Shake my Tomb

Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Reprise Records, released May 25, 2010

Sacramento's Deftones have absolutely crushed it once again with another solid, solid release. Let's face it, the Deftones just do not write bad music, ever. Deftones probably hold court as the only band who, when their new album is released and the inevitable tour ensures, I say, "They could play nothing but this newest album at the show and I would be satisfied."

Good gravy, this shit is heavy as hell, with those numbingly down tuned guitars that dominate the Deftones' sound, and vocalist Chino Moreno's sexually soothing taunts alternated with his impossibly inhuman screams and yelps. Keyboardist/turntableist/sampler Frank Delgado gives a really standout effort on this record. Tracks like "You've Seen the Butcher" just slink along your inner thigh, Delgado's steady and evenhanded influence keeping the chugging, repetitive guitar line moving up your leg. In a lesser band's hands, "Prince" would be a boring hardcore song, but the Deftones opt for a weird guitar harmonic and balance it against a heavy riff, turning it into a nice psych metal tune.

Anyone who has been hanging in there with the Deftones' experimenting over the last few albums is going to be pleased, as there is decidedly more focus and ambition on Diamond Eyes. For those that saw White Pony as their Sgt. Pepper or Dark Side, well, you might want to reconsider rejoining the ranks of devotees because the Deftones have once again taken their warped view out on 11 songs. With more purpose and cohesion than they have been able to harness since Around the Fur, Chino and the other delinquents in the Deftones have distilled their love of contorted melancholy into forty minutes of piercing contradictions.

As alluded to earlier, Deftones are back out on the road to promote the new songs. However, whoever booked them on the posthumous Alice in Chains tour ought to have his brains bashed in immediately. I don't know what would possibly possess a manager to recommend this as a good move the band, but he or she obviously suffers from some perverted world view and should be locked away as a danger to society. It does put the Deftones into some venues that they probably couldn't swing alone, but who the fuck wants to see they play at dusk in some arena or amphitheater? I mean, the first song on Around the Fur is about how much they hate the sun, for christ's sake. Deftones shows show be strictly limited to dark, indoor places, so that the atmosphere can match the hopeless, desolate landscape that is Deftones' music. With that said, the stupid Alice in Chains/Deftones tour stop is at the Camden indoor/outdoor place in late September. If you do choose to go to this, definitely show up early to catch Mastodon's set as the early openers. Couldn't this show be just Deftones and Mastodon and be at the E-Factory so that it won't cost $75??!!