There are certain artists that present a unique energy when playing live. One of those artists is Deftones. There’s just something about this band give you the chills and makes our heart pound every time they take the stage. It’s no surprise given the band’s revolutionary an extensive catalog of music. Luckily for fans, they’ve been taking the stage a lot over the last year in support of their latest album, Koi No Yokan. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Top 200 nearly a year ago, and is arguably the best effort of the band’s career. Now, Deftones are continuing their Koi No Yokan World Tour this month with Avenged Sevenfold and Ghost B.C. on a brief U.S. arena run.
With two monster artists like Deftones and A7X, and a unique up-and-coming opener
that everyone is talking about, fans knew they were in for an explosive evening right from the moment they got their ticket scanned. After Ghost B.C. got things off to a running start, Deftones took to the stage for a high-octane set. The band showcased much of their latest record, but also managed to play songs off five of their seven studio albums. The band got the crowd’s blood pumping with their opening track, “Diamond Eyes”, and never slowed down from there. The 11-song set included “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)”, “My Own Summer (Shove It), “Engine No. 9”, and “Change (In The House of Flies)”. In the middle of the set, the band played four tracks right in a row off their latest disc starting with “Rosemary”, the crown jewel of the album and a definitive song for the band. This is one of the most epic songs I’ve ever seen performed live. Ever. Deftones set the bar high, and Warner Bros. label mates Avenged Sevenfold had a tough act to follow.
Deftones have been one of the premiere alternative metal bands in the land for almost 20 years. The band’s third album, White Pony. The album massive success, and garnered much acclaim from fans and critics alike. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 178,000 copies in it’s first week out. It’ produced one of the band’s biggest hits ever, “Change (In The House of Flies)”, and “Elite” won the band the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2001. In 2002, the album was certified platinum. The follow-up, 2003’s self-titled LP Deftones, debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200. A much heavier outing for the band, it remained on the charts for nine consecutive weeks and the band received much praise for going heavier and harder.
After six long years of hard touring accompanied with writing and recording, Deftones
released their fifth album, Saturday Night Wrist, in 2006. The album debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200. The band was on the road relentlessly in 2006 and 2007. Deftones returned with 2010’s Diamond Eyes. The record hit #6 on the Billboard Top 200, and the band toured with Alice In Chains and Mastodon on the Blackdiamondskye Tour. The band took much less time in between albums this time around, and in November 2012, they released Koi No Yokan. Deftones have a long road ahead of them, literally, as they plan to be touring well into 2014.
This summer, Deftones made appearances at Ozzfest Japan, Caronlina Rebellion, and made a co-headlining stand at Metallica‘s Orion Music + More Festival in Detroit, MI along with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, and Bassnectar. The band is closing out the summer at Reading and Leeds Festivals in August. The band’s latest album, Koi No Yokan, debuted at #11 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 65,000 copies in it’s first week of sales. The album produced two Top 5 Rock Radio singles, and garnered the Revolver Golden God award for Album of The Year. – by Matt Bishop (Photography by Matt Bishop)
