Deftones - White Pony
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Free Music Notes for White Pony
Free Music Review: Breathtaking to say the least
Hit: 5 Stars
The Deftones formed in the late 1980's, but didn't release their first real C.D. until 1995. This album, "Adrenaline," was very heavy, raw, and energetic. In 1997, they released "Around the Fur," another heavy album, and one that helped the Deftones step out of Korn's shadow. "Adrenaline" and "Around the Fur" were two of the first ever nu-metal albums, and many modern nu-metal bands have cited the Deftones as an influence, but these albums' sales did not compare with the good reviews they got from critics.
This C.D., the group's only to go platinum, is when the Deftones really came into their own, because with their third album, the Deftones seemed like they wanted to slay the horse they rode in on. It's about 10 times less heavy than "Adrenaline" and "ATF," and the hip-hop influence is all but eliminated. The Deftones despise the "nu-metal" label, and have tried hard to get rid of it. I believe "The White Pony" isn't rap/nu-metal; I'd call it more of an alternative or progressive or melodic metal album. Some of the Deftones' past seeps through into some of these songs (as you'll see below), but, for the most part, this sounds like a completely new band. The new sound alienated some old-school headbangers, but, since this is the Deftones' most accessible and easy-to-listen to album, it also attracted many new fans. I'm not sure if Chino and Co. would have made this album if their two predecessors, the heavier albums, were more popular, but "The White Pony" is very smooth, melodic, atmospheric, and often pretty.
When writing this album, there was some commotion amongst the band members (particularly guitarist Steph Carpenter and singer Chino Moreno), but the result was an album that's probably the second best C.D. to be released since the year 2000 (second only to Tool's "Lateralus").
1. "Back to School": One of the disc's three singles. "The White Pony" was originally released without this song, but the Deftones re-released it a few months later, and "Back to School" was included. Even though there is some proper singing, this song mostly consists of "Adrenaline"-esque riffs and rapping. It's the second heaviest song on here, but that makes it not a very good representation of the album as a whole. It's funny that "Around the Far" had a song about summer, and this album has a song about returning to school.
2. "Feiticeira": Even though it has a fairly fast opening riff and fast pace throughout, Chino's clean singing makes this song not very heavy. (That is often the case with this album, actually; the music is sort of hard, but Chino makes it keeps it melodic.) This song is lyrically interesting; it's about a kidnaping scenario.
3. "Mechanical Bath": This song, especially the beginning, is among the most pretty, soothing, and atmospheric that the Deftones have ever written. It has very spacey sounding guitars, but this song is mainly vocals and a slow drum beat. The choruses are still hard, and the song gains momentum and ends with some guitar riffs. Lyrically, this song is about a sexual fantasy Chino has, which involves a woman taking a bath; thus, a few seconds of this song sounds like water dripping from a faucet.
4. "Elite": The Deftones throw us a curve ball for track four, by writing their heaviest song ever. This song's relentless guitars and energy, and raging, robotic vocals should make for a great mosh pit. "Elite" is definitely a personal favorite, even if it is a little bit out of place.
5. "RX Queen": The verses of this song have some guitar strings that make a "ner ner" sound, but this is mainly a melodic and very spacey song. This song has more hard choruses, which create a good friction between the verses and the choruses. Pretty much just one drum beat runs throughout this song, and it ends with some whispering.
6. "Street Carp": Another example of a song which has a few riffs and is fairly fast paced, but it is ultimately only semi-heavy.
7. "Teenager": An absolutely breathtaking song with great singing. It was originally a song by Team Sleep (Chino's side project), but the Deftones adopted it. There are some light, repetitive guitar strings, and what sounds like a distant drum beat, but "Teenager" is mainly music made from turntables. If I could describe this song in one word it would be "b-e-a-utiful."
8. "Knife Party": This song begins with light guitar strumming, but then the riffs become heavy, and briefly create a crunch. Chino sings "I could float here forever/we can't touch the floor;" lyrics which might refer to being high off of drugs. And those lyrics are very fitting because this song makes you feel like you're among the clouds. The verses are very leisurely, the song gains speed in the choruses (where Chino repeats the line: "Go get your knife"), and then the beat comes down a few notches, near the end, where some awesome female vocals are included.
