Deftones Tour: Live guide + video footage

[ANattyRat]

I really wish Chino would take some proper vocal coaching.

Agreed. Didn't he used to? He's a great vocalist, I think he just needs to take better care of his voice. Either way, even the best vocalists can improve with professional help, it's not like it means he can't sing, it just makes it easier for him to consistently do the music justice and not be as hit-and-miss as he tends to be.

Agree with the vocals on Doomed User being quite off, you can't really tell what it's supposed to be, how it's supposed to be performed. Guess it'll be a surprise when we get the album, haha. I don't think it was a bad performance, and I love the song, it's gotten me very excited. Such a different vibe from Prayers/Triangles. I did enjoy Prayers/Triangles, mostly the verses. Hopefully more practicing and more performing of these songs will make them better, but either way, I'm not disappointed thus far.

[ANattyRat]

I think he used to. If you watch some footage of the later leg of the S/T tour (Verdun Auditorium 03 for instance), his voice is fucked BUT he uses actual technique. Listen to the lower "Feel like more"s on the Digital Bath performance, you'll see what I mean. These days he doesn't even sing, so to speak. He doesn't dare to push his diaphragm. Everytime there's a mildly demanding note, you can see by his face he doesn't push and just does it wrong.

And not to mention, it's absolutely unprofessional. Deftones were never an academic thing but come on man, you have all these bands from the 90s touring right now and they all sound decent at the least. Daryl Palumbo is aging big time and the guy is almost impeccable. Mike Patton, Maynard, you name it.

It's like Chino won't take an advice about ANYTHING lol. Too bad though, he sounded incredible back in May.

Yeah, similar thing with the screaming, it's more like shouting usually now. Unless he's really in the zone, then he goes for it and it usually works out very nicely, like when they were playing When Girls Telephone Boys. Well, I don't know, we can only hope he warms his voice up and gets better and better.

I'm still ecstatic about seeing them in London in June, though. He can sound like an 80 year old heavy smoker and I'll probably still be excited for some new songs, haha.

[LG95]

I think he used to. If you watch some footage of the later leg of the S/T tour (Verdun Auditorium 03 for instance), his voice is fucked BUT he uses actual technique. Listen to the lower "Feel like more"s on the Digital Bath performance, you'll see what I mean. These days he doesn't even sing, so to speak. He doesn't dare to push his diaphragm. Everytime there's a mildly demanding note, you can see by his face he doesn't push and just does it wrong.

And not to mention, it's absolutely unprofessional. Deftones were never an academic thing but come on man, you have all these bands from the 90s touring right now and they all sound decent at the least. Daryl Palumbo is aging big time and the guy is almost impeccable. Mike Patton, Maynard, you name it.

It's like Chino won't take an advice about ANYTHING lol. Too bad though, he sounded incredible back in May.

Maynard's far from impeccable nowadays and Daryl can be hit and miss (though certainly not in recent performances) but yeah, there is definitely a difference between them and Chino in terms of live vocals right now.

That's kind of the frustrating thing - Chino on form is basically in the territory of "vocals don't get get better than this". Chino out of form is worse than amateur. The vocal lines are still great but he either sounds flat or he ducks out of it and relies on his high scream. The worse thing is that it affects some of his best parts - the high bit in Digital Bath, the bit where he goes up in Bored ("I GET BORED!!!!!!") etc. Hearing him put in half attempts at those and inevitably failing really does ruin the mood of the songs.

[LG95]

Maynard's far from impeccable nowadays and Daryl can be hit and miss (though certainly not in recent performances) but yeah, there is definitely a difference between them and Chino in terms of live vocals right now

I said impeccable for Daryl. I shit you not, their current tour? He hasn't sounded this good in years. About Maynard, for a man his age, for the music he sings on, he still does the job pretty satisfyingly. It ain't 2001 anymore but you know.

I thought you were including Maynard in that so yeah. And I did say Daryl's certainly not hit and miss recently. He's sounding huge right now.

[CarloDefDonno]

Chino does need to do something about his voice. It's performance on P/T is really really lame.

