HexagramNeedles and Pins
Minerva
Good Morning Beautiful
Deathblow*
When Girls Telephone Boys
Battle-Axe
Lucky You
Bloody Cape
Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event*
Moana*
The good: so much of this album is actually touching. There are some bad moments, but overall there is a consistency of presentation.
For example, the vocal phrasing is strange, lengthy and even hesitant. In other words, it takes almost a minute (yes, exaggerated) for vocalist Chino Moreno to get out a sentence... and this reviewer loves it. The sincerity of the delivery, the uncanny ability to phrase over changing sections of a song; just amazing. It's almost like he was in a room alone, away from the music, confessing himself as tragically as he could, and the music is the stream of sounds of an uncaring listener. The effect is stunning. Your ear is constantly torn between the angelic vocals suspending and the wall of guitar noise crashing. That is the vocal effect overall, yet there are moments where you feel far too many pitches are scooped and the screaming is unnecessary.
The bad: if ever there was a book published on the spectrum of musical dynamic, the Deftones' never read past page three. The drummer and bassist either play at 50%, 100% or they don't play at all. This contributes to the numbing effect the album can have. More importantly, it makes volume trite. So much of the playing is technically good, but its lessened without contrast. By the end, you feel the album could have been 5 tracks or so and you'd have the same experience.
I'm aware there is a density the band is trying to reach. The Deftones want to push the envelope with intensity and focused volume. Many times it works, and where it seems this could be an exceptional tool to convey the nuances of that intensity, the song composition disappoints. In other words, in tracks like Minerva and Battle-Axe the choruses are extremely thick. And in those moments of thickness, there are harmonic elements that provide for beautiful contours, showing the depth of understanding the band has.
However, the most common effect of dense volume doesn't promulgate in sonorous dissonances: it becomes generic sounding. Songs are the same tempo, consisting of the same rhythms and notes and in the same structure. As much as I love the vocals, even they sound much the same after a couple of tracks, and the end result is an album that feels undeveloped, even though it ends better than it begins.
After 12 songs, Deftones shows experimentation but only within the genre that these musicians are comfortable with. They show a lot of potential and effort yet the consistencies develop into redundance with every listen. Enough to have left an impression, but not a masterpiece.
Grade: B
3 comments:
Patrick, you know this album is the fucking dopeness. How often have you listened to it? I honestly think it takes at least 6-7 listens to understand what's being done here. I mean some songs do suck. I really don't care for "When Girls Telephone Boys," but some of the stuff here is groundbreaking and I think you have to really get into it before you get it. Nevertheless good review. Don't agree with the grade though. Should be atleast a B+/A-. You might like Saturday Night Wrist more.
On every album I undertake I mandate two things, at least 5 uninterrupted listens and at least 3 days time to let the album soak in. More importantly I make sure to immerse myself into the album and won't think to comment on it until I feel I know everything the album is doing, usually by listening to only it for almost a week. This was the case with the Deftones, and though you might not like an aspect of the review, please don't suggest it is due to my lack of effort.
Rowr. Kitty has claws.
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