Diamond Eyes works the way good records used to; each song carries you a little further away from your crappy day until finally, you've been transported to a place that feels a whole lot better than where you started. There's also a newfound sense of purpose that makes Deftones' sixth album stand out. The band recorded the album after their best friend and bassist Chi Cheng sustained a debilitating brain injury from a car accident in November of 2008. The tangle of Stephen Carpenter's woozy, undulating guitar work and Moreno's soaring then secretive vocal style is the bittersweet dynamic behind each of Deftones' records, including Diamond Eyes. The friction drives the music as much as it does the players, though it doesn't always make life easy for childhood friends Carpenter and Moreno. "What makes us work?" asks Carpenter. "Chino will give you the exact opposite answer that I do. That's the way it is with us-we contradict each other constantly but it's also what makes our music what it is-intense and different."
R**N
Arguably the hardest Deftones album released
Arguably the hardest Deftones album they’ve ever released. “You’ve Seen The Butcher” is my favorite off of this and hopefully will be yours too
L**U
Awesome album
It arrived in perfect condition, super happy with the product. :)
C**O
Better than their last 3 albums (even though I love all Deftones albums)
After what happened to Chi, I wasn't sure what to expect from this album. I read a part of an interview with Chino saying that this was probably Deftones best work. A lot of bands say that about their new albums too, so I didn't think to much about those comments. But once I played the first track (Diamond Eyes) I was blown away. There are so many great songs, one in particular that, at this point in time, really stands out to me is "You've Seen The Butcher"; I LOVE this song! It got a nice grove to it combined with Chino's vocals and Frank's keyboards totally drive this song home. The song "Prince" is a pretty good too. The intro stands out cause it reminds me of the intro to "RX Oueen"(White Pony), but still has a live of it's own. And what can I say about the first single, "Rocket Skates", It's another mind-blower. Just like the title track. On a side note, I got to see these guys open for Slipknot this past October (in San Jose, CA) and they were in great form and played about 12-14 songs. "Rocket Skates" was one of them and kicked everyones ass, lol. I've had this album for a little over 24 hours and I've listened to the whole album about 10 times. I like to think of Diamond Eyes as a slightly heavier version of White Pony, or one of the missing links between Around The Fur and White Pony.This album is a MUST for all Deftones fans, you will NOT be disapointed.
B**1
Chino cooked
A no skip album, if it wasn’t for adrenaline or around the fur, or Saturday night wrist this would be the best.10/10 🙏
M**L
Worth it!
Nuff said - a solid print.
C**A
Excellent Album
A remarkable album, fun to listen to and sing to.
F**P
Stronger than Saturday Night Wrist
I own all of the Deftones albums beginning with "Adrenaline" up to this most recent album "Diamond Eyes", and I'm happy to say that it is stronger than their last album "Saturday Night Wrist". I personally was introduced to the Deftones with "White Pony" when a friend suggested I give them a try. The only point I wish to make is that my later introduction may skew what I expect out of the Deftones to the "White Pony" sound than say "Adrenaline". That being said, I am a big fan of their first two albums as well.I must say, I've been pretty disappointed with bands as of recently. Many of the solid groups I grew up listening to put out album after album that slowly signified the decline of an era. Sure I'm biased like every other reviewer out there, and I have fond memories of the music and style that I was introduced first to, but overall I feel I'm pretty open to change and growth. This is definitely not "Adrenaline 2" or "Around the Fur 2" or "White Pony 2" as some people claim (or demand) but it is definitely a Deftones album. When you get that--not only with this band but every band that has ever existed--you can really learn to appreciate it.The good news, as I said, is that this is a Deftones album. It's got the core of what makes one: those harsh sounding guitars, those groovy drum beats, and lyrics that drive you to understand the message, sung with emotion and unconcern for direction. However, as with every Deftones album it is always those elements that make it so hard to digest at first. This is a CD you need to play through once entirely to first get a sense of what it is about, and then on repeat listens you can start to pull out the gems. It reminds me of when I first listened to "White Pony". I knew there was something so unique about it, but no one part was grabbing me. It's after you can start to predict Chino's sometimes unusual vocal melodies and pacing that you realize how catchy the songs are.I was somewhat concerned when I heard the first single "Diamond Eyes" off the album. That song by far is the most commercial and outwardly catchy song that I believe the Deftones have ever created. No I don't feel they "sold out" with this song but its almost so catchy that it's corny. It's a different Deftones than I'm used to but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I have nothing against the song as I listen more to the album, but I frequently skip over it to songs like "You've Seen the Butcher", "Prince", and "Risk" which I feel represent some of the real highlights on this album. If you give these songs a chance they will get stuck in your head.The only real thing I do miss on this album is those real heavy uptempo tracks like Hexagram or Korea. I understand why some people are disappointed by their absence, but I get it. They are getting older and their music is starting to chill like Korn did and Incubus did. You get older and you don't have that same kind of angst and hate for the world as you did as a kid. I personally am glad they were able to move on from that stage. Doesn't mean they can't throw a heavy one in there, but I get that slow and emotional is where they are ending up.It brings me back to "Saturday Night Wrist", which I feel was the weakest of their albums so far. It didn't have the raw straight-forward sound of "Adrenaline", the more polished yet still rocking sound of "Around the Fur", the complexity and otherworldly sound of "White Pony", or the hard hitting sound of "Deftones". It was kind of just slow and mediocre. I feel this album takes that new introduced sound in "Saturday Night Wrist", adds some Team Sleep sort of flavor, and actually produces real stand out tracks.If you liked their first four releases, and were maybe iffy about "Saturday Night Wrist", I think you need to give this one a chance. If it doesn't get stuck in your head, then maybe you and the Deftones have hit a fork in the road.
K**O
Great sounding vinyl
Great sounding vinyl
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