Deftones → Gore
I’ve always told people that Dredg and Tool are my favorite bands and that if I could choose one album to listen to for the rest of my life, I would choose “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion”. But you know what? That’s really not true. Because I’m a fucking idiot and forgot about the Deftones.
My first listen came during the Napster era. While I was searching for everything and anything related to Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst (no lie), I stumbled across “7 Words” by the Deftones. That’s when I began spending all of my school nights searching for the Deftones. Call me a fan boy, but every album is really good and the majority are amazing. I’ve seen and heard a lot of people complaining about their new album, “Gore”. Why? I have no fucking idea.
I think that every one of their albums has its own unique feel. I don’t know if that has to do with the equipment they were using or which producer they had or whatever. Personally, I like to think it’s because they still enjoy hanging out together and writing bad ass songs and because they are still friends after all these years and as their friendships evolve and change, so does their music. Most articles and interviews elude to how close they are. When they make music they seem fucking locked in to a certain vibe and a particular feeling that comes through on each album. To me, some of the songs on this album have a “Smashing Pumpkins-esque” feel to them. I’m not saying they copied Smashing Pumpkins, were influenced by them, or that they sound identical. All I’m saying is that I noticed some similarities here and there. This time around, they also highlighted their ability to write songs that “soar”.
On my way to work I first listened to this album. I was listening to it really loud. The sky was completely cloudy, but the clouds were a really, really bright white and very clean looking. Yet, they were thin…just thick enough to block out the sky. As I was driving up a hill looking at these clouds, I noticed light beams breaking through weak spots in the clouds. It was fucking glorious looking and I was right in the middle of “(L)Mirl”. That’s the visual I get now when I hear this album. I dont see a “flamboyance of flamingos”. Google it. Its a thing.
Prayers/Triangles
This is classic Deftones. Heavy with a constant driving beat and melody. Genuine and an easy radio single. If you don’t like this, you probably won't like the Deftones.
Acid Hologram
I have to be honest…not my favorite on the album. I don’t skip it every time, but if I don’t have a lot of time I’ll probably skip it. I like it, but just not a lot. Oddly enough, I enjoy the little re-winded part at the end tying into the lyrics.
Doomed User
This was one of the singles and I just cannot get enough of that goddamn riff! This song kicks ass through and through. I love Chino’s vocals, too. Here comes the first defense of my “Smashing Pumpkins-esque” statement. That main riff and the riff behind the chorus (“…don’t deny it, don’t make this out to be a thing about you..”) has a very melancholy sort of Pumpkins vibe. Don’t argue…just accept it.
Geometric Headdress
Second least favorite on the album. I like it more than Acid Hologram, but once again if I was running out of time and wanted another song, I would skip this for something else. Sorry.
Hearts/Wires
Here we go. The intro is a slow little smooth jam to bring down your defenses. All you can do is just sway along through the first 2 verses and into that chorus that just fucking soars. If you didn’t understand what I meant before; listen to this song a few times
Pittura Infamante
Opening riff, chorus riff, and drums (sort of) have old school Smashing Pumpkins tone & rhythm. Im talking Gish & Siamese Dream. Again, not copycats and not on purpose. Just a similar tone and rhythm. Its a good thing. Defines the sound of this album for the Deftones.
Xenon
Another soaring track. Once it picks up it just keeps driving along. You cant help but stop what you’re doing so that you can bump your head along with this.
(L)Mirl
Second favorite song on this album, and in my top 10 favorite Deftones songs ever. Beautiful buildup. Then like 2 minutes in the song starts to kick. All the shit I said before about songs being soaring, fuck that. This is soaring. Meaningful lyrics, too. Chino is so good at writing vivid lyrics that are somehow really fucking vague at the same time.
Gore
Heavy. As. Fuck. Kind of an off-beat intro that doesn’t really let you know where the song is going then all of a sudden….SMILE!!! Repeat. I love this song wholeheartedly, but the last minute is unnecessary. Why does it need to take so long for a song to end? It's like a band finishing up their last song of a set at some state fair and then you realize they are just going to keep making noise right into their encore because they just assumed you weren’t going to leave without it.
Phantom Bride
This was the sleeper for me. Because even though Jerry Cantrell is awesome and I love Alice in Chains, I didn’t think it would fit good with the Deftones. I kind of assumed it would be a very cliche grunge solo. False. It fits great. Jerry’s guitar flows so good from being the main focus of the song to being in the background providing a driving melody for the song. Does that make sense? Chino‘s lyrics are heartfelt and genuine and are actually more straightforward than normal. The (assumed) meaning just adds to the depth of the song. Oh, and this song shares its name with a beer that Chino helped create. Check out the link below!
I have 2 bottles coming my way in about a week.
Rubicon
My favorite song. And it really only might be because of what happens around the 3:00–3:20 mark. Fuck, that’s cool! Whether its real keys or not, they sound fucking awesome on this song. Fantastic closer. Should be a concert ender, too. This song lingers like Gore did at the end, but in such a better a way. Not even close. Oh yeah, it gives me that Smashing Pumpkins feeling at times as well.
I have been stuck on this album for a while now. Stuck in a way that I haven’t been in a long time. You can’t come into this expecting “White Pony” or “Diamond Eyes”. It has it’s own qualities. Yeah, its a metal Deftones album, but there is a light, positive vibe to it. Like they are just jamming out together and having so much fun doing it.
Get this album and listen with no bias towards other albums. Take it as another gem from the Deftones. One as unique as all the rest.
-B
