Friday 5: Deftones Must-Jams Or Die
Happy Friday, MetalSucks reader! Welcome to MetalSucks Friday 5, our awesome series that appears every Friday (duh) on MetalSucks (duhh) and involves the quantity of five (duhhh).
Here’s how it works: A list of best/worst/weirdest/whatever five somethings is posted by one of your beloved MetalSucks contributors or by one of our buds (like you!). Then you, our cherished reader, checks it out, has a chuckle, then chimes in with a list of the same. No sweat, just whatever springs to mind, k? (Just like that movie about those losers working at a Chicago record store!) After all, it’s Friday — the day dedicated by the gods to mindless, fun time-wasting.
Here we go!
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THE FIVE
What five Deftones jams should even non-fans probably check out at some point before they die?
THE LISTER
Anso DF, MetalSucks Senior Editor
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“Royal”
from Diamond Eyes (Reprise)
2010
Dating back to their debut album in 1995, the Deftones haven’t experienced a shortage of fans. Yet they still feel a bit unheralded, a Radiohead-sized band with a Mastodon-sized reputation. Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden, that ilk. Like those bands, this one is locked into their own time, a few months ahead of ours, and productive even when relationships are strained. Their songs are borderline nonchalant yet get a lot done in four minutes. Their favorite bands are dictatorships or democracies, but their set-up is Mick and Keith. A fan likes to be comforted by the prospect of a future where this discography is talked about in the same tones as, like, The Clash’s or whatever, but like life, Deftones music is its own reward.
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“Rats! Rats! Rats!”
from Saturday Night Wrist (Reprise)
2008
This song belongs in the dictionary under “chemistry.” It’s two musicians playing a game of “horse,” in which one strokes an oblong riff and the other crafts an odd verse that’s super original (kinda like this jam in a way). Then each puts up a really pretty part, next another tumbling riff equalled by an awesome vocal. The song jumps a track, the vocals are wisely minimal, the groove is all. That’s worth fighting over.
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“Rickets”
from Around The Fur (Maverick)
1997
If Carpenter were to part ways with the Deftones, I’ll pick him up and drive him directly to the residence of Billy Gould. Two birds, etc. Lovvve this verse’s riff.
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“You’ve Seen The Butcher”
from Diamond Eyes (Reprise)
2010
What if Devin Townsend were super horny and confident?
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“Graphic Nature”
from Koi No Yokan (Reprise)
2012
Any dummy can point out that the success of Deftones music is the result of balance. Via Steph Carpenter’s heaviness comes freedom for Chino Moreno. The singer is free to do anything, and he always gets it right, even if he raps (“7 Words”), sounds drunk (“Battle Axe”), get all sexy (“Butcher,” above), or boyfriendy (“Romantic Dreams”). Very special band.
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Your turn! Have a great wknd!
