Although thought of by the mainstream as following in the footsteps of hard core metal bands, Deftones has actually been around just as long or longer
than many of their peers. These bad boys have shown more interest in broadening
their sound and lyrics. Deftones formed in 1988 while most of its members were
still in high school! The band features guitarist Stephen Carpenter, bassist
Chi Chen, drummer Abe Cunningham, and vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno.
They spent the late '80s and early '90s refining their sound. They were Influenced by some of the more experimental metal bands of the period,
such as Tool and Rage Against the Machine. They signed to Madonna's
Maverick in 1994 and released the debut Adrenalize in 1995. An intense
touring schedule built them a large fanbase and that fanbase was ready for their
1997 breakthrough, "Around The Fur". Songs such as "My Own Summer (Shove
It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" proved to be an MTV #1 favorite and they continued to top billboard charts and be played on every rock station you could imagine! They built a huge buzz for 2000's White Pony, their best seller to
date. This was also the first album that saw longtime turntablist Frank
Delgado as a full-fledged member. May 2003 saw the release of Deftones
and a return to a more traditional heavy metal sound. After taking some
time off for solo and side projects, Deftones roared back onto the
mainstream in 2006! They came back with a summer stint on Korn's Family Values Tour
and soon after released their new album, "Saturday Night Wrist".
Deftones
have always sought to set themselves apart from their heavy metal
peers. Vocalist Chino Moreno has cited Morrissey and the Cure as
influences, and this is evident in his varied and melodic approach to
both songwriting and singing. Musically, the group has attempted to
absorb influences as disparate as trip-hop, rock, and new wave. Every album is completely different and brings something new and fresh to the table, leaving the listener giddy with anticipation of what the next
track will bring. You never know what to expect and really, how many
bands can you say that about?
Eyes" can be viewed below. The clip, which was directed by Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober; METALLICA, MASTODON), will make its online debut on Tuesday, April 13. 
