DEFTONES REVIEW BUNDLE

This review is a bundle of all of the main studio albums currently released by Deftones. This includes all of their albums (excluding reissues, live albums, and compilations) in one post to make my dive into their discography have a more cohesive read for those who want to see it all in one package.

DEFTONES ALBUM RANKING:
-Saturday Night Wrist (100)
-White Pony (100)
-Around the Fur (100)
-Koi No Yokan (100)
-Diamond Eyes (98)
-Deftones (96)
-Ohms (96)
-Adrenaline (90)
-Gore (89)

ADRENALINE: 

SCORE: 90/100

(January 21, 2023 *updated May 14, 2024)

The only real issue here is the mixing, the instrumentals are so overpowering compared to the vocals. But ignoring the mixing, the vocals, lyrics, and instrumentals are all amazing. It's such a crisp and amazing style and this is one of the best nu metal albums I have heard, definitely a must listen for any metal fans, this is one of the essential nu metal albums for sure.

AROUND THE FUR:

SCORE: 100/100

(January 5, 2025)

'Around the Fur' is an album I've honestly been needing to listen to for YEARS. It's an album that I've been a huge fan of for a very long time, and it's one that I've heard almost every song from. I was mainly avoidant due to the 37 minute track at the end of the album until I was reassured that it still "counts" as listening to the album in full without listening to the 30+ minutes of silence that are present on the last track of the album.

It goes without saying that 'Around the Fur' is one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable metal albums of all time by cover alone. With songs like 'Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)' and 'My Own Summer (Shove It)' in particular, Deftones built up on their sound from their debut album and perfected their style. The mixing of the songs on this album is better than some of the overbearing songs on their debut, and it's a more polished and accessible album overall.

The album doesn't let up for even a second - with each song making a name for itself almost immediately and showing off the stylized elements of Deftones' music. This is THE Deftones album if you're looking for a more edge-filled and sharp album that is both rough around the edges and polished at the same time. It's a work of sheer metal masterclass, and it's easily one of the most iconic and essential nu-metal/alternative metal projects of all time.

'Around the Fur' is an album that is like no other. You won't find the vocal or instrumental style that can be heard on this album anywhere else - this is a feat that ONLY Deftones could pull off. It's an incredibly ambitious and venom-filled project that shows what made the nu-metal boom so great before it became more of "the thing to do". The band didn't care about fitting into genres; they cared about making a fiery album and they did just that.

It's a wildly impressive and exhilarating album. It manages to be everything that a metal album should be - with both melodic moments and moments that will make your heart pump and your head spin. It's an incredibly consistent album with a deeply cohesive and polished sound, and it manages to have grit while being incredibly refined and polished. There will never be another album like this one and it is an absolutely essential metal album for anybody who hasn't heard it.

The songs come together wonderfully - and it makes for a truly mind-blowing metal album that is everything the genre should be. There isn't a dull moment on 'Around the Fur', and the cohesiveness of the albums' sequencing makes it one that is absolutely essential to listen to from front to back at least once.

WHITE PONY:

SCORE; 100/100

(January 6, 2025)

There's both songs that will make you want to cry and songs that will make you want to mosh - and it's more than just an album. 'White Pony' isn't just another rock album; it's an experience.

It's a project that somehow glistens even brighter than 'Around the Fur', and it uses more of the melodic sounds found on 'Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)' found on their previous album. This helps to reinvent the sound & style of the band while keeping the structural integrity of their sound very much alive - and it feels like an even more matured and refined project.

'White Pony' is a deeply serene and atmospheric album with so many feelings within it at once - it's smooth, sexy, dark, and gloomy all at once. It's a heavily moody album; but not in the teenage angst way of many rock albums of the 2000s. It's a smoothly refined and impressively polished album that shines with each note, and every song tells you something different from the last.

Soft one minute and returning to the roots of albums like 'Around the Fur' and 'Adrenaline' the next, this album is everything you could possibly want from a Deftones album. It's an instantly recognizable album that is so much more than just 'Change (In the House of Flies', and it is an absolute essential within the entire metal genre.

It manages to be an album that is almost hard to review. It's everything that a rock album should strive to be - from the heavy to the soft, this album does it all and packs it in to one delightfully cohesive project. It never feels like it's doing "too much", and it feels entirely effortless. It's a delightful album that is incredibly scenic - yet hard to put into words. 'White Pony' is without a doubt an essential album, and no review could quite do it justice. It's an album that you have to hear to understand - and it makes itself known from the instant it starts.

Deftones managed to soften and sharpen their sound at the same time - showing a shocking and seemingly impossible shift from their previous album, somehow making a project surpassing it in quality when their previous work was already so great. It's an incredibly shocking and impressive album that doesn't let up; and it hooks you even in the moments of calm.

It's much different than 'Around the Fur', with softer and more emotional compositions rather than the more scream-filled style of their previous work. It feels like a more "adult" project that shows a significant amount of maturity and cohesiveness throughout the entire album. The band clearly works together incredibly well - and each composition is even more impressive than the last. It's a wildly unique album with a sound you won't find anywhere else, and the amount of variety on the album is enough to turn any head.