9. "Korea": The lyrics to this song don't really make sense, but all is forgiven because "Korea" has a bouncy rhythm with some heavy riffs and throaty yells.
10. "Passenger": This one opens with some swirling, sweeping noise. Some parts are hard, and the choruses are riff driven, but the drums are much slower than the guitars. Tool's Maynard James Keenan guests on this song; he and Chino trade off singing lines in the verses. Since this song is about driving, it sort of echoes "Be Quiet and Drive," except "Passenger" has a chorus which is more likely to get stuck in your head, and it ends with what sounds like a piano.
11. "Change": "The White Pony"'s most popular single (and, actually, the only Deftones song I've ever heard on the radio). The soft strumming and "breathing" (which is made possible by DJ Frank Delgado), makes the beginning of this song sound fuzzy; like it is being played through an old radio. Add some more good singing and sci-fi lyrics, and this is another very atmospheric, and at times eerie, song. The verses are so restrained, you can almost hear Chino breathe in at one point. And Chino sings very well in the choruses; he extends the words/syllables (particularly the end of the word "fly"), and holds the same note for a while.
12. "Pink Maggot": The most mellow song on this record. It's almost a capella, except for a few occasional strums, until about the three minute mark, when the guitars and drums speed up and Chino sings lyrics which are from track one, "Back to School." This song, and the album, ends with a sluggish thumping noise, which sounds like a baby's heart beat.
--And here's a review for "Boys Republic," if you got the version of "The White Pony" that has an extra track at the end of the album: This track is decent, but it's nothing spectacular. It's fast paced and has some more OK riffs, but it ends too soon and isn't as catchy or memorable as the rest of the album. It's only worth spending extra money for this song if you're a diehard 'Tones fan.
This album's follow up, 2003's "Deftones," returned the Deftones to their heavy, riff based roots. I don't want to say heavy metal is what the Deftones are best at, since this album was so breathtaking, but it is, evidently, the type of music that comes naturally to them. That's partially why "The White Pony" is so special--because there will probably never be another album like this by the Deftones...or any band!
In conclusion, "The White Pony" is one great ride. You don't have to like the rest of the Deftones material to like this, because this is not only very mature, unique, and breathtaking, it is also one of the best C.D.'s of the new millennium. I recommend it to anybody who loves music.
Free Music Review: Amazing multi-genre album, but worthy of a good moshing too!
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, I'd like to say that this is the first Deftones album I bought. I haven't got any of their other stuff, so I can't make comparisons. In a way, this is a good thing, because my opinion can't be influenced on what the other albums sound like, like so many people I see on this page who whinge on about "this doesn't sound like the Deftones at all, cos it doesn't make me want to mosh!". To that I say, bull. Deftones change and evolve, like any other band, and surely this is evident by the many styles on the album, if anything! Anyway,here's my song by song review:1:Back To School (Mini-Maggit)- Very aggresive and (gasp!) tuneful track. Chico really pumps out everything he's got into this one - rapping and singing surprisingly go together well. But the best part? The excellent sing-along chorus. Great single material. PS: Listen to Pink Maggit afterwards, and note the contrast. 9/10
2: Feiticeira - Hard track to review, since it does sound brilliant, but there's nothing really to distinguish it from most of the other tracks. That said, the group do exert themselves in this song about kidnapping - and it is the Deftones, so it won't be bad easily. Catchy chords and intro, but just somewhat average. 8/10
3:Digital Bath - Another good single, with the first notable change of pace for the band, as they start to add some ambient touches throughout the song. Some quiet touches from DJ Frank Delgado enhance this song a good deal. The strong riffs seem to complement this clever, but not startling, change into alternative, Incubus-style rock. Good work. 8.5/10
4:Elite - ...which is all blown away in this screamer of a track. If the Deftones are spreading out to their soft side, this track makes it evident that they're also spreading out to their Slipknot-esque side too! Chico completely loses it during the course of this song, and the stunning guitars and drumbeats'll blow the moshers in you into the next dimension. If you're playing a shoot-em-up game on the Internet, this track makes the perfect soundtrack. This track won the Deftones "Best Metal Performance" at this year's Grammies, and rightly so. Not only artistically brilliant, but an excellent mosh song too! 9.5/10
5: RX Queen - Just to make sure that everything's in balance, this quiet relaxing song will certainly calm you down from the previous track (or maybe not). Another ambient-rock style song works it's way into the track listing, and it's one of my favourites. It has some great words (that most of you will probably find unintelligible!), and a sweet little chorus. Guaranteed to make you feel sleepy. 9/10
6: Street Carp - A good off-beat intro to the shortest song on the album. At the beginning, I expected this track to be one of the best, but halfway through loses it a little. Also the only track on this album with any swearing in, but most of you won't be interested in that. 8/10
7: Teenager - The quietest, most relaxing track on the entire album. A great little track, with the whole band displaying a somewhat scary sleepy side to them! Good words, great music, 9.5/10.
