Top 10 Reasons Why Deftones are the Best Alternative Metal Band

The Top Ten

  1. They have a unique sound

    There is not a single band that sounds like Deftones. If there is, it is because said band is copying Deftones, and therefore Deftones are so innovative that they created their own unique genre of music.

    Deftones' style of music has evolved so much since their debut 30 years ago, and effectively each album has its own distinct and creative sound. They started off as a dark nu-metal band and have progressed to what can be labeled as "dream metal," an experimental form of metal that uses extremely low guitar tunings and incorporates atmosphere and elements of dream pop.

  2. They have no bad albums

    With the exception of the cover-song album thing, none of the 9 albums in the Deftones discography can be considered bad. Some are weaker than others, but they are all undoubtedly good.

  3. They are one of the inventors of Nu-metal

    They were right there with Korn in the early 90s and released Adrenaline not long after Korn released their debut. Not all the credit to creating the Nu-metal genre should go to Korn. Deftones contained more elements of hip-hop and even incorporated occasional rap-like vocals in songs like 7 Words. And the late 90s/early 2000s nu-metal wave was very characteristic of hip-hop music, with Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park being prime examples.

  4. They have albums that all sound different

    It is a real accomplishment for a band to change their sound throughout their career and not come out with any blatantly weak albums that piss off their fans or critics. Some of their albums aren't that vastly different (I believe that Around the Fur and White Pony are closest in overall sound) but most of them are (for example, Koi No Yokan is obviously extremely different from Adrenaline).

  5. They use turntables to create atmosphere

    While the large majority of hip-hop and nu metal bands use turntables as more of a "lead" instrument, Deftones put them way in the background where they are sometimes not even noticed. But that creates a level of brilliant layering that provides for incredible atmosphere. The turntables aren't as subtle in this song, but the best usage of the instrument is in Change (In the House of Flies).

  6. They have great lyrics

    Chino Moreno is a fantastic lyricist who writes in a very mysterious, surreal, captivating style.

  7. They have great riffs

    Deftones have hot, grooving riffs like My Own Summer and then extremely heavy breakdown riffs like during the bridge in 7 Words.

  8. They have a solid rhythm section

    Abe Cunningham and Chi Cheng are a very underrated drummer and bassist. They both groove extremely hard, especially on the first album. Together they provide a perfect backbone for the band and make Chino shine even more at the forefront.

  9. They almost kept the same lineup throughout their career

    With the exception of Chi Cheng having to be replaced and Frank Delgado not being an official member on the first two albums, everyone has been there since the very beginning.

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