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By JEFF MAKI
Since the release of 2000's White Pony, the Deftones have gradually abandoned the more metal sound of their first two releases, the debut album Adrenaline and 1997's phenomenal Around the Fur. The band was very outspoken in the press months before the release of White Pony stating that they didn't want to be part of a dying genre such as nu-metal or any other label for that matter. While White Pony and to a lesser extent 2003's self titled release effectively combined the harshness and aggressiveness of metal with Chino Moreno's emotional vocals, the new release, Saturday Night Wrist, delves even deeper into an art-rock, experimental style.
Adrenaline aside, the Deftones shouldn't even be mentioned when the topic of nu-metal arises. Around the Fur was a brilliant metal album and for this reviewer, the highlight of the band's career. Since then, Moreno seems to have taken complete control of the band. It is now evident that White Pony was the turning point for a once great band. It just seems that they have become so image conscious and uptight about being labeled metal that they feel the need for vast experimentation to the point where it almost doesn't even sound like the Deftones any longer. While Moreno's moody and atmospheric side project, Team Sleep, should be a completely different entity than the Deftones, the two bands have collided on Saturday Night Wrist and what is left after the wreckage is an utter mess.
The album has highlights, but they are few and far between. The catchy first single, “Hole in the Earth,” sounds like material from White Pony, and the following track, “Rapture,” retains a heavy, captivating sound while still leading the listener into new territory. “Rats, Rats, Rats” keeps a frantic pace with cutting metal riffs behind Moreno's manic screams. The rest of the material is emo-style art rock, filled with Moreno's whiny moans throughout slower songs and others with strange atmospheric sounds and experimentation. In the words of Moreno, “I get bored.”
I just don't get it. Maybe some Deftones fans will be into this simply because it's the Deftones, but I find it hard to believe. Saturday Night Wrist sounds like something you would here on alternative rock college stations or read about in fucking Spin magazine. Not that they ever claimed to be metal, nor did they even desire to, but the Deftones had a great thing going and they have let self image completely block their path. Hopefully, they will one day come out of this mindset that they can't be labeled a metal band, but it seems unlikely. They have gotten worse with each album since Around the Fur.
Deftones album rankings:
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Around the Fur
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White Pony
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Adrenaline
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Deftones
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Saturday Night Wrist
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B-Sides and Rarities
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