8: Knife Prty - Another single, and it's good to mosh too as well, though not as heavy as Elite, or Korea. The thing that distinguishes this track is that there's a female voice singing an amazing little tune in the middle of this, and Chico complements this perfectly. Heavy guitars hit home the message once more - Deftones rock. 9/10
9: Korea - Oh man! Another metal track, and Chico once does his vocal cords damage by screaming out the puzzling lyrics as loud as possible. Not quite as heavy as Elite, but good too, with some inventive bass, chords and beats, and another track where Chico can find the room to sing as well as scream. Good stuff. 9/10
10: Passenger - The best track on the album. That's all that needs to be said. Simply a man's love song to his partner, but with Maynard James Keenan from A Perfect Circle helping Chico out with the words. The trick with this track is to keep quiet as long as possible...then let rip with the guitars! Ending with some very quiet and gentle piano, this is truly great playing, singing, and drum hitting from all involved. THIS NEEDS TO BE A SINGLE! NOW! 10/10
11: Change (In The House Of Flies) - A great single, with some haunting melodies bouncing off the usuallly good guitar playing. This adds up to the fact this is another ambient-rock style tune, but better than all the others because there is a lot more sensitivity to the quiet side of things as well as being loud, but not noisy. Chico keeps calm for the majority of the song. For the majority, though! 9.5/10
12: Pink Maggit - The song from which Back To School developed. Much more relaxed and laid back than it's descendant, it floats over the first few minutes, before transporting into a slow rock melody. While Chico sings the chorus from Back To School, the rest of the group play out some slow, relatively quiet chords, ending with a lovely little heartbeat noise. Considering that Back To School was excellent, and this has the same tune but slower, I can't award this anything less than what I gave Back To School. Anyway, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! 9/10
The Enhanced CD is great too, you get a Pac-Man style game. If you complete all 6 levels, you get to hear "Elite" on Day 1 of rehearsals. It's a fantastic album, so don't think otherwise until you've heard it all. This truly deserves a place in your Top 10. Hopefully it still will be when Limp Bizkit are in the bargain basement. So I end with saying, GET IT NOW!
Free Music Review: fantastic
Hit: 5 Stars
i would first like to start off with a few things. If you are a piss-n-vinegar metal eletist then this CD isnt for you. Well, it kind of is, seeing as how it might snap you out of the "slayer is the only real reason to live" mentality, but if you're in too deep in that mentality, then this CD will fall on deaf ears. This CD has heavy, distorted guitars on all songs but one, but it isnt metal, per say. All of the riffs (with the exception of one here and there) show more of a dense sense of loss than a tough sense of rage. This is an incredible CD and is defidently up to the standards of innovation that the Deftones set with their prior CD, the extremely heavy with little let up Adrenaline, and their self titled CD that followed this, that has some extremely brutal songs tempered with very sad and soft songs, and some that have balls but are emotionally vague. But this CD, White Pony, is extreme in a sense that it is melodically extremely sad and dense. Heavy guitars, in most peopple's heads don't go well with sad songs, but if you listen to the songs on here (as well as Re Arranged and Boiler by Limp Bizkit) then you will realize that they can work out in the context of a soft song.