'White Pony' oozes class & style; and it's an album you simply can not miss out on.

DEFTONES:

SCORE: 96/100

(January 6, 2025)

One of their heaviest and most experimental albums, Deftones' self-titled album stays true to its title. It feels like a combination of every aspect and style present within their previous three projects while still experimenting and going in new directions, and it's a much heavier and intense project when compared to the soft edginess of 'White Pony'.

It has the vocal prowess of 'White Pony', with more melodic vocals mixed in with the raspy, heavy screams, while the album has the instrumental edge of 'Around the Fur' and a more polished 'Adrenaline'. It's a deeply layered album full of texture and various elements stacked together - and it doesn't let up. It's incredibly impressive that 'White Pony' was followed up with an album as good as this one, and it seems like the band was on a never-ending streak starting with the iconic 'Around the Fur'.

'Deftones' is one of the most fitting self-titled projects that the world has ever seen. It's every principle, style, and element that the band had worked to develop thus far, and it's a stunning portrait of exactly what the band sounds like. It's a perfect introduction to the band for anyone who hasn't heard their work before - and it's truly a picture perfect representation of the band as a whole.

It packs a heavy punch - every song is different from the last while the album keeps a consistent style and edge, and the quality doesn't falter or stumble one bit. It has a similar sound to 'White Pony' in particular while being comparable to all of their previous works and expanding upon the sounds that made their other projects so great.

Deftones has a catalogue that feels nearly impossible to rank due to all of their albums being of such high quality - and this album is no different. It feels incredibly polished, with a neat shimmering finish to the mixing and production; making it a delightfully unique and interesting album that feels like a truly finished work. It doesn't have an unfinished sound to it - every song feels developed just right, and it's a wonderful album experience through-and-through.

The album is deeply consistent - and it will leave you hooked. It doesn't move along quite as quickly as their previous works and it does feel a bit lengthy (for me personally), but it is another wildly impressive and deeply wonderful project at its core.

SATURDAY NIGHT WRIST:

SCORE: 100/100

(January 7, 2025)

A thematically dark and instrumentally blissful record, 'Saturday Night Wrist' is an even more triumphant return to consistency than their previous, self-titled effort. The album is instantly captivating - hooking a listener in and shaking them before letting loose into blissful and lush melodies, the album is everything that makes all of the the soft, light, dark, and heavy stylistic elements of the bands' albums come together as one gorgeous record.

Soft & serene one moment and dark and anguishing the next, 'Saturday Night Wrist' is a stunning portrait of the band as a whole while being deeply rooted into Chino's ongoing struggles with drugs & marriage. His personality and feelings spill out into every song, with the album feeling like a dark and gloomy glimpse into the mind and the darkest corners of the soul, the album manages to be sultry & sexy while being dark and sorrowful at the same time.

The sound of Deftones is something you just won't find from any other artists. They make music that makes a listener want to close their eyes and escape to the worlds painted within the complex and deep soundscapes of the album - and every project of theirs is something that will leave you stunned and looking for even more of their work. This album feeds more into the melodic sounds found on some of their previous albums - making it one of their most exhilarating and electrifying albums by a longshot.

The songs somehow manage to shock and electrify - even if you've heard a ton of Deftones' work before - nothing can quite be compared to the fire that this album sparks from the moment it starts. I wasn't sure if this would grab me as much since I have listened to so much of their work lately; but I couldn't get enough from the moment I turned the album on.

No album compares to this one, and no album has the atmosphere that this one does. It's an album that will completely engulf you and leave you shocked from the musical prowess you are hearing - and it's a truly gorgeous album that shimmers like no other; even in its grittiest & darkest moments.

It truly feels like a project that can not be done justice with just a review - and it's an absolute necessity in the rock genre as a whole - not just metal, but the entirety of the genre of rock. There are some moments that are weaker than others, but it doesn't drag the album as a whole down one bit.

Compared to their other albums there is less heaviness to this one - but it replaces the all-heavy sound of 'Around the Fur' with a melodic and artistic album that turns out beautifully and uses its heavy moments wisely and sparingly; but when they are used, they hit as hard as they possibly can. There is no room for anything on this album - it does it all and then some, and there are almost no dull moments to be found. It's a deeply consistent and personal album that will leave a mark in your mind and keep you coming back, and it's one of the bands' most gorgeous, almost sparkly efforts.

DIAMOND EYES:

SCORE: 98/100

(July 4, 2023)

Deftones went for a more positive album with less complaining about life and more loving it. They used a sound that almost sounds like a fantasy, like a trip straight through a fantasy movie. Chino sung less about himself and problems and took the approach of detaching himself from the lyrics.
This album is one of those albums that just makes me feel like I'm in the album, it makes me think, it makes me feel the music effortlessly. It has such a strong atmosphere to it. It's such an interesting style and is considerably a lot different than their earliest work. This has a less heavy style, focusing less on screams and more on softer vocals a lot of the time.
An album born from a tragedy, art made from grief. Something that makes the album even more touching, after the tragedy with Cheng, they didn't want to make a negative album, they wanted something more uplifting through the hard times they were facing.
Both the instrumentals and vocals on this album are absolutely incredible. Chino has an amazing singing voice as well as a great scream when he does use it, he has a stunning range that people don't talk about enough.
The guitar work on this album is amazing, it always is with Deftones, but it's so worth mentioning because it's just so incredible, the heavier songs and the softer songs are all incredible.
This album is a mix of so many things, and it's a beautiful one at that. Deftones is an incredibly talented band with so many good songs and from what I know, good albums.
Beautiful and so meaningful.

