Deftones
Saturday Night Wrist

THE REVIEW

Although not very accustomed to the second part of Deftones' career (the one from the revolutionary "White Pony" onwards), I listened to this latest "Saturday Night Wrist" quite pleasantly because I am now aware that the sound of albums like "Adrenaline" and "Around The Fur" almost certainly won’t be revisited again. So, at peace, I listen to the Deftones at the end of 2006 and am impressed. This time the change of direction is somewhat more pronounced than in the previous self-titled album, here we very well explore some melodic crossover, industrial, and trip hop (even though the latter is not new), all with the immense love that Camillo "Chino" Moreno has always had for new wave (Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, etc.), and his voice reflects this. The aggressive vocals are very rare, and what reigns is his melodic side.

It begins very well with "Hole In The Heart," with a stunning voice, moments of pure psychedelia, and furious and heavy guitar breaks influenced, as always, by Helmet and Pantera. For me, it's the best on the album. More on the coordinates of nu metal is "Rapture," with a nice heavy riff, scratchy voice, hard and syncopated drums - another good song. Another nu song is "Beware" although a bit flat, it features beautiful melodies and a cadenced rhythm with pleasant electronic touches. Although, as mentioned, a bit predictable, it is still very beautiful, especially for Moreno's "clean" vocals. A technological introduction for "Cherry Waves," a song that reflects trip hop, with beautiful bass parts somewhat like Fieldy (for those who don’t know, the bassist of Korn) and a very catchy chorus. A too long tribal interlude (a good 2 minutes and 28 seconds, not as if they were Soulfly) for "Mein," which can be skipped because it features rather ridiculous and too epic choruses for being Deftones. The post-hardcore influences of the Fugazi are picked up with "u, u, d, d, l , r, l, r, a, b, Select Start," a nice song in which they move fast with very compact and sharp guitars. The instrumental (except for some echoes of Moreno) "Xerces" resurrects the riffs of "Around The Fur" but unites them with a more rock-oriented attitude, for a song rich in beautiful melodies.

We return to the hardcore basin with "Rats!Rats!Rats," with a truly moving central melodic break. "Pink Cellphone" is a melodic rock ballad sung by Moreno and a woman (???), do not ask me who she is because I do not know, but she has a beautiful voice, a track a bit too sappy, but beautiful. From the "romantic" sound of "Pink Cellphone" we move to the crazy "Combat," a cheerful mix of certain thrash speeds and lively and cheerful trip hop, especially for its brief duration it can be considered an interlude. Experimental rock infused with psychedelia and a good dose of grunge are the last two songs: "Kimdracula" and "Riviere," which are also quite decent. In short, compared to other more or less recent nu metal comebacks, that of Deftones, albeit delayed, certainly does not pale compared to the albums of Soulfly, Mudvayne, Korn, and Slipknot, to name a few.

A work that is not very fast and driven but calmer, more thoughtful, and quite engaging, a must-buy for lovers of experimental rock and nu sounds.