Skip to main content

Deftones - White Pony

Let’s go back and remember what was popular/ in the mainstream for rock music in the year 2000. Unfortunately, it was Post grunge, Nu metal and Industrial metal. Acts like Powerman 5000 and Puddle of Mudd were relevant on the musical map and getting more focus than arguably better genres at the time, such as indie rock, Post Hardcore, stoner rock and the 2nd wave of emo. Fortunately, there were still some gems that set the new millennium off with a metaphorical bang.

Deftones 3rd album White Pony marks a growing point in the bands musical history. Their 2 previous releases, Adrenaline and Around the fur were mature metal records blended with rap stylings and hardcore sensibilities. Around the fur I feel is a solid and mature effort which serves as a stepping stone for the maturity and artistic development seen on White Pony. Frank Delgado joined the band full time after providing audio effects for half of the songs on Around the fur, adding a new element to the bands song writing process. The band spent 4 months working on the record which was the longest they’d ever spent on an album, and during this time frontman Chino Moreno explains this was the turning point where the band began working as a unit. 


Lyrically, the songs weren’t written with a lyrical theme and were in a fantasy style. Moreno quoted as saying “There’s a lot of stuff on this record that people are going to question me about, and I can just remove myself from it. It’s not me. I’m writing a story here”. Song topics range from a girl being electrocuted in a bath tub (Digital Bath), a youthful romance coming to an end (Teenager) and a man's affection for a girl despite her severe illness (Rx Queen).

The sound of the album is still considered alternative metal, and this is definitely the start of Deftones dealings with experimental rock which is the sound they incorporate today. It’s noted that on the album there are new wave, dream pop, trip hop, shoegaze and post-rock influences, prevalent on the songs Digital Bath, Teenager and Knife Party.

Fun Fact – The album artwork is very similar to Hum’s You’d prefer an astronaut. Moreno saying that “it's where Deftones get a big part of our influence from, tone-wise" and "Deftones were definitely influenced by it"





Fun Fact 2 - The first song on the reissued versions Back to school is a reinterpretation of the albums closing track Pink Maggit. The song has more nu metal and rap influences and was successful in gaining radio play. However Moreno regrets its inclusion on the album (As do I).

Being one of my favourite albums it’s hard to pick a best song, so I’m gonna pick two. The best hard hitting song is Grammy winning Elite. Picking up the best metal performance award in 2001, this song pulls no punches and is a juggernaut the whole way. Digital bath is the best chilled out song on the record, with swirling electronics, post rock influenced drums and soulful vocal delivery, it’s a real stand out on an album of amazing songs.


In conclusion, White Pony is a magnificent alternative metal album packed with visceral energy packed with amazing instrumentation. A truly mature album release which stands amongst its own when compared to its contemporaries.

Album Rating 9/10

Link to the album -


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alexisonfire - Alexisonfire.

Alexisonfire’s eponymously titled debut album is another one of my firm favourites. I first listened to it around the start of 2015 through the recommendation from a good friend of mine. I’d heard a couple songs from them before hand, but nothing more. Despite this little information I trusted my friend’s word on giving it a listen, and to this day I don’t regret it. This album is a landmark for the Post hardcore genre and came at a time when Post Hardcore was really at its peak. To my disagreement, it gets labelled with the ‘Emo’ tag. On some levels I can agree, but I feel there’s too much aggression and energy which surpasses the lyrical content to call it an ‘Emo’ album. Nevertheless, the 42:16 run time produces 11 songs filled with raw energy and brilliant musicianship, really setting themselves immediately apart from other bands in the scene. It’s an album that makes you want to jump and run around, it’s the musical equivalent of an energy drink. The most brilliant part is that 3
Post a Comment
Read more

American Football - American Football

American Football’s self titled debut ended up being the only album they have released thus far in their career back in 1999, however the album epitomises the phrase “less is more” as the album and its 9 songs still intrigue and excite new and old fans alike. Upon release the band shortly split up, but since 2014 they have been touring and playing shows again. It’s very interesting to find a band with only one album release that can still be successful and popular. Perhaps the soft spoken, confessional lyrics that seem to relate to any teenager’s struggles mixed with dual guitars and varying time signatures of math rock is the perfect blend for making this album critically acclaimed. Album cover Each song is perfect for an indie/coming of age movie, capturing a melancholy mood with Steve Lamos' jazz drumming and Mike Kinsella and Steve Holmes' alternating/interacting guitars. It’s a beautiful album and one that you can get lost in as the songs blend together in a way tha
Post a Comment
Read more