Deftones

Koi No Yokan

Stephen Carpenter – Lead Guitar

Abe Cunningham – Drums

Frank Delgado – Keyboards, Turntables, Samples

Chino Moreno – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Sergio Vega – Bass, Backing Vocals

It’s not often that an accident leads to some great (maybe good, but not great). When Stephen was 15 he was hit by a car while skateboarding. While stuck in a wheelchair he began to teach himself how to play the guitar. 1988 seen three friends playing their first jam section. The band finally chose a bassist and then recorded a 4 track demo. Within two years the band hit clubs, which lead to expending their territory to San Fran and LA. While ending a show for another band, Deftones impressed Maverick Records reps which lead to a contract. In 1995, the band released their debut album, Adrenaline. The band headed back into the studio for their follow-up album Around the Fur which hit stores in 1997. After making appearances on Warped Tour, Pinkpop Festival, Roskilde Festival, and Ozzfest, the band went back in for their third go around. 2000 seen their White Pony album hit the streets with a #3 debut. 2003seen the release of the band’s fourth album after many delays. The self-titled album entered the charts at #2. The fifth album, Saturday Night Wrists, headed into a different direction as the band used a different producer. The band spent most of 2006 and 2007 on tour hitting a couple major ones (Taste of Chaos and Family Values).  The band was working on their sixth album when tragedy hit. Long time bassist Cheng was injured in a car accident. The band shelved the album and concentrated on raising money or their injured band mate. Their long time friend stepped in and took over the duties. In 2010 the band released the sixth album (different from the last). Diamond Eyes ended up begin leaked months before the release so the release date was pushed up two weeks. Their 7^th released hit stores in late 2012 and debuted at #11. Koi No Yokan features 11 tracks lasts 51 minutes. They get the album going with “Swerve City” which skates along with ease. The track really doesn’t get very intense, but sounds solid. It’s a slower track that offers up some soft tunes and soft vocals. “Romantic Dreams” has the same feel as the last tune. The vocals seem to be in the background for the most part with a small effect on it. The track seems a bit bizarre, but it has something that keeps you coming back. The music is a bit addictive and on the dark side of things. It sounds really cool and once you dive into the lyrics it’s a solid offering. “Leathers” begins really slowly like an eerie walk thru of an old haunted building. They then open up the track (and the album) for the first time. The vocals still stay in the back ground a bit, but the intensity finally arrives. The tunes hit hard and the multiple vocals offer up the lyrics as they interchange their presents. The song stays pretty creepy and eerie throughout its time, but it’s something I can see getting some playing time in one form or another. I really was digging the tune. “Poltergeist” has eerie written all over it. The track has a great bass line during the first section of the track, but then it shifts gears when the main vocals come in. They do revisit the bass line during the track; however the entire sound isn't enough to keep you interested.  There are some cool spots where I can see some fans grabbing a hold of the tune, but the majority I feel will leave this tune alone. “Entombed” slows the album down even more. The track just floats there like a low dangling fruit ready to pick. It has a way of engulfing you and keeping you interested, but only if you don't over play it. I do feel that if you hear it too much it will lose its magic. “Graphic Nature” is a strange track, but it like so many of the others have this way of keeping you interested and intrigued. The music draws you in close while the vocals captivate you. I really liked the tone of this track. Everything seems to come together in a perfect way. The drums are unique and the guitars play around with your ears. This is a track someone can really get into. “Tempest” again has a great vibe with eerie and creepy vibes springing from the instruments. You can only imagine how this would sound and look live. It has such a vivid sound that it gives you goose bumps and once you dive into the lyrics and fully grasp what is going on…wow. “Gauze” is much of the same, but besides the harder drums there isn’t much new to report on. The track is too similar to the others and will get lost in the shuffle. “Rosemary,” the longest tune on the album at nearly 7 minutes, offers up some very cool sounds. However, it just seems to go on and on. The vocals have a very whiney sound to them in spots. The music also seems to generate the same sounds over and over. It’s hard to get into a track that is so long. “Goon Squad” takes some time to get going, but once it does it one of the most aggressive tunes on the album. The vocals get a bit aggressive as well. They start screaming in places. The music dances around a bit too. The track is strong and I can see many people getting into the track. “What Happened To You?” wraps up the record with a super slow track with odd flighty vocals that will have you raising your eyebrows. It’s a decent track, but I think this one will get lost among the others,  just like a couple other tracks. Overall the bulk of the album is really good. There are a several tracks on the album that you can get into super fast while a few others take some time. The slow nature of the release is actually refreshing. It shows that you don’t always need to get crazy stupid to attract fans, however there are a couple on this record. The vocals are the most bizarre part of the album. They seem to be set back in for the most part and absorbed by the music. They also have some effects on them to add depth. The backing vocals pop up from time to time as well. I really dug a lot of the music. For the most part is doesn’t repeat and it offers up this eerie/creepy feeling to it. This is something that I can see having an impact with a lot of people.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Tracks to Watch:

Romantic Dreams, Leathers, and Tempest

Track List:

1. Swerve City
2. Romantic Dreams 3
3. Leathers3
4. Poltergeist
5. Entombed
6. Graphic Nature
7. Tempest
8. Gauze
9. Rosemary
10. Goon Squad
11. What Happened To You?

Website (s):  www.deftones.com