Apparently Ezrin was a central component of the angst involved in the recording of the album. I've read it characterized essentially that he didn't push Chino enough... Whatever that means. I find that to be a pretty fluffy way to convey a period that the band clearly feels a lot of resentment about, because it makes it sound like Chino just had *too much* integrity, so I wonder if it was more meth addled pretentions and self conscious temper tanrums. They did end up rerecording all the vocals they tracked with Ezrin. For what it's worth I do think it has a lot of Chinos best vocal work, on Cherry Waves, Mein, Rats! Those all seem very tough.
Call me crazy but it does just seem as simple as the guy on meth being an issue, and not the other five people just not caring enough
Last edited by Wretchedest; 05-07-2020 at 05:36 AM.
I don't know, it seemed more like it was Chino who was on meth AND also not caring about the record, not the band mother caring. Hence why Chino went away to do Team Sleep while the band carried on recording without him. I got the vibe that Chino was just not into making another Deftones record at that moment with the stuff he had going on. He went and did his own thing and came back to record his vocals and finish it.
I'm not a huge Saturday Night Wrist fan, to be honest. It's towards the bottom of my top Deftones albums list.
Last edited by neorev; 05-07-2020 at 09:14 AM.
I'd probably put SNW in my top three with Self-Titled and KNY. Even though it was a pretty bad time for the band, I reckon it has some really top-tier performances and songs. I even dig Pink Cellphone! I love the production on Chino's vocals in stuff like Kimdracula and Cherry Waves too. The whole atmosphere of the album is just so awesome, that dreaminess mixed with intense heaviness that Deftones do so well.
Really excited for the new record especially now that Terry Date's involved again! Gore is good, and it's got this cool cohesiveness and vibe, but I just feel like it doesn't have any major highlights like all the other albums do, apart from maybe Hearts/Wires, Acid Hologram, and Rubicon. The band have never made a bad album though, so it'll be nice to get it on vinyl on release day for the first listen!
I love "Saturday Night Wrist", but we already discussed that before, lol
Gore instantly went into my top three after I gave it all my attention with headphones last year. Production drama aside, it is a beautiful album for me. I loved KNY when I first heard it, but the more I listened to it, the more evident it became to me that it becomes a bit boring at times. Same thing happened to me with Diamond Eyes unfortunately.
Gore is fantastic. I don't get why the only conversation surrounding it is that it sounds bad. It just sounds different, and that's not a bad thing. I think it sounds great.
The second half of the album, from Hearts/Wires to the end is almost completely perfect.
I remember being kinda disappointed with Gore on first listen, I didn't listen to anything from it before the release, and even though I loved stuff like Doomed User and Prayers/Triangles, it took a while for the rest of the record to grow on me. Now, I reckon Geometric Headdress is one of the most unique Deftones songs ever, and the verses sound like nothing they've done before. Pittura Infamante sounds like their take on Smashing Pumpkins song or something, its pretty cool!
It took me a while to come around to Adrenaline and Around the Fur too. It was only like late last year that I finally started to love those records. I never really enjoyed Adrenaline when I was getting into the band, but now I think songs like Nosebleed and Birthmark are brilliant.
You two insane? KNY and DE are for me Top 1 and 2 Deftones, ALMOST perfect albums. There's no perfect Deftones album for me (as in, there's always a song or two that I tend to skip with any of their albums), with KNY I tend to skip Graphic Nature and Gauze, they are NOT supper skippable though, they are good songs, but not as perfect as the rest of the album. With Diamond Eyes I skip Risk and This Place is Death (kind of a shame that they finished such a perfect album with a low point, Deftones albums usually finish on a high note, see MX, Pink Maggit, RIVIERE, What Happened to You?,Rubicon).
As for Gore, like @acrid avid jam shred mentioned, it's good but it lacks major album highlights. Or rather, it does have quite a few showstoppers (Prayers/Triangles, Acid Hologram, Doomed User, Hearts/Wires, (L)MIRL, Gore, Phantom Bride, Rubicon) but they are not as strong as the album highlights in KNY or DE. Fuckin' Rosemary I've heard it so many times and never tire of it (same case with Prayers/Triangles, though, perfect single for me).
As for SNW, it is good, towards the bottom of my Deftones list, but it still has Hole in the Earth (I don't how people feel about this one, it seems like not much people love it, but I do, perfect single), Cherry Waves, XERCES, Pink Cellphone (I'm in the group that likes it!), Kimdracula, RIVIERE. Fuck, I wish they would play Riviere live more often.
