What is...

[Robotsatemygrandma]

Maybe it's my pain meds or the extreme lack of creativity (atm) and boredom but...

What would you say were the best and worst things to happen to the Deftones?

Finally taking in Frank as a full time member? Dude really adds to it all. His style, kinda like Chino's guitars, really contribute and never overpower what's going on, since Stef's playing and Abe's drums create the song while Chino's vocals make the song. Bass... that's another story.

Would it be Stef's Messuggah influence? Like I was listening to some pre Self Titled stuff today, and it's like DAMN!, wtf happened here? Dude's all stoned and riffing on the 'Suggah IMO, some of it's good, some of it's like, honestly, come on now... Let's do something else.

Chino shredding his vocals back in the day? Helped make him concentrate more on singing rather then screaming. Is this good? Is this bad? Both?

The extreme turn away from their previous style with White Pony? Making a record that many hated but actually secretly was gold. Was it, along with a huge series of events (divorce, band turmoil, addiction, aka life), a precursor to what the future of the band will be like? Rather then the angst ridden angry shit that DOMINATED the "Nu-Metal" uprising with their own unique blend of music. By and by, ATF is honestly a very intense album. My non musician best friend still holds it as a bench mark to compare all others, and this dude is huge on hip hop.

Dunno, don't get me wrong, these guys, collectively (along with Serg in the mix) are some of the biggest influences for many, and myself included (even though I tried my hardest to not to let 'em be for the longest time, but I finally embraced it). Just a lot of information about them is readily available and has been for the longest time, versus other bands, so you really get a more intimate in depth connection with them.

Discuss. I have to poop now. 

[Ponte506]

I'm pretty sure having their brother in a coma for over 2 years constitutes as "the worst thing that's happened to them"...not your pain-meds analysis of "Steph plays guitar like Messuggah! lolz"

[illthrowROCKS@U]

Yeah it's almost too obvious to say Chi's accident is the worst..

Best, when chino changed his vocal style and started singing more.. Tho I miss his screams, DE was pretty devoid of them

[deftoolsys07]

Yeah it's almost too obvious to say Chi's accident is the worst..

Best, when chino changed his vocal style and started singing more.. Tho I miss his screams, DE was pretty devoid of them

Yes we all will agree with Chi's departure, since that is a huge setback for Deftones.

We've all donated money and whatever we could to Chi, right? Right? Noobs? Have y'all done y'alls part?

Now don't take disrespect to this, but as far as the SOUND goes, the absence of Chi hasn't seemed like a huge setback to Deftones, As far as the SOUND goes. And that's just my opinion. I'm not there in the studio with them so I can't tell you exactly how different Sergio and Chi sound because I don't hear it on a daily basis and therefore not accustomed to it. I've heard Sergio plays with a pick versus Chi playing with his fingers, which I know makes a big difference. But I'm not there with them enough to actually hear a HUGE difference. I know they have different styles but when I see them live I can't HEAR the difference in the bass, maybe just because I've only been to like 10 Deftones shows and that really isn't enough to hear a big difference as far as if you play with a pick or finger. I'm in a band myself and god damn if you can't tell this or that about anything, so why would I hear the difference between them.

Now, as far as this topic is concerned, yeah Chino's vocal setbacks back in the day changed his vocal style, even though I think he still kills it, and he might do more singing than screaming but I'm down with that. It's still good music.

As far as how they react to it, and how it has influenced the music, of course, with out a doubt, it has changed the band. C'mon, it's Chi. At that same rate, it could have been any of them.

But if we were pretending for a second that we were talking about the original Deftones with Chi, then I would say Chino's throat problems or whatever the fuck is the changing point. Because yeah now there's less "raw" and "in your face" moments, which is different from the works of Adrenaline and Around the Fur. So to answer the question, I would say Chino's vocal style has changed, not necessarily for the worst ( I almost think the best!) but it's other influences in the band, like you say Stef's Meshugahh influence. That has changed Deftones, as well. But I think that that shit is the most prominent. Even though I still like everything equally.

edit: sorry i was drunk when i posted this haha

[pinkmaggit]

Yeah it's almost too obvious to say Chi's accident is the worst..

Best, when chino changed his vocal style and started singing more.. Tho I miss his screams, DE was pretty devoid of them

Of course for everyone it's got to be Chi.
I really love the way he played, I think his work on Self Titled was phenomenal and really made me appreciate the bass more!
Although I think Sergio is great and I'm glad the band took him on (I don't think it would have worked with anyone else and I'm so glad the band is continuing to make great music), Chi was just The Man.
I really miss his dry wit i interviews, some are irritated by Sergio's very happy personality but I think it would really please Chi to know that the band are remaining positive.
I'm sure the last thing he would have wanted was for everyone to mope around and for them to stop playing together.

Of course someone shredding their vocals is never a good thing but I think Chino really learned to look after his vocal chords after that and he's singing as well as he ever has today.
ATF was a phenomenal album, the screaming is just epic and I wish every Deftones album could have that intensity.
However no human being can keep up that level and it would have killed Chino to keep on going like that, especially seeing as though they're very much a live band and considering the large number of shows they do.
Self Titled though to me proved that Chino was not afraid to still scream and his screams in that album are bone chilling! - I love that album!!
After shredding his vocal chords, to then come up with a song like Hexagram is unbelievable - the intensity of that song is insane!!!!, and to think they had the balls to release it as a single.
They could have really sold out after WP and ended up like Linkin Park but they just sound so hungry every record.
I love how grounded they all are, they know their strengths, they know they have a unique sound which is always the core of any Deftones album but they really just push each one in it's one unique direction from there.
Diamond Eyes was a really good album but yes I agree,  I wish there was a bit more screaming on it.

For me the band haven't really set a foot wrong.
Making Frank a permanent member was a great move, he's added so much to every Deftones album he's played on - he's an integral part of Deftones sound!
I love the way Stef is always pushing boundaries, always getting heavier, getting more strings on his guitar, always tuning it lower.
I love the contrast between him and Chino, the dynamic works so well for the band.
It' almost like they're pushing each other on, which is why to me they always sound so fresh.
I love his guitar tone on Self Titled and when my wife, a house music lover, heard Diamond Eyes, she commented on how awesome Stef's 8 string sounded.
Diamond Eyes (the song) is such a brilliant example of the Stef-Chino dynamic.
You've got Stef churning out this really chuggy, heavy riff and instead of going for the obvious Chino lets his voice sort of sail through it in a beautiful melody.
This, together with Franks delicate effects weaving through the song bring images to my head of roses blooming on a skull, much liek the S/T album cover in motion.
Of course Abe's drumming is out of this world too.
I love the way he pounds his kit, putting so much energy into it - he took my appreciation of the drums to a whole new level!

[DEFinatelydeftones,fsho]

Great topic i will say.... It's all here already, all said though. They have evolved as well as I could imagine even without Chi rt now. DE may not be our favorite record collectively but it's not a downere and didn't tell me that they are heading down now. If they remain experimental and keep that work ethic like "we play what we want to hear and what we feel is right" they will keep blessing us no matter the circumstances. I will say this.... always be Deftones as long as Chino holds up. He is the only member IMO that is a 100% necessity to this group. God keep em all alive, well, n creative though. Keep smokin.