KOI NO YOKAN:

SCORE: 100/100

(January 8, 2025)

'Koi No Yokan' is yet another triumphant return to form for Deftones - leaning more into the shoegaze sounds of 'Saturday Night Wrist' to make another immediately captivating and mesmerizing project.

It's another deeply melodic and textural record - with deep soundscapes and instrumental depth being present throughout the hard & soft tracks. It's a strong metal album with heavy elements being brought alongside gorgeous melodies and layered instruments, and it's a mix of the experimentation present on both 'White Pony' and 'Saturday Night Wrist' while changing their sound and diving deeper into the blissful metal soundscapes explored on their previous projects.

The heavier songs of this album are done in a way that has never been done before, and this is an incredibly impressive step up in a direction that didn't seem possible. The heaviest of songs blend deeply rooted guitars with Chino's screams; all while incorporating the gorgeous melodies and drifts into new soundscapes through the heaviness. It's another incredibly atmospheric project that crosses new boundaries and makes for another wildly impressive album.

'Koi No Yokan' manages to transcend even more boundaries - making it an even more experimental and mindboggling project. It's near impossible to put Deftones' albums into words through reviews, and no amount of talk about their albums will do the sound of the music justice - it's an album you have to experience front to back and hear to understand, and it's one that absolutely defines just what it means to make alternative metal music.

The album has soundscapes that are truly otherworldly - and the album doesn't let up for even a second. It effortlessly flips between soft and heavy, and each different sound and emotion comes across as delightfully polished and refined. It's without a doubt one of their cleanest works - and it's an absolutely groundbreaking landmark in a genre that just keeps giving.

Deftones have always found a way to bend the mold of metal music, and them refusing to stick to a particular label or subgenre for their music made them that much more powerful with their music. Every single project from them is something new and interesting - and this album is simply no exception to that fact.

It manages to be a perfect blend of everything that is Deftones, and it makes itself known instantaneously.

GORE:

SCORE: 89/100

(January 11, 2025)

A shorter and less favored album for many, Deftones' 2016 albums hits the right spots and returns to the form found throughout their 2006 opus 'Saturday Night Wrist'.

For many, 'Gore' manages to be the weakest effort in the deeply complex and delightful discography of the band. It is a less praised album overall - which I was immediately confused by upon playing the first track. The album has the same complexity as their other projects - having a more modern sound and using different soundscapes to make the album unique from their other projects while still keeping the cohesion of their albums up to par.

It's a striking comeback that engulfs their discography with more heavy & scenic tracks, with each song having a different sound than the last and the album coming together quite well. There are some weaker moments on this album and it feels less polished than their previous works, but it is an incredibly solid and great project that has their signature sound written all over it.

The album isn't quite as interesting as some of their other projects like 'Around the Fur' or 'Saturday Night Wrist', but it's a good album and it stays mostly up to the high standard that has been set by the band throughout their career. It's an impressive feat considering how long ago their previous projects were - and it shows that even after a break they could still do just as well.

'Gore' isn't as memorable or noteworthy as some of the other albums Deftones has to offer - but it's a worthwhile album nonetheless.

OHMS:

SCORE: 96/100

(February 5, 2025)

The final project in my Deftones studio album dive (until they release another project). This was one I meant to get to a little bit sooner but I put it off in favor of other projects - I think I had reviewed too much Deftones in too short of a time; but this album is a harsh reminder of what makes them such an incredible band with the instantaneously electrifying introduction of 'Genesis'. This album is a massive return to form when compared to their previous album 'Gore' - with a heavier sound and a sound similar to that of 'Around the Fur', 'Ohms' is an absolute triumph for a band that can prove time and time again that they've still got what it takes to be great all these years later.

It's a return to heavier form for the band - showcasing the heavier side of their music while still keeping the more cinematic elements to their songs in tact; it isn't as atmosphere-based as some of their other projects, but it makes for a very good album that continues on their road of incredible albums, starting up another run that is destined for greatness with an album that makes 'Gore' look very pale in comparison despite both being great albums.

'Ohms' does something different to keep the bands' discography in tact, making it unique from their other projects while still keeping a well-known sound for them in tact to make an album that caters to the fans and reinvents their sound into a different direction once more. There's an incredibly triumphant sound to be heard on 'Ohms', and it makes for an incredibly refreshing album that keeps their catalogue extremely fresh.

The songs aren't quite as memorable as some of their other works, but it's an incredible album that really showcases the well-rounded nature of the band as well as their abilities to make both heavy and atmospheric metal songs that are near impossible to describe due to how their soundscapes manage to take you away with every listen.