Album of the Week: Deftones — Gore

After a long 4 year wait, Deftones are finally back with a new studio album. Gore has the tough task of following 2012’s wonderful Koi No Yokan, winner of the 2013 Revolver Magazine Album of the Year and, more importantly, of keeping Deftones’s almost 30 year-long career alive and kicking.

Deftones are a unique band in terms of defining their own sound. It’s hard to enclose them in any specific genre. I’ve long decided not to define their musical style into anything, and just enjoy the music instead.

Gore does not disappoint. It is relentless, forward and turbulent. Chino’s vocals and lyrics are, as expected, flawless. He’s a one-of-a-kind vocalist. But where Gorereally stands out is in its meticulous use of synths and digital effects before exploding into pure, distorted bliss. The bass and guitar offer a solid foundation, but it is in these breaking transitions that the songs spark into life.

Overall, the album is as solid as one would expect. It makes the statement that, unlike a lot of bands their age, Deftones are still going at it full force. It successfully takes elements from their past to elaborate on sound and sense. Songs that appear to have been taken directly from alternate-reality versions of White Pony (2000), Diamond Eyes (2010) or Deftones (2003) combine with fresher sounding cuts, like Phantom Bride and Hearts / Wires.

Recommended Tracks: Hearts / Wires, Prayers / Triangles, (L)MIRL, Phantom Bride