Unlike many other musical acts, Deftones have a rare ability to play some of the most hardcore yet beautiful sounding music one may ever hear. They have a rare ability, unlike many other bands, to recycle the same sound and have it seem at least fairly fresh. They have achieved more in the hard rock community than almost any other band of that genre.
That being said, as you might have guessed from hints above, their new album Koi No Yokan rocks and features the key elements that Deftones fans know and love, but it falls short on taking risks and offering up anything fresh. No album is perfect, but this one is a good effort. Lead singer Chino Moreno’s dreamy vocals (particularly his screams and wails) are ever present over soaring guitar lines on almost every song.
The opening song “Swerve City” is thrash-y and really features the ace in the hole that this band has always had, drummer Abe Cunningham. It’s a great opening track and is fully of energy. This is a perfect example of the direction that Deftones should focus on for future releases.
The band suffered quite a blow back in 2008 when their bassist Chi Cheng was almost killed in a car accident and since then has been in a near vegetative state and hasn’t been able to resume his duties within the band. That, coupled with the simply that they almost lost a dear friend could have easily halted the Deftones. But they didn’t let that keep them from doing what they do best and while the two albums released since Cheng’s accident (2010’s Diamond Eyes and now this year’s Koi No Yokan) don’t ultimately explore much new territory, many consider them to be some of the bands best work.
Ultimately, if your enjoyment of music comes mostly from bands trying new things then you might not be 100% pleased with Koi No Yokan. On the flip side of that coin, this album presents a tight, determined Deftones that despite having been around for over 20 years and enduring more-than-average hardships, still sound ready to take on the world.
Deftones – Swerve City
