"Dying of boredom... I'll try it out" / The Deftones!

[MrManson]

What's yer opinion on The Deftones, then?

For those who don't know, The Deftones are a (nu) metal band from California ( I believe ) and are often refered to as The Godfathers of Nu-Metal, despite having very few songs which you could classify as 'Nu-Metal'. Their first label release was Adrenaline, which is a heavy, simplistic and quite grinding (as far as this part of the metal spectrum goes). Their second release - Around The Fur - was a more commercial effort (in my opinion) with more melody but still maintaining their roots.

White Pony is sublime. Very different to anything they'd previously released. It's quite experimental (again, experimental for a metal record) but hugely rewarding if you allow it to seem into your consciousness.

Their latest self-titled release is similar to White Pony but lacks that spark. A decent enough record all the same.

Like um? Hate um?

I'll stick some tracks up later on this evening.

Song wise, I'd reccomend Be Quiet And Drive, Change, Minerva, Elite, Seven Words and Around The Fur.

[Lumiere]

White Pony and Adrenaline are great records. Heavy in the right places, stunning in others.

I find Around The Fur to be far too abrasive to enjoy (and don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of extremely noisy metal). Their self titled album was a pile of wank though. Chino's fucked up his voice beyond recognition, and has to sing properly now (his weakest area).

[chand]

For those who don't know, The Deftones are a (nu) metal band from California ( I believe ) and are often refered to as The Godfathers of Nu-Metal, despite having very few songs which you could classify as 'Nu-Metal'.

Yeah, Chino was quite disparaging about nu-metal. 'Adrenaline' had some vaguely rap-rock tracks on it, some of which he'd written ages ago, I remember him taking the piss out of nu-metal when it was huge in 2000 by saying something like 'I was writing rap-metal when I was 16!' and he was over it.

They're a great band, I reckon. 'White Pony' is probably their biggest achievement, and it was a shame they got lumped in with those other bands because they had very little in common. I love how there's something slightly off-kilter about them; the lyrics don't really scan or make any sense and the vocal melodies are often quite hard to pin down, the voice is more of an instrument in Deftones stuff and in a way they're quite abstract. I did like 'The Deftones' actually, partly cos I'm a sucker for some of those complicated time signatures and riffs. I'm glad they're around anyway.

[MrManson]

You're spot on about Chino using his voice as an instrument... Knife PRTY is a perfect example of this, the end is so haunting. Who is the girl who sings with him?

Passenger with Maynard Keenan from Tool must be one of the best 'duets' recorded.

[chand]

The sleevenotes just have that girl down as 'Rodleen'. I dunno if this is her or not, 'rodleen.com' is down.

I've been meaning to listen to 'White Pony' again, I just dug it out yesterday after it went missing for a long time when my room got redecorated and my CDs ended up in various boxes and tesco bags dotted around everywhere.

[Robot Devil]

Their self titled album was a pile of wank though.

I think that album has some great moments: Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event, Good Morning Beautiful, as well as the aforementioned Minerva.

White Pony is still their finest (5/6 of an) hour, though, Feticiera is one of the best opening tracks of any album.

[Lumiere]

I think Bored is a better opener, miself.

[Dirty Boy]

Like(d) Adrenaline, 'Bored', 'Lifter' and 'Seven Words' are good tracks and i always liked the way 'Nosebleed' changes from almost total quiet into a rampaging mass of hysterical screaming noise at the end, even though it rips off 'Caffiene' by Faith No More something nasty.Can't say i  care much for the rest of it although i remember Around The Fur having it's moments.Everything i hear by them now just sounds like a dirge with Chino whining over it like he's half asleep

[chand]

even though it rips off 'Caffiene' by Faith No More something nasty.

Perhaps it was an 'homage'. 'White Pony' has at least two affectionate nods in the direction of Helmet; the song 'Street Carp' bears an obvious titular similarity to 'Street Crab' off Helmet's 'Betty', and Korea's 'work your pitch'/'carve your niche' rhyme is directly taken from 'Tic' off that same album. Moreno has always bigged up the likes of Helmet and Far as influences, although around White Pony's release he and Daryl from Glassjaw seemed to be having a running competition to see who could namecheck the most non-metal bands to upset hardcore Kerrang!-reading metallers. 'The Smiths!' 'Elvis Costello!' 'Radiohead!' 'The Cure!' 'Squeeze'!

[MrManson]

Here are some early demo recordings, from their Like Linus sessions.

Bit mad to consider that after this, they released the aggressive and melody-less (in places) Adrenaline...

Anyway

Deftones - Can't Even Breathe

[MrManson]

gift

[Rubbish Monkey]

I am liking the new effort. "Rats! Rats! Rats!" is me favourite track after a couple of listens . Just ordered me ticket for the tour in March.... just 10 days after I see NIN

[Rolf Harris]

I really love the new album; best thing they've done since Around The Fur in my opinion.

[Sovereign]

Always had a soft spot for these, I think "Bored" is one of the best opening tracks of any album that I can remember, and I like how they weren't afraid to advance their sound through to White Pony and the new one. Only criticism is that when I saw 'em live Chino's voice was grating, he must've done some terrible damage to his larynx over the years.

