Now this album came out in 1995 but it was probably closer to 96 by the time me and my gang of friends really heard it and fell in love with it. I swear we all had a copy and it was on constant rotation throughout much of our high school shenanigans. There were only a few singles that got some airplay as the heavy rock scene was really changing during those years. People refer to it now as Nu Metal, which is dumb by the way. Rock is Rock ok? Ok. Moving on.....
Here is the video for 7 Words, one of the singles off this amazing album. The lyrics are very cryptic and if you have any clue as to what Chino is getting at well then I am just going to call you a liar.
This song is a great example of the Deftones signature sound from their early days. You can hear that certain tone to the guitar and bass that just screams out Deftones. Its a brutal blend of alternative rock with a heavy metal edge and for us testosterone filled boys it was the soundtrack to our lives back in that time. This song is great because it has high energy and that wailing guitar sound really sets it off, plus he screams suck a lot. Check out Chino's dreadlocks, in those days dudes with dreadlocks were edgy and hell even I wished I had them, now a days not so much.
There are some great songs on this album all of which are very aggressive and very heavy but with a healthy dose of rhythm as well. My personal favorite from this album is Root. I love this song because as soon as that guitar kicks in the energy level goes through the roof and while it is just as heavy it also shows some of the melody that would soon become the Deftones signature. These boys from Sacramento really knew how to bring the heavy with the melody and at that time they were definitely innovative and made us feel superior for listening to them since they were new and different.
Now at the time that this album came out nearly every single one of my friends all agreed that we fucking loved the Deftones and when we had nothing better to do we would cruise around and listen to this album screaming along like a bunch of dumbasses but being a dumbass never feels so good as when you have a gang of good friends rolling around with you being dumbasses as well. Ahhh unity. The next track that was a big hit with people of a similar mind was Engine No. 9, again cryptic lyrics that really need to be examined to get any meaning out of them but really we just dug the aggression and the guitar sounds and Chino's warbally, enigmatic screeching. Now because Rap Rock wasn't quite around yet they way Chino spits out his lyrics it is quite similar to hip hop, and really the Deftones were one of the first innovators of the mid nineties to use the fusion of hip hop style lyrical delivery with the raw aggression of heavy rock or metal music, and we fucking ate that shit up like candy.
Now anyone who knows anything about music, or even just loves it the way I do knows that the way an album starts off can really set the tone, now the Deftones really ease you into the sounds of Adrenaline with the song Bored, by easing you into the sounds I don't mean to imply a softness but really the heat doesn't really turn up until the end of the song but it definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album. Also there is a great example of Abe Cunninham's drumming. He keeps such an awesome back beat that you know this is the real deal when it comes to heavy music. The Deftones definitely made their bones with this album and true fans still love this album, its got that unique heavy yet grungy guitar that so many people my age were seeking in heavy music where metal just didn't cut it at the time and grunge music was slowly dying off. This album is a special one because at the time it was unique, and definitely something that heavy music fans were looking for and with it being 2011 now I'm sure it has inspired many of the newer younger heavy bands that are coming out. The Deftones Adrenaline is a definite classic.
The Deftones personnel on this album are: Chino Moreno on vocals, Abe Cunninham on Drums, Stephen Carpenter on Guitar and Chi Chen on Bass Guitar. If you have never seen them live they are definitely worth it. Check back into the soapbox for another installment on Ultimate Albums in the next couple of weeks. Peace.
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