Deftones [Enhanced]

The album begins with the explosive Hexagram, one of the best tracks Chino and the gang have done, mixing brutal melodies with a range of screeches and soft vocals, and a Tourette-esque chorus.

The first single, Minerva, was a tad disappointing for me, it's not Deftones at their best, but still better than most of what's put out nowadays.

When Girls Telephone Boys is another frickin brilliant tune (Chino does the best Dalek impression in rock), with suitably brutal vocals to match the rage-filled lyrics about stalking.

Lucky You is featured on the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack, and was meant to be a song for Chino and DJ Frank Delgado's side project, Team Sleep. This is what it's meant to be - relaxing and intriguing.

Bloody Cape is the upcoming UK single, and is a much better choice than Minerva. This is a vintage Deftones release, with stunning guitar and those unique vocals.

Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event is a simply beautiful song, almost reduced me to tears. Oceanic cymbals and some of the band's best lyrics yet.

This album is well-deserving of a 5-star rating. I look forward to seeing Deftones and APC at Wembley on September 19th. It's going to be great.

This time they introduce 7-string guitars and tune as low as ever, even more so than Korn. At first when I heard they were doing this I thought “oh no”.

Amazingly, they don’t overuse the heaviness, and manage to keep their trademark wall-of-sound guitar-style with blistering melody and beauty.

The first song is Hexagram, metal at its hardest, with plenty of screaming with a touch of melody. A bit too heavy for my liking, but an opener which sets the scene for what is to come.

Minerva was probably the most exciting comeback of a band in years. As a single, this sounded unlike anything else ever heard on radio. It features melodious guitar-work combined with a C# power-chord coming at you with the speed and intensity of a juggernaut. Together, it’s a magic which could only have been created by this band. Combined with tranquil moments, the guitars are back and blow you away with every listen.

Needles and Pins sounds like it’s from the Around The Fur era. The power-chords are heavy and the screaming loud, a great song to release anger to.

Deathblow is a quiet and moody song, consisting of a catchy bassline with a boisterous chorus. Chino’s unique vocal style really fits into this song well. It sounds like nothing they’ve ever done before.

Bloody Cape is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, at the same time chillingly beautiful with a hint of calamity. The intro is touching and the lyrics of “In waves, the ships have all sailed to the sea…” are touching, just brilliant. The chorus of “We must be the first in the world to fall off the earth” takes this song out of this world with the titanic riff of the chorus. Chino’s emotive vocal style really drives this contrasting song from peace to anger. Full use of the 7-string guitar with painful screaming at the closing moments, makes your head explode.

Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event is this albums Teenager, a tranquil piano number with an added electronic background. Chino never ceases to impress, this song proves to me a lot; Chino is capable of screaming with the best of them but here proving his vocal style is pushing Deftones as more than just a metal band. More of this in a minute.

The finisher Moana is a slight step-up from the previous song and closes this truly amazing album on a heavier note.

Deftones have managed to mature and develop their style, at the same time retaining their heaviness. It was quite evident that after Around The Fur, this band were much more than a metal band which played alongside Korn. White Pony proved this, and this self-titled album is even more progressive and stylish than the previous.

Metal was loathsome for me until I got into this band, and I never thought I would ever say a metal album was for any other emotions than anger because I was naive. This album is, like White Pony, an album to release all emotion to in one record. This self-titled effort is more polished and varied than any of their other work. Every song reminds the listener of something different.

Deftones have made an album which is beyond the understanding of most of their older fans, this isn’t 1997 any more. It takes a few listens to get into and then grabs you, like all the best albums. Deftones are in a league of their own, whilst their heavy style is enough to put the mainstream people off, believe me, they are just as important as any of your Radioheads. The next record will have to be very good to better this.

5/5