Deftones – Diamond Eyes

This new album was released (leaked, actually - The release date is May 4) after much turbulence in Deftones’ career as a band. They’re bassist Chi Cheng in a coma, an entire album, ‘Eros’, being scrapped and to top it off – they replace their producer of 4 albums with Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Stone Sour, Alice In Chains ).

But it’s important to dismiss all this while listening to ‘Diamond Eyes’. In fact, it’s probably one of the things that this album does. I had to say “classic Deftones” when I heard their first single ‘Rocket Skates’. The track has the rage-filled chorus that can put many metal bands to shame. It’s good to notice vocalist Chino Moreno bringing back his poetic genius and emotionally-involved vocal style after a good 4 years.

The album opens with the self-titled track ‘Diamond Eyes’. The track, after a few seconds of nothingness, kicks off with a guitar riff that makes you wonder at first if it’s a breakdown. Nope. The opener is based on this one riff, with the chorus being a bit optimistic. But the riff is so monstrous, you can nearly picture the band synchronized in their headbanging. Monstrous, I thought the album opener to be, but it was a just a teaser for the brutality that awaited me with the rest of the album.

From what the band said of the album, one can notice the strong retracing to the (now) decade-old masterpiece ‘White Pony’. Another incident the band was greatly influenced by was the car accident involving bassist Chi Cheng. It was probably with this sad occurrence weighing down on them that they wrote and recorded ‘Diamond Eyes’ to be a “positive zest for life” album with dreamy, hopeful aesthetic, ingeniously combined with the heaviness, inventiveness, and ambiance.

The first few tracks, including ‘CMND/CNTRL’, ‘Royal’ and ‘You’ve Seen The Butcher’ continue to pound the heavy riffs into the listener’s ears. ‘You’ve Seen The Butcher’ opens (and consequently builds upon) a riff that can seem reminiscent of the 8-string guitars that Meshuggah use.

The fifth track, ‘Beauty School’, breaks away from the prevalent and presents a drum-pattern that you’d love to imitate. The light nature of the song brings out the introspective, intensive and sensitive qualities that Deftones always seem to explore in different ways in different albums. ‘Beauty School’ is kind of a place Deftones have never been before. As far as ‘light’ tracks go – ‘Sex Tape’ (in which it’s irresistible to sing along with Moreno “The sound of the waves collide/Tonight”), ‘976-EVIL’ and ‘This Place Is Death’ are as close as this album leans on the alternative, experimental side of Deftones.

And as far as stand-out, must-hear tracks go, there’s also the first single/riot-starter ‘Rocket Skates’ which features a visceral chorus, with Moreno screaming “GUNS! RAZORS! KNIVES!” This track can safely be called perfect, I assure you. ‘Prince’ is another example of the band’s well-found, well-praised versatility – with respect to vocals, riffs, bass lines and drums. The whole package, all in one song.

‘Diamond Eyes’ intends to strike that light/heavy balance which all alternative metal bands strive to produce. It does so very successfully, to say the least. Diamond Eyes may have heavy songs that can be dubbed ‘forgettable’, but they are essential to maintain the above mentioned balance.

And so, just when most critics and listeners alike thought Deftones couldn’t possibly top albums like ‘White Pony’ and ‘Saturday Night Wrist’, this album comes along wanting to change that notion, and it may just succeed.