Satan's Luau

Deftones - Deftones:


(Luau Guy: C+/B-; Lovely Alty Listeners: guessing B+/A-)

TEFLON ... that's what I think when I think Deftones ... and the reasons have been hashed elsewhere and in my conversations with others about this band

Well of course, you want to put a genre title on these guys ... don't you? ... well, none of the labels which people have tried to stick on this band really stuck ...numetal, alt/ethereal, metal, post-something or other ... yes, none have stuck in terms of defining this band ... therefore, my classification of TEFLON.

I think what you always seem to get with the Deftones is a formula that kind of goes like this: Get down the atmosphere then play within it (vocally, instrumentally, sounds) ... that's my best swing at trying to describe a Deftones song in words, that is, without playing it through some speakers.

Where do you begin to stick the knife into this one ... let's start with the one maybe more of you are familiar with, "Minerva" --- this the single, whether you are listening to Hard Drive or KROQ or watching MTV ... or is it MTV2? ...ha

This song "Minerva" is emblematic, in this reviewer's opinion, of the entire body of work here by the Deftones ... it's not for everybody ... ok, I'll conclude my review there ...ha

Again, its the use of atmospherics, from the jangly opening through the building of dynamics from verse to chorus proceeding up the hill ... it actually sounds like someone emerging from a haze from the early kind of tingly to emerging out in the sunlight of blinding awareness ... see now this CD has taken over my mind, I'm babbling in some pseudo-mind hazed Deftones language ... ha

I think the Deftones do really well on this album when they are more straightforward ... ironically they sound like the next step to the Smashing Pumpkins branch of the alt-family (in other words, distorty, atmospheric, crunch rock with nasally vox) on "Good Morning Beautiful", but no complaints from this non-moving forward with the times geezer ... ha

It's funny but I like "Deathblow" a lot as well ... it plays with the model of its hit off of White Pony "Change (House of the Flies?)" ... its like a Part 2 ... it has the soft cool eerie atmospherics that build into a contrastingly loud bridge/chorus ... I'm sure that the hardcore Tones fans are going to go HO-HUM over this one, but I like it ... whatever that means ... ha

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Deftones Band ... what if the Deftones did a cover of this Beatles "classic" ... the odd impression I got when listening to "When Girls Telephone Boys" ... the intro reminds of that song for some reason ... otherwise its the voxy vox fROCked up vocals, nu-metally repetitive riffage, and screamascreamscreamscream that makes a hardcore Tones fan wet their pants (from dropping their Sprite of course, what were you thinking ... ha)

"Battle-axe" ... hmmm, this is some epic sounding earcandy even for the old fart with no nu-taste recognition, writing this review ... some nice evil sounding clean guitar work that leads into a crunchy heavy verse but not unduly repetitive ... again, I lament, if only nu-metal would sound like this, I would have no problems with it ... I have no problems with this song at all ... it's very very good

Ok, so here's my weird thought in this review ... I am beginning to think that "Minerva" should have jerked the curtain on this disc ... and move "Needles and Pins" and "Hexagram" in after "Battle-axe" --- enough with my mixing ideas

"Needles and Pins" sounds better after "B-a" ... this track is just interesting sounding --- its a completely fresh sounding song in that it really doesn't sound like any other band will take as many chances as the Tones do with this one, and they pull it off nicely ... and the lyrics of this one: just great!

"Hexagram" is all business ... jangle jangle yes, but then it just jumps you ... and the "worship ...play" chorus is one of the more interesting moments on this disc, the 'worship' is hard matter of fact, and the 'play' sounds really insanely emotive

"Lucky You" ... very very spacey ... very good electronic qualities ... its another atmospheric track from zee-Tones ... probably good to listen to in the dark with the stereo on loud ... or as someone else has suggested, music to do the insertion to

"Bloody Cape" ... pushing that envelope ... way past that band whose name sounds like maize --- it actually sounds like a song they could pull off ... but no, no, this is the Tones ... and this a great sounding chunker with great transitions into a superior catchy verse .... nu-mettish/alty sounds a 30something can dig

"Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event" ... tamborines, piano, triangle ... is that triangle???? ... ha .... more slowed out mellow atm music --- almost reminds of a bygone era where that Cure band and Cocteau would slow it down and do the same with equally good results

"Moana" ... another venture down the alt branch that evokes the spirit of the Pumpkins ... and to good results, again I wonder about what if the Tones decided to abandon some of the window dressing and just go more straightforward ... very good closer to this mostly good but short disc

As you can tell by the review, Luau guy is NOT a big fan of the Deftones ... in fact listening to them, makes him kinda uncomfortable ... in a feeling very old way ... almost like shopping at Hot Topic ... in fact, mostly he thinks he doesn't totally get it about zaa defTones --- so like always, take these words with a grain of salt ... if you're over 30, you probably won't get it too ... hahaha

But aside from the jokes, the Deftones are interesting music to listen to, in a mostly otherwise bland pop scene today ... they are a true musical alternative, that is at least worth a try or a download ... if not, there's always Jelly's or some record reseller to make that trade to

At the Luau, we are making the trade --- maybe you can find this disc in the bins at Jelly's for a reduced price, lucky you ... ok "Lucky You" is track #8 ... I've been caught in a Def-Pun