deftones are one of those bands that, for me anyway, need to be listened to a few times through before they can be fully appreciated. they have been and still stand today as a predominantly metal band, though there is so much more to their music than just metal. the group is constantly reshaping and experimenting with their sound.

"saturday night wrist", their newest effort, is no exception. it seems that the more years they put between themselves and "adrenaline", their major label debut album, the farther they get from that uniquely aggressive sound they captured so well at the time. as the band has grown over the years, they have been moving toward more pop-like songs, really giving singer chino moreno an opportunity to flex his vocal muscle.

his voice is at times haunting, captivating and soulful, at other times anguished and manic, yet controlled. at times, it's all of these wrapped into one intense bundle. truly an amazing and distinct voice.

drummer abe cunningham is such a defining aspect of the whole deftones sound image, keeping a simple, steady pace to keep those ballads rolling. when it comes time to flourish, he pours himself into those fillls and can really bring the songs to life.
the combined guitar work of chino, chi cheng and stephen carpenter definitely impresses me.

deftones have never really been technically complex as a band, but they have a sound i feel could never be duplicated. from the drifting melodies layered with frank delgado's sampling and keys, creating a cloudy, dreamy feel, to the rapid fire attack and the crushing weight of the metal riffs, "saturday night wrist" is one album that should appease deftones fans and metal fans alike, as well as make them more accessible to a larger crowd of our music-loving culture. they truly defy genre, and create a sound one can only call "deftones".

some key tracks: i would not miss out on the stellar track titled "beware". with chino's voice exploring all corners of the vocal map, delgado's ethereal piano coupled with those big guitars, that is one track i can safely say will be widely appealing, accessible and truly expresses the deftones' sound. also, look for "mein" - a collaboration with system of a down's frontman, serj tankian, and "cherry waves".

check them out on myspace:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=769597