Everything I wrote, of course, is just my opinion I like it how people have such a diverse view on Deftones records, for me it's a sign of an excellent band.
Last edited by cahernandez; 05-08-2020 at 07:22 AM.
My main problem with Deftones has always been the mixing. I've said this before but i suffer from hyperacusis which means they way the mix their albums, i'm often times left with ringing ears and it's often painful to listen too. I'm also an audiophile so i just prefer the sound of more dynamic range in songs to begin with. I think every song should have some room to breathe and not be so overcompressed that you can't even make out anything at all, as well as all the bricking. A few years back, i was able to rip the vocals out by using the instrumental tracks for Diamond Eyes and Koi no Yokan, and since the instrumentals were before they were compressed to all shit and bricked, they sounded fantastic. I even uploaded them to my old youtube, which sadly got taken down do to false copyright, otherwise i would of posted them so you could hear for yourself. It got a lot of likes and positive responses, some going far as to say that I should mix for the band.
I think production wise, they have always sounded great. I think the only reason why Chino said that people think the last 4 had bad production is because he notoriously HATES Saturday Night Wrist. It's my 2nd fave album from them after their S/T album. One thing I have always hated is how much they bury Frank in the mixes. He's always has some cool sounds to bring to the band and you can hardly ever hear it.
While I generally try to listen to albums all the way through, I do find myself relying on either band-specific playlists or shortened versions of albums, making them into EPs or whatever. Great way to cut out some of the tracks that don't hit as hard for me personally.
White Pony and Self Titled are my 1 and 2. I find Gore works great as a complete piece from front to back whereas Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan may have some stronger tracks, but there are moments in those albums that are not so strong and loses me. I much rather listen to an album that I can listen to from start to finish, which is why I love Gore. I put it on and it takes me away. I'm not a select track(s) or edited playlist kind of guy. I prefer albums that can hold me from beginning to end over an album with just some tracks I like. Again, Deftones have never really made a bad album, but I found Gore as a whole more enjoyable than DE or KNY as a whole, even if they do have some stronger tracks here and there. I find Gore to be quite powerful and emotional.
Few moments in a band's lifespan are as hilarious as the online meltdown people had when Gore leaked and everyone heard Pittura Infamante for the first time. Coming after that amazing first half of the album, it was probably the absolute last thing anyone was expecting. At least one could understand Pink Cellphone coming after Lucky You, the Team Sleep album and Chino's widely-publicized drug addiction at the time..
Perhaps only Nails fans hearing 'Everything' for the first time, or GnR's 'Oh My God' comeback single at the tail end of the 90s could rival it..
This is best way I could describe it for Gore. Self-titled and SNW are my 1&2, but for Gore, I have a little bit of a ritual when I prepare to listen to it.
KNY and DE have those BIG moments like Rosemary, Tempest, Royal, Risk, and Beauty School, but the tracks I do not like I realllly do not like. Gore, the tracks I don't care for still stay in the flow that album gives me.
I never understood the hate for NIN's Everything. It's one of the album highlights. I'm not a hardcore Hesitation Marks lover, if I'm being honest. Also, I like Oh My God more than anything off Chinese Democracy and wish we got more of that. I heard Oh My God and actually got a little excited... then Chinese Democracy came out and that disappeared.
The guitar work in Phantom Bride is fantastic, down to that intoxicating solo. What other Deftones songs have one? I'm drawing a blank.
Everything was a grower. Hated it at first, now I thinks one of the best NIN songs. Pittura... It's not a bad song... It's maybe a forgettable song... It is just so poorly placed in that album. I don't know where to place it instead... Like in the b-side of a single lol
I had a feeling. Phantom Bride and Pittura came on back to back last night on shuffle and I realized they don't do any. Their style doesn't really call for them, but it was refreshing to hear. Was so stoked when I was able to knab one of his pretty guitar picks years back that he tossed.
Deftones have brought up plenty of people to do guest vocals during Passenger, but who would everyone really love to see on stage with them?
Supposedly some of the Eros stuff had guitar solos, but then again who knows what to think about the band's commentary on an album that will probably never come out.
Isn't there supposed to be a new album at some point?????
Posted a couple of pages back.
TLDR: COVID-19
Aw man I was being a bit sarcastic but that's some bullshit. No one gives a fuck about your tour chino
It is a bit disheartening when I see bands say "well what sense does it make to put the album out if you can't support it". That to me translates to, the music don't mean shit, we just wanna get paid. I don't know. The Beatles put out their best shit when they weren't touring. Band's don't "NEED" to tour for their fans to enjoy the music.