[meestermole]

I've just Saturday Night Wrist , and I'm really impressed. I think, for me, it's their finest work.

[chand]

Always had a soft spot for these, I think "Bored" is one of the best opening tracks of any album that I can remember, and I like how they weren't afraid to advance their sound through to White Pony and the new one. Only criticism is that when I saw 'em live Chino's voice was grating, he must've done some terrible damage to his larynx over the years.

Seen them a couple of times live and they were great once and a bit of a mess the other, Chino was virtually inaudible at the latter but everyone went bonkers for them anyway.

As for Saturday Night Wrist...they're a band I totally love almost unconditionally, I've liked pretty much everything they've done so I'm the last person anyone should come to for an objective opinion. This album doesn't break much new ground for them, like this year's Tool album it's great because it sounds like them. It has all the things I love about Deftones so I'm really enjoying it. Which probably sounds backhanded, but isn't. My favourite track at the moment is the third track 'Beware'...it has that distinctively Deftones chorus which is made of fuck-all words and half a melody and yet sounds amazing to me. As a chorus it's kinda hard to get a handle on, it's just 'Beware the water' sung stretched out with some 'Ah's in, but I dunno, it has something.

[meestermole]

Chand - Beware is great, for sure.

I've just found out they're playing Leeds next March (where I live), which is cool, never having seen them before.

[hoverdonkey]

I really like Minerva. It was on the NHL 04 soundtrack on my PC and it sounded great.

[Rolf Harris]

I really like the electronic ambient track, "Pink Cellphone". Anyone know where the  audio of (presumably) a prostitute talking about the perils of buttfucking with a foreskin comes from?

[Marvin]

So is the new album worth getting? I used to love Deftones but was pretty let down by the self-titled one, it wasn't bad as such, just seemed a real step backwards.

[thugler]

I really like the electronic ambient track, "Pink Cellphone". Anyone know where the  audio of (presumably) a prostitute talking about the perils of buttfucking with a foreskin comes from?

It's Annie Hardy, of giant drag. Same girl who is featured in the song

[Rolf Harris]

Is it? When she was named as a collaborator on the track, I assumed she did the backing vocal parts, and that spoken word part was taken from a documentary or interview with a real prostitute or something.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

It's just some stupid ad-libbing done in studio which they decided to stick on at the end of the song.

[lankinpark]

So is the new album worth getting? I used to love Deftones but was pretty let down by the self-titled one, it wasn't bad as such, just seemed a real step backwards.

My view too. It just seems to plod along with no real... anything. Which was a real disappointment for me, because I thought White Pony went about halfway in the right direction. I was looking forward to an album full of the more interesting mellow stuff, maybe getting a little Tool-y. But it was just some nicely-packaged more-of-the-same.

I think maybe I wasn't made to be a Deftones fan. I only really like them when they don't sound like themselves.

[thugler]

So is the new album worth getting? I used to love Deftones but was pretty let down by the self-titled one, it wasn't bad as such, just seemed a real step backwards.

My view too. It just seems to plod along with no real... anything. Which was a real disappointment for me, because I thought White Pony went about halfway in the right direction. I was looking forward to an album full of the more interesting mellow stuff, maybe getting a little Tool-y. But it was just some nicely-packaged more-of-the-same.

I think maybe I wasn't made to be a Deftones fan. I only really like them when they don't sound like themselves.

Personally I preferred the self titled to saturday night wrist. It just doesn't seem to have that many great songs on it, the self titled was also a complete departure from white pony, which I don't rate that highly. the self titled one has minerva, battle-axe, hexagram, bloody cape, moana, and lucky you, which to me is a better version of what pink cellphone is trying to be. Though I reckon they should leave those sort of tracks to Team Sleep personally, since it ruins the flow of their albums a bit.

[Rubbish Monkey]

I really like the electronic ambient track, "Pink Cellphone". Anyone know where the  audio of (presumably) a prostitute talking about the perils of buttfucking with a foreskin comes from?

Its Annie Hardy appently from Giant Drag

http://www.myspace.com/giantdrag

ahhh in my drunken stupour i notice its been answerd..........blergh

I dont like the song myself

[Rolf Harris]

Sorry to divert the chat here slightly, but does anyone know if Team Sleep are working on any new stuff at the moment?

I'm a big fan of the first album.

[thugler]

Sorry to divert the chat here slightly, but does anyone know if Team Sleep are working on any new stuff at the moment?

I'm a big fan of the first album.

I don't expect so until deftones' tour finishes.

[chand]

I should really listen to that Team Sleep album, I bought it for my brother for Christmas or birthday or something, with the intention of making a copy for myself anyway, but I never got round to it. I could just take it from his room right now, actually. It was weird though, when the project was first mooted I was really looking forward to it, but it took forever and there were a load of ho-hum reviews so I never bothered.

I remember getting really excited once about the story that Mogwai sent Chino a song to do vocals for; around that time Deftones and Mogwai were my two favourite bands and I thought it would be awesome. Sadly it never happened.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

The Team Sleep album got ho-hum reviews because it is a ho-hum album. I kind of prefer the demo version that leaked about 3-4 years ago.