anyway
This CD is the soundtrack to a quick emotional decline. It isn't nearly as sad or "I've Hit the Bottom"-y as other CD's(Amnesiac by Radiohead is a good example), but it is a document of a decent sized bit of the trip down. The CD is full of big, wide texture in the form of innovative guitar sounds and keyboard sounds. It starts off with "Back To School" which has ugly, mean riffing in the verses followed by a dense, "inside I feel black" version of a Deftones groove. Actually, this whole song has that "inside I feel black"(not racially, but spiritually) and the feeling is really dense, and the song does come up for air from that feeling a little bit when Chino sings the "so transpose/and stop you lies" towards the end, but it doesn't stay above sea level for long. The rest of the CD feels like dropping to your knees in sadness in a really crowded public area but everyone around you doesn't notice you and just walks on by you. Not that i've done that, but you get the point. It is personal and emotional devestation but not at the most overbearing extreme that it could get, but is such a fantastic snapshot of one who has lost their way in a world that won't help them out. The whole CD, especially Pink Maggit, Knife Party, and Korea has that "I feel spiritually black inside" feel to them. Other songs, like Rx Queen and Digital bath, reflect on the hope you once had in the fact that good things get fixed that isn't there anymore. The only songs i feel on here are out of place is Feiticeira, because it isn't heavy enough to hang with the other heavy songs in the Deftones, as is Street Carp. They aren't necessarily bad songs, but they don't fit on this CD with mostly dense/sad songs.
there is one important thing i have to say about this though. If you love this CD, then scoop up the self titled debut by Team Sleep. Team Sleep is Chino's 100 percent soft second band that has stuff just as amazing on this CD, but from a totally different perspective. There is fantastic, uncliched and inventive guitar playing, great drumming, fantastic use of atmospheres and keys, great use of beats, and Chino is doing amazing things on it. White Pony is more stripped down and emotinally sad than Team Sleep. Most of Team Sleep's songs are upbeat and very layered and not stripped down. There is a song called Live From The Stage that could be at home on White Pony though, so it all ties together. White Pony is a fantastic CD. If you wanna hear an uncliched and brand new exploration of how things normally found in metal can create something that expresses the total opposite of rage, then come here. This CD represents more the sadness under rage. I am not one of those people that thinks all metal bands are pissed off, or at least have to be pissed off to write metal because i know that is a totally false claim made by hippies or something. But get this CD if you are feeling down but up for great music, and get Team Sleep if you are up for great music that is really soft yet innovative but not sad. Either way, buy them both at some point.
That fact that this CD deserves a five star rating even with two songs that are a little out of place should say something as to how great the rest of it is.
Free Music Review: Nu-Metal's Peak
Hit: 5 Stars
A lot of ink (actual and electronic) has been dedicated to nu-metal over the past five or so years. To be honest, it pretty much died circa 2003 when the last act to come from it with any sort of mainstream appeal released an overwhelmingly average album (Linkin Park). Since then we've still had to endure the likes of Crossfade and god knows who else, so it's hard to remember why nu-metal actually held any appeal.
Yeah, it played mostly to angry, white, suburban males who could get off on the dumbass parading of Limp Bizkit or the shallow, petty anger of Disturbed, but there was an undercurrent to the "genre" that actually produced amazing artists.
Some would argue that Korn has ceased to be relevant and they'd be right. But at one point Korn was extremely relevant and extremely talented. While not having lost their relevance quite yet, the Deftones are another example of nu-metal producing something brilliant. White Pony is the prime example of this. In fact, it could probaby be labeled the definitive album of the nu-metal era.
The thing to understand about nu-metal is that it wasn't metal in the way people understand metal. Nu-metal married elements from multiple genres, most notably taking the sullen, brooding aspects from grunge, the heavy guitars from metal, and (occassionally) the vocal delivery from rap/hip-hop. So when get down to it nu-metal wasn't really metal. And then when you look at the White Pony, you realize it's even further from metal. The White Pony owes as much to '80s alternative acts like the Smiths, the Cure, and My Bloody Valentine as it does to any of the band's metal influences.
So how does an album that forsakes many of it genres' conventions become its definitive recording? In part for that very reason, and in part for simply amazing songwriting. The fact that more experimental songs like "Knife Party" and "Digital Bath" can sit alongside more traditional excercises in nu-metal anger like "Elite", and not feel out of place is a testament to that.
It's rare that venturing too far from a band's safe-zone will pay off but that's exactly what happens here. The swooning chorus for "Change (In the House of Flies)" doesn't feel too far removed from "Be Quite And Drive (Far Away)", but when you consider that, that song almost felt out of place in the album it was on, you can see that the band had already started to take risks. The White Pony ended up being their ultimate risk and to date their biggest success (if not commercially, then artistically).
