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Welcome to Kerrang!'s essential guide to the greatest bands rocking our world. Discover new acts or re-acquaint yourselves with the legends... it all starts here.

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Deftones
Deftones

"IF THEY weren't so popular, the Deftones would still possess all the traits necessary to be considered a cool cult band. Having blazed out of the unfashionable Californian city of Sacramento in the mid-'90s, winning admirers with their now-trademark (and seminal) crushing-yet-melodic sound, they laughed off suggestions that they were a part of the nu-metal explosion. Vocalist Chino Moreno rapping his way through a cover of Ice Cube's 'Wicked' backed by Korn on the latter's 'Life Is Peachy' album managed, in hindsight, the unintentional trick of half-inspiring that genre despite defying it with style and a sense of humour. Having long since moved away from predictable quiet/loud dynamics, they now prefer to nurture a sound that, somehow, manages to be all of suffocating, comforting and occasionally incendiary. So, while they notoriously lack the inclination to buckle their 'pants' above their hips, they're blessed with the kind of honest conviction and individuality that too many other bands desperately lack. Also, most of their songs fucking rock."

White Pony
Name: White Pony Label: MAVERICK Year: 2000
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Review: THEIR FIVE K-rated finest hour was described by K! critic Ben Myers as "pure emotion" with good reason. Not only is 'White Pony' a glorious, middle-fingered salute to the sinking ship of nu-metal, it's the awesome sound of a promising band stretching themselves and surpassing expectations. Inspired, it proved to be inspirational.

Adrenaline
Name: Adrenaline Label: MAVERICK Year: 1995
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Review: THE TITLE of this energetic debut manages to encapsulate its modus operandi in a single word. Here the Deftones kick and scream their way out of obscurity with the heavy-breathing vocals and listless anger that they've continued to use as cornerstones. It also features at least a trio of classic tracks on the form of 'Bored', '7 Words' and 'Root'.

Around the Fur
Name: Around the Fur Label: MAVERICK Year: 1997
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Review: AROUND THE FUR

B-Sides & Rarities
Name: B-Sides & Rarities Label: MAVERICK Year: 2005
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Review: THIS RECENT compilation gave the band cause to raid their vault and come up with an embarrassment of uncashed riches. A slew of acoustic and alternative versions are mixed with a careful clutch of their typically diverse cover songs. The bonus DVD also comprehensively collects all of their videos, making this a must for diehard fans and curious onlookers alike.

Back To School...
Name: Back To School... Label: MAVERICK Year: 2001
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Review: A POOR excuse of an EP backs up the admittedly decent title-track, a reworking of the closing number off 'White Pony'. Both it and the US re-release of 'White Pony' featuring the same track were eventually pretty much disowned by the band themselves, compounding the impression that a single of '...(Mini Maggit)' would've sufficed. One for kleptomaniacs and completists only.

    Key Deftones Tracks
  • 7 WORDS

    THE CATHARTIC, expletive-fuelled chorus allows Chino Moreno to spit bile like a geyser. Just don't sing along to it in front of your gran.

    Find on iTunes Find It: Adrenaline', 1995.
  • BACK TO SCHOOL (MINI MAGGIT)

    A PUMPED-UP reworking of 'Pink Maggit' saw the band lead a rebellion in a high school in the slightly trite promo video. Still, you can't fuck with the classics.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Back To School (Mini Maggit)', 2001.
  • BE QUIET AND DRIVE (FAR AWAY)

    AMUCH-LOVED delicately heavy fan favourite, 'Be Quiet...''s original form is nearly as impressive as its subsequent reworking.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Around The Fur', 1997.
  • BE QUIET AND DRIVE (FAR AWAY) (ACOU...

    ORIGINALLY A B-side to the original version's single release, its tenderness beat the whole emo scene to the punch and it remains their greatest ballad.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'B-sides & Rarities', 2005.
  • BLACK MOON

    A COLLABORATION with Cypress Hill rapper B-Real on lead vocals during the 'White Pony' sessions shows how they would've done rap/rock.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'B-sides & Rarities', 2005.
  • BORED

    AN UNDERGROUND smash and their first rock club floor-filler staple, this desperately crooned, disaffected anthem is the Deftones' puncturing opening shot.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Adrenaline', 1995.
  • CHANGE (IN THE HOUSE OF FLIES)

    LYRICALLY THIS is Kafka-esque, charting a creepy metamorphosis into an insect. We're going out on a limb and calling it a metaphor for something.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'White Pony', 2000.
  • DIGITAL BATH

    THE FIRST track to significantly take advantage of the extra layers added by fifth member Frank Delgado's samples, keys and DJing, resulting in a sonic daydream.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'White Pony', 2000.
  • ELITE

    A PROLAPSE-INDUCINGLY heavy shock, buried among the more sedate climes of their career-best album.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'White Pony', 2000.
  • ENGINE NO. 9'

    ANOTHER FRANTIC shot from 'Adrenaline', this was their live set opener in the early years. Careful listeners will spot the allusions to some famous hip-hop lyrics.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Adrenaline', 1995.
  • FEITICEIRA

    NAMED AFTER a barmy Brazilian gameshow, the lyrics fantasise about a hazily recalled kidnapping. Barkingly beautiful.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'White Pony', 2000.
  • HEADUP

    ALONGSIDE EX-SEPULTURA and current Soulfly frontman Max Cavlera, this is a wrenchingly heavy dual-pronged tribute to Cavalera's late step-son and friend of the Deftones, Dana Wells.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Around The Fur', 1997.
  • HEXAGRAM

    THE HOWLING, lead-off lullaby from their eponymous fourth studio album proved their beguiling charm was still present.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Deftones', 2003.
  • MINERVA

    THEIR COMEBACK single after a three-year absence, 'Minerva' washes over you with all the subtlety of a tidal-wave oil spill. Nice and sticky.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Deftones', 2003.
  • MY OWN SUMMER (SHOVE IT)

    THE VIDEO has sharks, blood and, er, Chino Moreno in a diver's helmet. The song itself is a visceral treat, too.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Around The Fur', 1997.
  • NO ORDINARY LOVE

    COVERS YOU Won't Find Most Rock Bands Attempting Part One: this '80s soul smash gets a laudably sensitive reworking.

    Find on iTunes Find It: B-sides & Rarities', 2005.
  • PASSENGER

    THIS TRANSCENDENTAL duet between Moreno and Tool singer Maynard James Keenan is everything you'd expect between the two of the smartest rock bands of an era.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'White Pony', 2000.
  • ROOT

    QUITE SIMPLY, the best riff that Deftones six-stringer Stephen Carpenter has written to date. The rest of the song sounds like an exposed nerve being hit. Hard.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'Adrenaline', 1995.
  • TEETHING

    THIS SNARLING non-album track unfortunately involved the band making an embarrassing, 'product placement' appearance in a truly woeful film.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'The Crow: City Of Angels' OST, 1996.
  • THE CHAUFFEUR

    ...AND PART Two: A cascading tribute to '80s pop icons Duran Duran; this track shows the Deftones are a band unafraid to profess their love of New Romanticism. Cheers guys, now every fucker who worships you is pretending to like them and The Smiths.

    Find on iTunes Find It: 'B-sides & Rarities', 2005.
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