10 Most Essential Deftones Songs

The final single to be taken from Around The Fur, Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) was the first indication that Deftones were destined to be more than nu-metal also-rans.

It’s - whisper it - radio-friendly in a mainstream way that nothing preceding it had been, with soaring choruses, and huge guitars that are reined in just enough to keep those who see “metal” as a dirty word happy.

It features one of Chino Moreno’s greatest performances, and back in the days of Napster, the acoustic version of this song (a b-side from the single release) would often be mis-labelled as a Radiohead song, such is the power of his vocals.

The lyrics hint at escapism, but as with a lot of Deftones’ music, there is a sinister undercurrent throughout. Just why does the narrator want to drive away so far, and what is he hinting at when he says “I dressed you in her clothes”?

Despite this, it takes the concept of the open road - an American rock standard, from The Cars to Springsteen, and The Beach Boys to Wilson Pickett - and runs with it, taking it down interesting and as-yet unexplored routes. Over 17 years after its release, it remains not only one of Deftones’ most famous songs, but perhaps their crowning achievement.