[77years]

 Some of those fills at the end of Doomed User are sick as fuck. The 3/4 time really lets Abe stretch out

[cvthedrv]

im suffering

[77years]

Okay that bridge on Doomed User is insane... and the guitar is sharp... I find it hard to believe Steph would feel that isn't his thing, Chino is struggling on the first go-round but on the second bridge he nails it... the song shifts gears so abruptly so many times it's hard for him to get his bearings to sing it straight through without stopping. Kind of like Romantic Dreams type shifts

The chorus is intense, it is (another) song that sounds hard to pull off live

[jaypayton]

if you people are going to compare chino to Mike Patton you are going to lose time and time again. Chino as a live vocalist isnt even on the same planet as MP (who basically has never had an off night in 25 years)

based on the vids I saw last night Chino sounds like shit. I dont think it has anything to do with vocal training, I think it has to do with how fat he has gotten. Fat Chino=shit vocals. just watch a 2006 video....its no coincidence he sounded great in 2010 when he was thin again....the dude just doesnt give a fuck anymore. oh and same boring setlist (aside from rickets)

[LG95]

if you people are going to compare chino to Mike Patton you are going to lose time and time again. Chino as a live vocalist isnt even on the same planet as MP (who basically has never had an off night in 25 years)

based on the vids I saw last night Chino sounds like shit. I dont think it has anything to do with vocal training, I think it has to do with how fat he has gotten. Fat Chino=shit vocals. just watch a 2006 video....its no coincidence he sounded great in 2010 when he was thin again....the dude just doesnt give a fuck anymore. oh and same boring setlist (aside from rickets)

Yeah because there are no good overweight vocalists obviously.

[luisch]

I read he had pneumonia lately

[sharinglungs]

I read he had pneumonia lately

I figured he had to be sick, the last tour they did they were on fire on every level.. for chino to be off now would be odd.

[guizz]

Bad news : Chino sounds like shit
Good News : I'm feeling this song. A lot of dynamics, and that chorus is weird yet catchy. Good new song. Hopefully the Production/Mixing is there to complement it well.

[jaypayton]

if you people are going to compare chino to Mike Patton you are going to lose time and time again. Chino as a live vocalist isnt even on the same planet as MP (who basically has never had an off night in 25 years)

based on the vids I saw last night Chino sounds like shit. I dont think it has anything to do with vocal training, I think it has to do with how fat he has gotten. Fat Chino=shit vocals. just watch a 2006 video....its no coincidence he sounded great in 2010 when he was thin again....the dude just doesnt give a fuck anymore. oh and same boring setlist (aside from rickets)

Yeah because there are no good overweight vocalists obviously.

Im talking about Chino specifically....basing this on HIS track record....when he got fat in 06 his vocals were absolutely horrible..when he got thin in 2010 his vocals were on point..now he's fat again and shock of shocks, his vocals are off..he has yet to prove he can  pull it off on a consistent basis when hes overweight

[pelican fly]

Bad news : Chino sounds like shit
Good News : I'm feeling this song. A lot of dynamics, and that chorus is weird yet catchy. Good new song. Hopefully the Production/Mixing is there to complement it well.

Yes. I loved Poltergiest when it was played live early on but the record version is almost unbearable to listen to. The guitar sounds good on it at least.

I love the way this song sounds. Given the quality of most of the videos suck, I actually like the direction of the song and I'm sure this will be the lead single and will probably released this Tues.

Can't wait to hear this record.

[LG95]

if you people are going to compare chino to Mike Patton you are going to lose time and time again. Chino as a live vocalist isnt even on the same planet as MP (who basically has never had an off night in 25 years)

based on the vids I saw last night Chino sounds like shit. I dont think it has anything to do with vocal training, I think it has to do with how fat he has gotten. Fat Chino=shit vocals. just watch a 2006 video....its no coincidence he sounded great in 2010 when he was thin again....the dude just doesnt give a fuck anymore. oh and same boring setlist (aside from rickets)

Yeah because there are no good overweight vocalists obviously.

Im talking about Chino specifically....basing this on HIS track record....when he got fat in 06 his vocals were absolutely horrible..when he got thin in 2010 his vocals were on point..now he's fat again and shock of shocks, his vocals are off..he has yet to prove he can  pull it off on a consistent basis when hes overweight

I agree that he's worse when he puts on weight but the issue is whether that's a root factor. I think the big issue is technical - if his consistency, vocal stamina, breath control etc was good then him putting on weight wouldn't be as big a deal. Unfortunately because he's not very good on that front, his problems get shown up when he does start putting on the pounds. The basic problem is technical; it's just harder to cover if he's not as fit.

[guizz]

No, it is the lack of training. A fat guy can definitely be an awesome metal singer.

Being in very good shape is important for a singer that moves a lot on the stage like chino does. Being out of breath does not help your voice. But I'm not saying it's the only factor.

[el perro]

Doomed User sounds dysfunctional which I like but it sounds like a Chino metal song. Like Stef said he's the glue on this album. He took songs written by Chino and Serj and just made them tighter. I do like that Chino's singing in a manageable key for once. Overall though it's disappointing that what I've heard so far that they haven't really done anything different on this album. It's still the same style. 

[guizz]

"Chino metal song"

what does that even mean?

[el perro]

"Chino metal song"

what does that even mean?

A metal song that Chino wrote which Steph plays.