Description
Deftones – Deftones – Vinyl Record
By the time Deftones released their self-titled album in 2003, the band had already built a reputation for pushing heavy music into new emotional and sonic territory. Rather than repeating the explosive success of White Pony, the group chose a different route with Deftones—a darker, denser, and more introspective record that leans heavily into atmosphere without losing the band’s crushing intensity.
The album opens with a sense of tension that never fully lets go. Thick guitar walls from Stephen Carpenter crash against swirling textures and layered production, while the rhythm section—Chi Cheng on bass and Abe Cunningham on drums—keeps the music grounded with powerful, deliberate grooves. The band’s sound here feels heavier in mood than in sheer speed, often building songs slowly before unleashing waves of distortion.
At the center of it all is Chino Moreno’s voice. His vocal style shifts constantly, moving from haunting whispers to soaring melodies and explosive screams. That contrast gives the music an emotional push and pull, turning many of the songs into slow-burning emotional releases rather than straightforward metal tracks.
Tracks like “Minerva” and “Hexagram” capture the two sides of the album. “Minerva” floats with a massive, shimmering guitar sound that feels almost dreamlike, while “Hexagram” hits with raw aggression and chaotic energy. Throughout the record, the band balances beauty and brutality, often within the same song.
Lyrically, the album leans toward abstract imagery and emotional intensity rather than clear narratives. Moreno often delivers lines that feel mysterious or fragmented, letting mood and feeling drive the meaning more than literal storytelling.
Production-wise, the record has a thick, almost suffocating atmosphere. The guitars feel enormous, the drums hit hard but spacious, and the overall sound carries a sense of depth that rewards repeated listening.
While it initially surprised some listeners expecting another White Pony, the self-titled Deftones album has grown into one of the band’s most respected releases. It captures a group fully comfortable with their identity—willing to slow things down, explore darker spaces, and let emotion shape the weight of their music.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Hexagram
Needles And Pins
Minerva
Good Morning Beautiful
Deathblow
When Girls Telephone Boys
Battle-Axe
Lucky You
Bloody Cape
Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event
Moana
