12 '00s Hard Rock Albums All Fans Should Own

One of the acts most damaged by being tarred with the nu metal brush, Deftones always had a lot more to offer than some of their more brash contemporaries. Their songs are angsty and often aggressive, but here especially their compositions and ideas are far more complex and interesting than the bands they were lumped in with.

Opener and lead single “Back To School” has lost none of its power in the two decades since its release, with lyrics catering to grumpy teens but a great, drawled melody on the chorus that’s both iconic and quite hard to sing along to.

“Street Carp”, an album highlight, sees a bravura performance from vocalist Chino Moreno, who shifts up his delivery every couple of bars, rapping, singing, spluttering. “Change (In the House of Flies)” rumbles with menace and the kind of bold ideas that Korn certainly weren’t having around this time.

It’s a genuinely difficult album to classify - the guitars are downtuned and there’s plenty of chugging, screaming, and rapping, but this is a genuinely experimental record that keeps you on your toes throughout.