Deftones - Koi No Yokan Review
The band have succeeded in crafting an album which builds upon every element that has been present since the beginning and used it to develop beautiful collisions of emotion and brutality.
rating: 5
There appears to be two types of Deftones fan the ones that refuse to believe anything post-White Pony will live up to that album, and the ones who accept and revel in a band constantly changing, honing and refining their sound. If you subscribe to the former opinion, stop reading now, because no matter how many adjectives and expletives I use to attempt to summarise this gem of a record will affect your opinion.
As an avid Deftones fan, I breathed a huge sigh of relief upon my first listen of Koi No Yokan. In 2010 Diamond Eyes more than lived up to expectations, cementing Chino and co as a still vital part of modern alternative rock music. To be able to follow that success two years later which not only knocks DE out of the park, but also stands tall with the classic White Pony and Around the Fur is pretty astonishing. The band have succeeded in crafting an album which builds upon every element that has been present since the beginning (Adrenaline) and used it to develop beautiful collisions of emotion and brutality. Vocalist Chino previously stated that this album would be dynamically the strongest, a statement that not only would be difficult to argue but also illustrates a band at the peak of their potential once again confident and strong. Producing duties have been once again provided by Nick Raskulinecz, (DE producer) and he has done a great job bringing the band's vision to life. Combined with the tight songwriting, his method of dynamics allows each track to flow and pulsate cohesively. Album opener Swerve City smashes through like a rabid dog, immediately proving to listeners that the band have lost none of their muscle. Monumentally powerful moments such as this come thick and fast, none more so than Poltergeist, which could conceivably come out of the Adrenaline sessions from over 15 years ago. Poltergeist is probably one of the most perfect tracks to represent this record the opening electronic claps give way to a bone crunching riff and malicious shouts from Chino. Learn from past experiences and build on them: this is unquestionably Deftones current modus operandi. http://youtu.be/dUm3Ld8xlL4 Following Poltergeist is the beautiful contrasting track Entombed. Like the previous track it uses processed beats that coincide with an acoustic drum kit and instruments, but where Poltergeist attacks, Entombed sits back and washes the listener with a quiet, subdued emotion (and a very memorable chorus). It draws most comparison from Cherry Waves, arguably one of the key tracks from 2006s Saturday Night Wrist. Here we can see again that the band is building upon previously explored territory to create something new. http://youtu.be/67oBykAKUuk There is no doubt that the band have faced a lot of pitfalls along their road, the most difficult being bassist Chi Chengs accident and subsequent coma. Despite this, Deftones have pushed on and created some incredible and influential work. Moving forward from here, I can only hope three things: that Chi recovers from his coma, that Deftones continue to destroy all the competition and consistently produce amazing music, and that one day we might get to hear the shelved album Eros. For now, Im just going to sit back and cherish this album with all the love it deserves.