live4music
12/26/08, 01:42 PM
Deftones - White Pony
Record Label: Maverick
Release Date: June 20, 2000
What can you say about Deftones that hasn't already been said? No one will argue that they are the only act to emerge from the Nu-Metal 90's that are worth a damn. The amount of artists who cite Deftones as an influence is always growing. It used to be my personal ice-breaker when meeting bands, "What are your thoughts on White Pony?" I got to interview Circa Survive once and Anthony mentioned that he heard White Pony for the first time after ripping it to a cassette from Colin (who owned the album on CD). Was he just randomly throwing out some album? I don't think so. White Pony is already very much considered a classic album. It's safe to say that from the get-go people knew White Pony was special. I don't ever expect Deftones to release another White Pony, and despite them being my favorite band, I don't expect them to recapture the brilliance of this album either. Every band has a climax, a defining album, and Deftones' belongs to White Pony.
For those that saw the electronic press kit for White Pony (youtube it), it details the exact picture that this album gives me upon listen. A dystopian future is painted beautifully by Stephen Carpenter’s dark and grinding guitar work, yet he retains a smooth, clean vibe. "Feiticeira," opens up the album and exemplifies Carpenter’s signature sound. While Moreno repeatedly drones, “soon I’ll let you go, soon I’ll let you go,” it gives the song depth and an unnerving emotion. “Digital Bath,” my personal favorite, kicks off with yet another simple, yet catchy, drum beat compliments of Abe Cunningham. The quiet strums of Carpenter’s strings really do emulate the sound of water, which I’m so thankful they pulled off without using any samples or loops. Throughout the song Moreno proclaims, “Tonight I feel like more,” which shows off the singer’s classic range quite nicely. “Elite” throws the listener a curveball by being a full-blown metal song. Chino screams his voice raw shouting, “You’ll bleed out of control,” more than a few times. I had never noticed the repetitive nature of some of the lyrics until now. “Teenager,” a song originally for Moreno’s mellower side-project, Team Sleep, showcases some lovely samples from Frank Delgado (who officially became a member of the group with this album). It’s a very simple love song sampling a soft acoustic guitar and drum loop that is a pleasant departure from the previous songs but still fits well on the album. “Knife Party,” is yet another classic on the album. It begins with a riff that sounds like it belongs on Thrice’s Water disc. During the end of the track you can hear artist, Rodleen, wailing some impressive vocal range which seems like a direct homage (it very well could be) to Floyd’s, “Great Gig in the Sky.” The ultimate guest appearance can be found on “Passenger.” Maynard James Keenan of Tool/APC fame appears and his vocals are the perfect compliment to Moreno’s wailing. It is easily my favorite “rock duet”, if you will. It’s an epic song that has a lot of atmosphere to it; the delivery by both artists is brilliant. The fact that Keenan even appears on the record just goes to show the diversity of artists who respect the Deftones and don’t just pawn them off as “nu-metal.” “Change (In the House of Flies)” was the first single at the time and even got some attention on MTV’s now-defunct, TRL. It’s also one of the few tracks that features Moreno on guitar as well. The subtle sounds that Delgado samples give the song great eerie tension. Moreno’s soft-spoken pre-chorus blends wonderfully with the mellow environment of the song; the buildup is top-notch.
I love the bipolarity of this album. It’s so dark and gritty, but smooth at the same time. It sounds like a true garage album that has been polished off by a smart producer. Terry Date has done every Deftones album, except for their most recent, and this album shows why. Any producer could have easily screwed the “sound” of this album up. White Pony is one dark machine, but a well-oiled machine indeed.
*Fun random album fact - The lyric booklet has a few adjustments so that they could sell their album without the parental advisory, instead of censoring it. Just listen to “Change” and read the lyrics in the booklet and you’ll see.
Glassjaw; Nine Inch Nail’s Year Zero; amazing music
myspace.com/deftones (http://www.myspace.com/deftones)
Note: The bassist, Chi Cheng, is still in a coma. He is expected to come out of it at some point and make a full recovery, but it would still be good to keep him in your prayers.
