Deftones - Diamond Eyes
(Reprise - 2010)
(Reprise - 2010)
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in a famous yet over-quoted passage, said "With consistency a great soul simply has nothing to do." I beg to differ. But this is not a boring treatise refuting the outdated thoughts of some motherfucker who lived a hundred and fifty years ago. This is a record review, and not just any record review - a record review concerning the Deftones. And I am not alone in the sentiment that Deftones is one of my favorite bands, ever. Period. And as far as consistency goes, I can think of very few bands who have consistently kicked ass and pushed the sonic envelope the way Deftones have. Fifteen plus years into their career they still sound incredibly fresh and relevant.
Deftones last effort, 2007's 'Saturday Night Wrist' - an album that became a fixture at the top of many "best of 2007" lists (including my own) - was a triumph of the band's development and execution, and had to be tough to follow. The band was nearly ready with a follow-up, 'Eros', when bassist Chi Cheng was put into a coma by a terrible car accident. After some time the band decided to soldier on, put 'Eros' on the shelf, and went to work on what became 'Diamond Eyes' which, simply put, is another in a line of completely flawless Deftones albums.
'Diamond Eyes' finds Deftones in a rawer, stripped-down mode while maintaining their trademark pristine and grandiose production. Yet for an album produced during an understandably trying time, it features incredibly calm and serene moments. "Sextape" sounds like the Cure wish they could sound these days and the title track, which opens the album, has a melancholy, morose yet comforting vibe. Don't fret though, Stephen Carpenter's razor-sharp depth charge riffs are still in abundance. "Rocket Skates" and "CMND/CTRL" exemplify the Deftones formula: tough riffs, driving drums and a gangster swagger that would get anyone besides Chino Moreno laughed right off the stage. When you get it this right, it is pure fucking stupidity not to do it with consistency.
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