Description
Deftones – Ohms – Vinyl Record
Released in 2020, Ohms finds Deftones operating with a sense of clarity and cohesion that feels both familiar and revitalized. Coming after Gore (2016), which divided some fans due to its hazier production and experimental leanings, Ohms is often seen as a recalibration—tightening the band’s sound without sacrificing the atmospheric qualities that have long defined their identity. Produced once again by Terry Date, a key figure behind their earlier landmark releases, the album reconnects Deftones with a sonic balance between heaviness and texture that many listeners associate with their peak era.
From the opening track “Genesis,” Ohms establishes a dynamic interplay between aggression and space. Chino Moreno moves fluidly between ethereal melodies and more urgent, strained vocal passages, while the instrumentation—driven by Stephen Carpenter’s dense, downtuned riffs—anchors the music in a weighty, almost hypnotic groove. Tracks like “Ceremony” and “Urantia” showcase the band’s ability to layer shimmering guitar textures over pulsing rhythms, creating a sense of motion that feels both expansive and controlled. Meanwhile, songs such as “The Spell of Mathematics” stretch out into longer, more immersive structures, emphasizing mood and repetition over traditional verse-chorus immediacy.
Ohms leans into abstraction and emotional suggestion rather than direct narrative. Moreno’s writing evokes themes of tension, transformation, and existential unease, often reflecting a world that feels unstable or in flux. This aligns with the album’s release period in 2020, when global uncertainty was high, though the lyrics avoid being explicitly topical. Instead, they function more like impressionistic snapshots—fragments of feeling that listeners can project onto their own experiences. The title itself, referencing a unit of electrical resistance, subtly reinforces the album’s recurring sense of pressure and release, of forces pushing against one another.
What distinguishes Ohms within Deftones’ catalog is how seamlessly it integrates different phases of their sound. There are echoes of the raw intensity of Around the Fur, the textural experimentation of White Pony, and the melodic refinement of later albums, but none of these elements feel nostalgic or recycled. Instead, the band synthesizes them into something that feels current and purposeful. The rhythm section, particularly Abe Cunningham, plays a crucial role in this cohesion, providing grooves that are both intricate and grounded, allowing the more atmospheric elements to breathe without losing momentum.
In the broader landscape of alternative metal and experimental rock, Ohms stands as a testament to longevity without stagnation. Many bands from Deftones’ era struggle to evolve without losing their core identity, but here, they manage to refine what they do best while still sounding engaged and creatively present. The album doesn’t attempt to chase trends or radically reinvent their sound; instead, it sharpens their established strengths—contrast, texture, and emotional ambiguity—into a focused and compelling statement.
Ohms feels like a band fully aware of its history but not constrained by it. It’s not a reinvention in the way White Pony once was, but it doesn’t need to be. Its power lies in its precision and atmosphere, offering a mature, confident version of Deftones that continues to resonate in a genre they helped redefine.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Genesis
Ceremony
Urantia
Error
The Spell Of Mathematics
Pompeji
This Link Is Dead
Radiant City
Headless
Ohms
