Deftones is the name of a group of American metal . The press always speaks about it like a group about Néo metal, style of which they were the leaders with KoЯn, but they of it are voluntarily distant to play since a more independent music, mixing modern metal and new wave tinted the electro one.

Formation

History of the group

Beginnings

The history of the Deftones group is first of all based on friendships of long time. Indeed, Stephen and Chino lived in the same district in their birthplace, Sacramento in California. As for Abe, it took the same bus as Chino five times per week to go to the school. In 1986, at the 16 years age, Stephen is victim of a drunk driver: it is made reverse by a car (since it carries a steel plate in the leg). The money touched by the insurance enabled him to buy material of quality for the group. Stephen was completely fan of metal and Chino, was to him rather fan of new-wave the Eighties (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Duran Duran). That have for result mingling several different influences with their music. Together they listened to all kinds of musical styles and groups, but those which left the batch were Weezer and Bad Brains.

They is two years later, in 1988, that the group took really form. Their name was found by Stephen. It assembled the word “def” which in the Eighties meant " super cool" and the word “tons” which one finds in good number of groups of the Années 1950 and 1960 (most known being Fleshtones or The Fuzztones). Deftones was at the beginning made up of Chino to the song, Stephen with the guitar, Abe with the battery and certain Dominic with low. But some time later these two last left the group for another rather directed Acid jazz named Phallucy. They were respectively replaced by John Taylor and called Chi Cheng… But John does not remain a long time and Abe returns quickly: their friendship since childhood was stronger. The line-up stabilized they start to assemble a made repertory, as for all the beginnings of groups, recoveries and personal compositions.

Their first true service as a public was a mini-concert in front of their vicinity at the time of a barbecue, the same year as the creation of the group. They did not have whereas 15 or 16 years.

During the first two years, they made only jammer without thinking of an unspecified career, just for their pleasure. But they started all the same to have a rather important repertory: " One just tried to make songs. Then they were thrown and one tried to make the best. One taught us even how to do everything . " explain Chino.

In 1990, to 16-17 years it gave their first " vrai" concert in a local box. Their song-listing composed of a dozen original songs, they felt avoided to connect the concerts. But their history became definitely more extensive the day when, at the time of a concert with Los Angeles (the close city) they were noticed by somebody who had relationships to the label Maverick. They their proposed a contract which they signed in 1994. One year later, the September 12th 1995 leaves their first album, Adrenaline . It was characterized in particular by a difficult recording. Indeed, the group going for the first time in studio, they last in spite of their experiment of the scene, to face all the problems of organization, of concentration and others which all the young groups meet. This opus left in a complete anonymity, in spite of its great quality. But their reputation was not any more to make and they did not profit from a word of mouth any more but positive thanks to their immense round underground, playing not-stop lasting two years. Besides they made many first parts of groups as major as KoЯn and Ozzy Osbourne and its Ozzfest while passing by Pantera and Sepultura, of small sordid clubs to the big rooms. Once again MTV and the commercial radios did not have the hollow nose, since they diffused neither the clips of the group, nor their songs. With the difference of Jonathan Davis of KoЯn which gave its support to them by quoting the group in many interviews and by thanking them on its album Life Is Peachy (1996), dedicating a song to Chi Cheng ( Chi ) and revealing Chino on the title Wicked .

The beginning of career of Deftones centered around their first album was thus more independent and underground that commercial and general public. But after two years of tounée Deftones felt the need to turn over in studio to lay down on tapes their new inspirations, more mature.

The celebrity

The October 28th 1997 leaves Around The Fur . The group composed it and in record time recorded it four months (!). With the orders one finds the same producer as for Adrenaline, Terry Date, since it had largely facilitated the work of the group on their precedent opus. The fact that it is their second album, returned less the recording stressing. Moreover, while returning in studio, the four of Sacramento knew exactly with what they wanted that their next album resembles, from the point of view of the sound and arrangements in particular. What strikes with the first listens to it is the new orientation that the group seems to take, tending more towards one metal/independent rock'n'roll. One can note the presence of calmer and sensual songs besides: Mascara and especially Calm Be And Drive (Far Away) . One notte also the presence comparatively numerous of samples in the songs: all this is the work of a quasi-new member of the group, the dj Frank Delgado: no the scratch but of discrete environments, all important in the new orientation of the group with Around The Fur .

One can without problem affirm that it is with this album that the group acquired its current notoriety and its recognition by the media. Was followed from there an immense round of more than 6 months, either American but world. Indeed, Deftones made turnings by the Europe but also by the Australia, the Japan, the South America and even the Russia. This round was entirely crowned success, thus making know the group with the whole world and especially in Europe where a kind of euphoria around the group was born.

