10 Most Essential Deftones Songs

Presumably breaking a world-record for the biggest can of worms that's ever been opened, Rage Against The Machine’s Tim Commerford apologised for his band’s part in creating Limp Bizkit. But though Commerford took it upon himself to single out Fred Durst and co for their crimes against music, he could really have chosen any number of nu-metallers to say sorry for influencing.

The biggest exception to that rule is Deftones. The Sacramento five-piece were dismissed as “Korn-lite” in their early days, but since then they have shown not only remarkable staying power, but expanded and improved their sound, becoming critically-acclaimed in the process.

The 3rd of October 2015 celebrates the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Adrenaline. While it is rightly considered a classic of both genre and artist, Deftones are by far a better band now than they were 20 years ago, both in the live arena and on record.

Despite the recent tragedy of founding bassist Chi Cheng’s long coma and eventual death, their last two albums have been among their best. In celebration of Adrenaline’s 20th birthday, now is as good a time as any to delve into their expansive back-catalogue to determine what are, for fans, their most definitive tracks.

Throughout their career, Deftones have been known for taking risks, and testing the limits of what a guitar-based band can be. Sometimes these risks have paid off, while others have not, but whatever the outcome, they have never been anything less than an intriguing prospect.

One of their riskier albums - and as a result, most interesting - is Saturday Night Wrist, released in 2006. The gambles started being taken even before recording had started, with the band’s decision to make a break from long term producer Terry Date. After aborted sessions with Dan The Automator (producer of Gorillaz’s debut album, among others), they eventually chose legendary Pink Floyd collaborator Bob Ezrin to man the desk.

While things got off to a good start, they would soon deteriorate. Frontman Chino Moreno was battling drug addictions, not to mention dealing with his crumbling marriage, and this led to tensions within the band and with Ezrin. More sessions without Ezrin followed a break in which Moreno toured with his side-project Team Sleep, and eventually, after almost two years in the making, Saturday Night Wrist was finally released.

Pushing their creativity to the limit, it was met with acclaim, despite its fraught creation, and Beware remains one of Deftones’ most played songs live. Other songs off the record have dropped down the pecking order with subsequent releases, but Beware, with its cautionary tale lyrics, has become a firm fan favourite.