...
, featuring members of Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
and Cypress Hill. Other side projects include Moreno's Team Sleep
Team Sleep
Team Sleep is an American experimental alternative rock group led by singer/guitarist Chino Moreno, better known for fronting the Sacramento-based band Deftones....
and Cunningam's Phallucy
Phallucy
Phallucy was a rock/alternative metal band from Sacramento, California. The band's drummer, Abe Cunningham, later became the drummer with the band Deftones, which is now a worldwide success...
. Deftones's Frank Delgado is a member of a DJ group with DJ Crook of Team Sleep, DJ Julez, and Matt D called Decibel Devils. Chino has made a number of guest appearances on numerous younger groups' songs, such as "Bender" by Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, "Paralytic" by Dead Poetic
Dead Poetic
Dead Poetic was a post-hardcore band from Dayton, Ohio. They were signed to Tooth & Nail until 2008 when the band went on hiatus and the label dropped them. Their third album, Vices was released Halloween of 2006. It features vocal contributions by Chino Moreno of the band Deftones...
, "Vengeance Is Mine" by Droid
Droid (band)
Droid is an American Heavy metal/Death metal band from Long Beach, California. They are currently signed to Korn member James "Munky" Shaffer's record label Emotional Syphon Records. The band was signed to the record label after Shaffer watched them perform live at the world renowned...
, "Caviar" by Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance
Dance Gavin Dance was an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California in 2005. They released four full length studio albums and one EP...
, "Surrender Your Sons" by Norma Jean
Norma Jean (band)
Norma Jean is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997 and replacement of members throughout the years, the band's only original member is the guitarist, Chris Day...
, and "Reprogrammed to Hate" by Whitechapel
Whitechapel (band)
Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee. The group comprises vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Ben Savage, Alex Wade, Zach Householder; bassist Gabe Crisp and drummer Ben Harclerode. Their band name is derived from a district in the built-up inner city of London, known...
. In 2000, Cheng released a CD composed of his own spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
poetry, called The Bamboo Parachute
The Bamboo Parachute
The Bamboo Parachute is a spoken word album by Deftones bassist Chi Cheng.-Track listing:# "The Man Who Made October" - 1:18# "The Receiving Line" - 0:42# "Goin' South" - 0:43# "Bitter Angels" - 0:42# "Beautiful Life That Is Jodie - 0:09# "Witness" - 0:39...
. Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
and Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
are featured on the song "If I Could" by Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
, which will be on Tech's upcoming album All 6's And 7's
All 6's And 7's
All 6's And 7's is the twelfth studio album of American rapper and songwriter Tech N9ne, and was released on June 7, 2011, on Strange Music...
.
Band members
Current members- Stephen CarpenterStephen CarpenterStephen Carpenter is an American musician known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and dissonant chord voicings, as well as stock power chords in polyrhythms...
— guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Chino MorenoChino MorenoChino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
— vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Chi ChengChi Cheng (musician)Chi Cheng, is a Chinese American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Deftones.-Personal life:...
— bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Abe CunninghamAbe CunninghamAbe Cunningham, , is an American musician, he is the drummer of the alternative metal band Deftones. He is known for his use of ghost notes and other technical drumming techniques.-Biography:...
— drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Frank Delgado — turntables, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, samplesSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
Diamond Eyes session/tour members
- Sergio VegaSergio Vega (bassist)Sergio Vega is an American musician. He is the former bassist of post-hardcore band Quicksand, which originated in New York City in 1990. In 1995, Quicksand disbanded, although they reunited again in 1997 to tour with Deftones...
— bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals
Discography
- AdrenalineAdrenaline (album)-Personnel:Deftones*Chino Moreno – vocals*Stephen Carpenter – guitars*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drumsProduction*Kim Biggs – art direction*Victor Bracke – cover photo...
(1995) - Around the FurAround the Fur-Band members:*Stephen Carpenter – guitar*Chi Cheng – bass guitar, backing vocals*Abe Cunningham – drums*Chino Moreno – vocals-Additional personnel:...
(1997) - White PonyWhite PonyWhite Pony is the third studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones. Released in 2000, it marks a significant growth in the band's sound, incorporating New Wave and shoegaze influences with the alternative metal edge the group had become known for...
(2000) - DeftonesDeftones (album)Deftones was well received by critics earning an aggregate rating of 74 on Metacritic. The music website Sputnikmusic gave it a perfect score and praised the band for have returned to their heavy sound without leaving behind their experimental side, lauding also Moreno's abstract lyrics and the...
(2003) - Saturday Night WristSaturday Night WristSaturday Night Wrist is the fifth studio album by American metal band Deftones. It was released on Maverick Records on October 31, 2006. Despite early contributions that were later scrapped, Saturday Night Wrist marks the departure of mainstay Deftones producer Terry Date.The band's fifth album...
(2006) - Diamond EyesDiamond EyesDiamond Eyes is the sixth album by American Alternative metal band Deftones, released worldwide on May 4, 2010 through Warner Bros. and Reprise Records...
(2010) - Eros (TBD)
Awards
|-| || "Elite
Elite (song)
"Elite" is a song by American rock band Deftones from their 2000 album White Pony. In 2001, Deftones won a Grammy for performing "Elite", and received an award for Best Metal Performance. "Elite" was also featured on the Dragon Ball Z feature film Lord Slug. By many Deftones fans, "Elite" has been...
" || Best Metal Performance (Grammy) ||