10 Most Essential Deftones Songs

When Deftones sat down and started writing the follow up to Adrenaline, word of mouth and steady sales had given them a loyal fanbase who were eagerly anticipating their next move.

The first signs of this came in the form of one of Deftones’ most famous singles, My Own Summer (Shove It), which augured well for the album. But no-one quite predicted just how successful Around The Fur would prove to be.

It propelled Deftones to stardom within the alternative and metal scene, and heavy video rotation on channels like MTV helped it sell 43,000 copies in its first week of release, a figure it had taken Adrenaline months to achieve. It influenced many bands, and Headup, which features Sepultura and Soulfly’s Max Cavalera is even a favourite of Muse, and they have been known to use the main riff as an intro to New Born sometimes.

While the album’s most famous songs are its singles, one of its highlights is its title track. Drummer Abe Cunningham has always been a powerful musical presence throughout Deftones’ career and his work on Around The Fur is up there with his finest. The staccato and insistent beat sets the tone of the song and contributes to one of the album’s most thrilling three and a half minutes.