arcane-beautiful
After the major success of “White Pony”, these guys really needed to make something different. And they did. To...mixed audiences.
I do feel sorry for these guys. Trying to follow up “White Pony” really would have been a rather hard thing to do. But, these guys never like to repeat themselves, so they did something different.
One of the oddest things about the history of the album is that this album is that people have such a mixed opinion on this album, which I can kind of see why. This album really wouldn't be for everyone, due to it being such a varied mix. Personally...I liked it.
Musically the band experiment even more than on “White Pony” and start to really create a sound that would really pay off for the band in a few years. The guitar sound has now become even heavier and keyboards have now been brought in for more atmospheric moments. And Chino's vocals are just as epic as ever.
The opener “Hexagram” is a song that I've had mixed opinions had in the past. The second single released from the album, the song gained a good bit of play on MTV and Kerrang, so it was on now and then. Having loved the first single from the album, I was very interested to hear this one. This is a song that gives me mixed opinions at times. The verses I absolutely love, but the chorus I have a mixed feeling about. Although, it does sound way better on headphones. But the real highlight of this song has to be Chino's vocals. There are screams he does in this track that I don't even think are human.
The album's first single “Minerva” is probably the reason I've kept such an interest in the band these past few years. I remember when this song first came out, it got a massive amount of radio play and video play on MTV...and it deserved it. This song is incredibly beautiful yet so haunting at the same time. This is definitely a shining moment in the band's career.
A return to form, “When Girls Telephone Boys” is a personal favourite of mine. Up there with some of the band's heaviest material, Chino's vocals in this song are absolutely insane. This is one crazy mofo of a song.
The album's longest composition “Battle-Axe” is a classic example of Deftones. A lot of open space and some great melodic vocals from Chino.
One of the album's most odd moments comes in the track “Lucky You.”A collaboration with DJ Crook (who collaborates with Chino's side project Team Sleep). This song is pretty much a trip hop song, so expect something very different. Another odd moment on the album comes from the track “Anniversary Of An Uninteresting Event” which is one of the softest songs these guys have ever made. With some nice use of piano and toy piano, the song has a really beautiful arrangement.
In conclusion, this album ain't half bad. This isn't their best album, but in all fairness, Deftones have never made a bad album. This is also a rather different album for these guys, so it is worth a listen. I should warn you, there are some absolute classics on this album (not really a warning, pitiful humour really).
7.8/10