After what seems to be a century, the Deftones have given us their highly anticipated self-titled album. Speculations floated around the internet containing claims and interview snippets stating that this would contain some of the heaviest Deftones to date. I was especially excited because I figured Chino had been letting out some of his softer side in his side project properly titled Team Sleep. Just so you can get an idea of where I’m coming from, my favorite Deftones songs come from Adrenaline and Around The Fur, but overall, I think White Pony is their best album in it’s entirety.

As we dive into the album, Hexgram is the first stop. It’s one of the heavier songs on the record and contains some Deftones patented vocal and guitar work. The kind you expect from Deftones, the kind we heard in White Pony. But remember way back in 1993, when chino used to be able to sing and record dry? Again, his vocals have an array of effects on them and seem way overdone, and unfortunately this holds true throughout the entire album. However, the album start’s out really strong. Tracks 1-4 and 6 are my favorites on the record. My personal favorite is Needles and Pins, which is perfect song with a hook for a chorus. Minerva is a good song too, and is about as slow as I like the Deftones to get. When Girls Telephone Boys has a kick-ass guitar riff but unfortunately, Chino’s fabricated voice just kind of kills the song in my opinion. The album definitely has its share of good songs, but I just can't get over how redundant the whole thing sounds. In reality, I believe this record could be passed off as a White Pony B-Sides album and nobody would question it.

And unlike any other Deftones album, this one trails off – big-time. Deftones have always put some of their best songs towards the end of their LP’s. On Adrenaline you had Engine No. 9, and with Around the Fur you had Head-Up. White Pony gave you Passenger, Change and Back to School. By comparison, this album finishes very weak. And that about sums it up for me. No-one was more excited to hear “Deftones”, and I thought it would get over the hump and grow on me, plain and simple, it just hasn’t.