They may have emerged during nu metal’s infancy, but Deftones quickly carved their own path, becoming one of the most inventive bands of the last 30 years – and one of the most turbulent. In 2010, as the band prepared to release their sixth album, Diamond Eyes, singer Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter looked back over the highs and lows of their career.
There aren’t many bands in modern rock who’ve gone through as much as the Deftones. Through inner-band conflict, substance abuse, the tragedy of losing a member to a car accident and all sorts in-between, they remain one of the biggest bands within our stratum. They’ve outlasted nu metal, emo, metalcore and screamo (and they’ve been labelled in just about all of them) without ever altering their core sound. Ol’ Blue Eyes says he did it his way, but Deftones are the real deal.