Consequently, the Néo metal it was KoЯn and Deftones. They are always been sulky by MTV and the radios? That's no problem, the group attacks all the scenes and foams all the European festivals (ex: the itinerant festival skate of reference: the Warped Turn 98, Ozzfest 99, My Own Summer (Shove It) on the original soundtrack of the film The Matrix in 1999). The public is conquered and the same year, Adrenaline and Around The Fur become gold discs in the USA. The group then starts to consider a third album, composes and enters finally in studio. Chino starts to reveal infos in connection with this opus. He affirms that he will be much calmer than the two precedents. Indeed, it was then influenced much by the electro music. The fans of the first hour, first of all somewhat désappointés, were then unanimous: the next album of Deftones will be a masterpiece it does not matter the style.

Musical evolution

Who can dream of more a nice gift which an album, since it is the day of the 27e birthday of Chino which White Pony leaves, the June 20th 2000, three long years after Around The Fur . At that time, it is the boom of what is called now the Néo metal with groups being inspired straight of KoЯn and Deftones… In top of the charts one finds in particular Limp Bizkit and Slipknot. For Deftones, success was ensured while leaving a very right album in the line the two precedents. But the group, not falling into the commercial facility, leaves an album much more independent, very calm and sensual with the image of DIGITAL Bath , Passenger or Teenager , but preserving all the same the sound deftonien and its powerful fronts of guitar in songs such as Feiticeira , Korea or Street Carp . It is immediate success and the fans are with go.

But contrary to the recording of Around The Fur makes quickly in serenity and without problems, that of White Pony , than was more animated and especially lasted nearly one year (!). Indeed, of the tensions appeared between Chino and Stephen, the first wanting to direct it towards the new-wave and the electro one and the second wanting an album metal, like the two precedents opus. They managed to agree by integrating songs influenced either by Chino or by Stephen. For this reason one can rather easily classify his songs in two categories. This album indicates a great maturity acquired by the group and proves that the couple Deftones-Terry Date, their producer since their beginnings, functions with wonder.

The years which followed the exit of White Pony were devoted to different the side-projects members from the group (cf heading parallel projects). That of Chino, TEAM Sleep gave even some concerts within the framework of an American Northern mini-round.

But it is in September 2002 which the first declarations concerning the fourth album of the group fell: it will be a return to original aggressiveness while keeping the maturity of White Pony . The official site makes new skin then and distills with the droppers of short vidéos studio showing the group in repetition, phase of composition, seeking to them weed , etc One can discover Chino with the piano there on a song. In parallel the group declares that Frank will see its importance within the group still reinforced compared to the preceding albums. One of the innovations will reside in the fact that it will mix parts of guitars of Stephen while incorporating in it of the effects. According to the rumors, the album should be called Lovers .

The May 20th 2003, thus leaving its side-projects more or less unfinished, the group leaves Deftones . This album is the perfect compromise between the 2 preceding albums. A sound of guitar certainly having gained in size but lost very small little in originality, a voice flying away in melodies quasi-lyric completion shifted compared to the music: great artistic performance. This album however will disappoint a little the fans who perhaps expected something of less accessible, moreover péchu even if Deftones (the album) simply remains excellent. Leave the batch Minerva and its ode to the life, When Girls Telephone Servant boys , without any doubt most violent of the group, Deathblow with the splendid power melancholic person, Hexagram the most barred musical structure album and Anniversary off year uninteresting vent with Chino with the piano in softness only. At the end of May, it is the preparation of the " Summer Sanitarium Tour" in the United States to which Deftones must take part. But the programming does not like the group, whose Chino is made the spokesperson: " My big problem it was to have to open for Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, two groups which would not exist if we do not exist, whore! (...) But with final I am really irritated and I will point myself, make good friends and will not play . " Chino is caught some even with stars more confirmed much: " Metallica (ndl: who also plays in this festival) have a vast catalog of songs. But into live? These guy remain planted there and play. One will move their bottoms to them. One will explode them . " Further in the same interview of which all these remarks are drawn, Chino adds in connection with Jonathan Davis and of its words: " Whereas KoЯn continues its career, they is always the same tricks - difficult childhoods and malicious moms. That takes a blow of old man to long. How old is Jonathan? Thirty years? That made how long that he doesn't live any more in his parents? It would be necessary that it explores other ways. If you are authentic and that you write in connection with emotions and of feelings of the moment present, one cannot blame you . " As much to say to you that made noise in the musical Landerneau… Lead Pétage of Chino? Perhaps… But the sieurs Davis and Hetfield will have had the intelligent reactions to recall that these sentences were drawn from their contexts. Wise declaration.

After a date in memorable France in company of the group has Perfect Circle (one will regret the absence of Passenger in duet with Maynard), the group surprises everyone by putting on line on its official site 49 bootlegs in concerts of the group! Single fact in the history of metal, because this decision was not appreciated at all by the head office, Maverick Records, which obliged the group to withdraw the bond later a few days.

