10 Best Hard Rock Bands Of The 90s
9. Deftones
Towards the end of the 90's, the unique sound of nu metal was pioneering its way into households around the world. As the founding names of the genre found themselves on MTV, Deftones's career trajectory spanned much larger than the teen demographic.
Even though the band is classified as nu metal in the technical sense, the sound of Deftones never felt comfortable in just one genre. The way they incorporated everything from rap to rock to electronic to shoegaze music is something that you don't see very often in the alternative metal scene. Their songs across albums like White Pony can leave you feeling haunted, serene, or even both within the span of a few minutes.
The way the band picks apart their sound with every release gives them a particular similarity to another signature 90's band: Radiohead. Like the subtle moodiness of Thom Yorke and co., the Deftones collective mindset is to take all the sounds that they love and refine them in a neat package. It may not be the most ear-pleasing riffs on first listen, but the more time spent sitting with these tracks, the more you'll find their ethereal grooves all the more hypnotic.