The other thing to consider about the album is the lyrics. While I've never been one to subscribe to the notion that song lyrics are life-altering pieces of literature, there's something to be said for intelligent writing. And that's exactly what can be found on White Pony.
One of the more unique aspects of the lyrics is that lead singer Chino Moreno once again has no qualms with venturing outside the mold. Some are still from the typical depressing, woe-is-me school of thought, but others bring a unique outlook to hard rock. "Passenger" for example has dueling lead vocals between Moreno and Tool lead singer Maynard James Keenan, and the lyrics take on a strange, hostage-and-master dichotomy. By the end of the song it almost sounds as if both minds have become one. Another interesting track to look at is "Elite", which uses pregnancy as a metaphor for a failed, one-side realtionship.
I think the only unfortunate aspect of White Pony was its lack of success. It received moderate airplay on MTV (both "Change" and "Back to School" being featured prominently) and moderate airplay on the radio but failed to perform. I honestly couldn't tell you why it didn't do well. I just find it troubling that White Pony found only moderate success while much less talented artists like Staind and Drowning Pool went on to sell millions of albums.
Free Music Review: So scary it's good. So good it's scary.
Hit: 5 Stars
In October of 2000, "White Pony" was re-released with an extra track, that being the second single, "Back to School (Mini Maggit)". The song was record company dictated, and while it's not bad by any means, I prefer the original version without it. The nu-metal style rapping feels out of place on here..and the chorus is just taken from the far superior "Pink Maggit".
There's certainly no harm in buying this version though..after all, you might really like the song. And even if you don't, you can always skip over it and go directly to the intended opening song, "Feiticeria" - a heavy, fast-paced song with numerous tempo changes.
"Digital Bath" is one of many tunes in which Chino creates a ficticious, eerie scenario for the lyrics (in this case, electrocuting a woman in a bathtub). The morbid lyrics are masked by his amazing vocal delivery. The seductive, ethereal verses are the perfect lead in for the soaring, spine-tingling chorus.
"Elite" is probably the heaviest Deftones song ever; a brutal onslaught of unrelenting neo-industrial/metal guitar riffs and insane vocals from Chino - he literally screams his way through the whole thing. It'll seem un-listenable at first, but give it time to grow. I couldn't stand it at first, but now it's one of my favorites.
On the opposite side of the spectrum is "Teenager", the most intimate, beautiful Deftones song ever. The electronica/trip-hop beat is the perfect backdrop for Chino's gorgeous vocals.
Speaking of amazing vocal performances, check out Rodleen in the background of "Knife Prty". Think Claire Tory from Pink Floyd's "The Great Gig in the Sky", but scary. It's amazing that someone can *shriek* high notes like that. The song itself is great too, one of the most haunting, mysterious tunes on an album full of haunting, mysterious tunes.
The heavy, carnal "Korea" is probably my favorite song on the album - a wonderful blend of crunching guitar riffs, enigmatic lyrics, and an awe-inspiring bridge that soars majestically amongst its power and aggression.
"Passenger", in which Chino trades off vocals with Tool/A Perfect Circle front man Maynard James Keenan is another awe-inspiring song that layers metal-like guitars over an atmospheric backdrop.
"Change (In the House of Flies)" is easily the most accessible song on here, and its video even earned the Deftones a slot on MTV's TRL for a few days. It fits the mood of the album perfectly though - slow creeping, spooky verses lead into the heavy-but-catchy chorus, and an even catchier bridge.
"Pink Maggit" closes the album in a perfect way. An 8 minute epic that goes from minimalistic and eerie to upbeat and anthematic. The latter part will feel like a reprise of "Back to School", as this is where that song spawned from.
Other standouts include the hypnotic, sexy groove of "Rx Queen" and the straightforward, catchy "Street Carp".
Although I slightly prefer "Around the Fur" and their most recent self-titled album, "White Pony" is definitely the Deftones' best effort in terms of incorporating mood into their music. Everything on here is haunting, mysterious, etc., whether it be the music, lyrics, or in many cases, both. It's also the most accessible Deftones album overall, as it contains a bunch of really strong hooks amongst all the experimenting.
Highest Recommendation.
Best Songs: Korea, Elite, Teenager, Pink Maggit, Passenger, Digital Bath.