Deftones

Deftones stand among the originators of the 1990s nu-metal wave, channeling their separate influences into a refined alternative-metal blend that merges elegance with ferocity. Among the earliest acts to shift between crushing riffs and shouted vocals on one side and airy textures with soft vocals on the other, they moved swiftly past the nu-metal moment itself, shaping countless later artists through three early platinum-certified albums: Adrenaline from 1995, Around the Fur from 1997, and the landmark White Pony from 2000. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s they extended their sonic reach still further, favoring expansive atmospheric designs over conventional song forms on releases such as the self-titled 2003 album, Diamond Eyes in 2010, and Gore in 2016. In 2020 the band opened their fourth decade together with their ninth studio album, Ohms.

The Sacramento, California collective came together in 1988 when high-school classmates Stephen Carpenter on guitar, Abe Cunningham on drums, and Chino Moreno on vocals began jamming. They adopted the name Deftones and soon performed locally, cycling through several bassists until Chi Cheng joined permanently. Although initially rooted in heavy metal, the group broadened its palette in the early 1990s under the sway of boundary-pushing bands including Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Faith No More. A strong four-song demo quickly attracted attention and secured a deal with Madonna’s Maverick label.

With producer Terry Date—whose credits already included Soundgarden and Pantera and who would become a frequent collaborator—the quartet issued its first full-length, Adrenaline, in October 1995. Initial sales were modest, yet relentless touring, both headlining and supporting established acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, L7, and Korn, cultivated a loyal audience. Once Adrenaline surpassed 200,000 copies sold, anticipation rose for the follow-up, Around the Fur. Released in October 1997, the album elevated the band to the forefront of alt-metal through MTV and radio staples “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away).” Turntablist and keyboardist Frank Delgado, who had contributed to the first two records, became an official fifth member shortly afterward.

A seven-track import EP titled Live appeared in 1999 as a temporary bridge while the band prepared its third album; Cheng also issued the spoken-word project The Bamboo Parachute around the same period. White Pony arrived in June 2000 and ranked among the year’s most anticipated heavy-rock releases. It debuted at number three on the album charts and demonstrated the group’s willingness to incorporate 1980s modern-rock touches from the Cure and the Smiths into its sound. After touring concluded, Moreno launched the side project Team Sleep, whose self-titled album endured multiple delays before surfacing in 2005.

Deftones soon reconvened with Date to shape new material. The resulting self-titled album emerged in May 2003 and yielded the single “Minerva.” The group joined Metallica and Linkin Park on the Summer Sanitarium tour, and the record ultimately reached number two on the Billboard 200 before the members took time for rest and other projects. A two-disc collection of B-sides and rarities followed in October 2005, with the next studio album, Saturday Night Wrist, arriving the following year.

Work on a prospective sixth album, Eros, began in 2007 but was halted indefinitely after bassist Chi Cheng suffered a severe car accident that placed him in a coma. Quicksand’s Sergio Vega stepped in on bass in 2009, allowing the band to resume touring and recording. Although Eros remained on hold, Diamond Eyes surfaced in 2010. Cheng regained partial consciousness in 2012 and returned home for further recovery, yet he was not well enough to participate in the seventh album, Koi No Yokan, released later that year. Despite progress, Cheng died of cardiac arrest on April 13, 2013, at age 42. On the first anniversary of his passing in 2014, Deftones issued the previously unreleased track “Smile” from Eros.

Two years afterward the band delivered its eighth album, Gore, in April 2016. The critically praised set became the group’s second-highest-charting release to date, topping charts in Australia and New Zealand while peaking at number two in the United States. Alongside singles “Prayers/Triangles” and “Hearts/Wires,” the album featured “Phantom Bride,” which included a guest appearance by Jerry Cantrell. While supporting Gore on the road, the musicians began developing its successor, which appeared in 2020. The Grammy-nominated ninth album, Ohms, reunited the band with producer Terry Date, who had helmed their first four studio efforts as well as the unfinished Eros. Another critical favorite, the record earned the group its fourth Top Five placement. Later that year Deftones capped the period with the long-awaited White Pony remix album Black Stallion, containing reinterpretations by DJ Shadow, Phantogram, Purity Ring, Squarepusher, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda, and Cure frontman Robert Smith.