Chaos

April 2004, the group announces that it is of return in the studios. After a few past weeks in their studio of Sacramento, The Spot, the group moves towards Malibu to continue the composition of their 5th album studio, in the same house having accommodated Incubus and them " Morning View". The recording began on November 1st with as producer the famous Bob Ezrin, person in charge inter alia worship " The Wall" Pink Floyd!!! The rumors of an double album or a concept album go good progress and a month later Chino declares with the press which the album would be heavy (good that everyone says it each time) but also that the compos would be very complex, in extreme cases of the concept album!!! These declarations motivate with block the fans remained slightly on their hunger with the épo, like with the album of TEAM Sleep still and always pushed back… A mp3 live of a new piece of Deftones makes surface on the Net and it is in conformity so that Chino implied.

April 2005, the first infos in connection with an album gathering faces B and news of the group make surface. It proves that this compilation should also propose a dvd joining together the totality of their clips.

Then in May, the group seems to be put on the key by Chino, since this last fate finally the 1st album of TEAM Sleep: such an amount of waited because pushed back many times since 2001… Moreover, in its interviews for the promotion of this last, it seems to prefer the adventure TEAM Sleep that Deftones, enabling him - according to him - to be more varied and less blocked in a musical style. The fans start to fear Split of the group. The more so as the infos concerning the next album are done more than rare and than one learns that the recording with Bob Ezrin very badly occurred with regard to Chino and Abe.

October 4th, 2005, it is the exit of B-Sides & Rarities. This cd/dvd digipack proves enough surprising with listening since in spite of ten years of difference between the oldest title and most recent, this album proves to be very homogeneous (there is light a remixage behind all that) and much more rock'n'roll which all that the group could do before.

As from October 2005, interviews of the members of the group as their confirmation for Taste off Chaos Turn 2006 reassure on the health of Deftones. Silence will have been quasi total all the same during nearly one year…

What one feared was in fact arrived since between two declarations of Steph somewhat under the influence of illicit substances, one ends up understanding that the group had almost splitté during the round of Chino with TEAM Sleep. This last will teach us in an interview for MTV.com in April 2006 that the group did not communicate any more and that nobody wanted to take the head of this project of new album. Chino felt at the time good more attracted by TEAM Sleep so much the creativity within this project was bubbling.

Meanwhile, this arlésienne which is the 5th album studio is always seen still and pushed back to reach an exit at the end of the summer 2006. Fortunately, the group off interprets two new titles at the time of various concerts of Taste Chaos 2006 which make much more than to reassure the fans as for the next album, so much these titles are surprising by their effectiveness and their complexity.

May 2006, it is even a version studio of Beware The Water which the group puts on line on Myspace during only a few hours. The echoes are more than positive and the fans are conquered.

All lets believe that this fifth album will be well as Chino had announced: still more succeeded than White Pony …

Énième bounce: the album still changes producer. It is Shaun Lopez, old friend of the group, former guitarist of Far and current singer/guitarist of The Revolution Spalls which lands with the orders of the album, records and produces the parts of Chino. With the assistance of this last, it recovers the work made by Bob Ezrin and reorganizes the album entirely.

Rebirth

In July, the name of the album is confirmed: Saturday Night Wrist . What was not at the beginning that a name launched in the air ends up becoming the final title. " Saturday Night Wrist" , it is first of all the name of what arrived at a drunk young girl who fell asleep on her arm. With its alarm clock a few hours later, it did not feel any more this last.

Always in July, the group takes part in the Family Values Tower 2006 at the sides of the enemy brothers, KoRn, after having refused the first edition in 1998. Each one took a quite different way and Deftones is dissociated from its artistic integrity. Some new titles are played into live but always many mysteries around this next album.

Despite everything these new details, many clashes between the group and their label, Maverick, make that Saturday Night Wrist still takes delay. Indeed, during all the creative process of the album, Maverick wanted to impose its vision of the album (radio-friendly with grinds individual).

It is at final on October 30th, 2006 (31 in the United States) that Saturday Night Wrist leaves. Still more complex than White Pony, it is far from being as heavy as what the group had been able to announce. It was it surely at the beginning, at the stage of the composition, but after more than 2 years of gestation and creation the face of this album changed many and many times. Between Rats! rats! rats! and Pink Cellphone, a whole world. That of Deftones. The group manages with an astonishing facility to mix clearly fronts quasi-death metal with a composition 100% electronics trip-hop. An impressive musical eclecticism which clearly finishes burying the style neo-metal of the beginnings and founds Deftones like pillar group of its generation.

Discography

See too

External bonds

  • Official site
  • DeftonesWorld: Very complete English Fansite
  • Deftnz.net: French Fansite
  • deftonesreview: French Fansite
  • deftonesfr.com: French Fansite
  • Deftones.fr: French Fansite
  • Video Report on OC-TV.net Interview & Concert

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