With a new dimension added to their sound, however, the band spent more time in studio with producer Terry Date (famed for his earlier work with Pantera and Soundgarden) and gave more consideration to their production, resulting in a cleaner and more melodic product than previously heard on their debut album 'Adrenaline'. With the addition of turntablist and keyboard player Frank Delgado, Deftones headed into the studio to record this, their sophomore album, with an unclear vision they wanted to produce. If you, like many others have heard Back To School (nobody hates the song more than they do themselves) and thought the band to be even worse than Limp Bizkit, follow this guide. The band have survived the plague of mallcore, not to mention tensions caused by creative and personal differences and also the loss of Cheng (who was left in a semi-conscious state following a car crash in 2010, and passed away in 2013). The band's cult fanbase and music critics alike, however, hold the band closer to their hearts for their willingness to draw from musical wells as disparate as heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop and experimental music, as well as for Moreno's mature yet mysterious lyricism. Since then the group have released another two albums through Warner Bros.Ī band that detractors tend to make unfair assumptions about, Deftones have often found themselves associated with the '90s -'00s nu metal scene, much to their chagrin. subsidiary co-founded by Madonna), under whom they have released five studio albums until the label's folding in 2008. This in turn allowed the band to sign a record deal with Maverick Records (a Warner Bros. With the addition of bassist Chi Cheng, the band started recording demos and playing gigs at local venues, eventually garnering a reputation that saw them open for nu metal architects Korn among other then-better known artists. One of the more underrated and under-appreciated bands of our time, Deftones made their humble beginnings while at high school in Sacramento, California when friends Chino Moreno (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Stephen Carpenter (lead guitar, keyboards) and Abe Cunningham (drums) started jamming in Cunningham's garage.