Record Label: Maverick
Release Date: June 20, 2000
What can you say about Deftones that hasn't already been said? No one will argue that they are the only act to emerge from the Nu-Metal 90's that are worth a damn. The amount of artists who cite Deftones as an influence is always growing. It used to be my personal ice-breaker when meeting bands, "What are your thoughts on White Pony?" I got to interview Circa Survive once and Anthony mentioned that he heard White Pony for the first time after ripping it to a cassette from Colin (who owned the album on CD). Was he just randomly throwing out some album? I don't think so. White Pony is already very much considered a classic album. It's safe to say that from the get-go people knew White Pony was special. I don't ever expect Deftones to release another White Pony, and despite them being my favorite band, I don't expect them to recapture the brilliance of this album either. Every band has a climax, a defining album, and Deftones' belongs to White Pony.
For those that saw the electronic press kit for White Pony (youtube it), it details the exact picture that this album gives me upon listen. A dystopian future is painted beautifully by Stephen Carpenter’s dark and grinding guitar work, yet he retains a smooth, clean vibe. "Feiticeira," opens up the album and exemplifies Carpenter’s signature sound. While Moreno repeatedly drones, “soon I’ll let you go, soon I’ll let you go,” it gives the song depth and an unnerving emotion. “Digital Bath,” my personal favorite, kicks off with yet another simple, yet catchy, drum beat compliments of Abe Cunningham. The quiet strums of Carpenter’s strings really do emulate the sound of water, which I’m so thankful they pulled off without using any samples or loops. Throughout the song Moreno proclaims, “Tonight I feel like more,” which shows off the singer’s classic range quite nicely. “Elite” throws the listener a curveball by being a full-blown metal song. Chino screams his voice raw shouting, “You’ll bleed out of control,” more than a few times. I had never noticed the repetitive nature of some of the lyrics until now. “Teenager,” a song originally for Moreno’s mellower side-project, Team Sleep, showcases some lovely samples from Frank Delgado (who officially became a member of the group with this album). It’s a very simple love song sampling a soft acoustic guitar and drum loop that is a pleasant departure from the previous songs but still fits well on the album. “Knife Party,” is yet another classic on the album. It begins with a riff that sounds like it belongs on Thrice’s Water disc. During the end of the track you can hear artist, Rodleen, wailing some impressive vocal range which seems like a direct homage (it very well could be) to Floyd’s, “Great Gig in the Sky.” The ultimate guest appearance can be found on “Passenger.” Maynard James Keenan of Tool/APC fame appears and his vocals are the perfect compliment to Moreno’s wailing. It is easily my favorite “rock duet”, if you will. It’s an epic song that has a lot of atmosphere to it; the delivery by both artists is brilliant. The fact that Keenan even appears on the record just goes to show the diversity of artists who respect the Deftones and don’t just pawn them off as “nu-metal.” “Change (In the House of Flies)” was the first single at the time and even got some attention on MTV’s now-defunct, TRL. It’s also one of the few tracks that features Moreno on guitar as well. The subtle sounds that Delgado samples give the song great eerie tension. Moreno’s soft-spoken pre-chorus blends wonderfully with the mellow environment of the song; the buildup is top-notch.
I love the bipolarity of this album. It’s so dark and gritty, but smooth at the same time. It sounds like a true garage album that has been polished off by a smart producer. Terry Date has done every Deftones album, except for their most recent, and this album shows why. Any producer could have easily screwed the “sound” of this album up. White Pony is one dark machine, but a well-oiled machine indeed.
*Fun random album fact - The lyric booklet has a few adjustments so that they could sell their album without the parental advisory, instead of censoring it. Just listen to “Change” and read the lyrics in the booklet and you’ll see.
Glassjaw; Nine Inch Nail’s Year Zero; amazing music
myspace.com/deftones (http://www.myspace.com/deftones)
Note: The bassist, Chi Cheng, is still in a coma. He is expected to come out of it at some point and make a full recovery, but it would still be good to keep him in your prayers.