Prior to its arrival, the guitarist told, “I think the proudest thing about my guitar playing on this record is just playing on the record because I didn’t want to play on the record to begin with.” It was a statement that spun out into numerous headlines and had many worrying that the Deftones were feuding again. The cause of much concern ahead of its release, Deftones’ latest album, Gore, came into view riding a tailwind of controversy courtesy of Stef Carpenter.
That it also features Chi Cheng’s last (released) contributions on bass only serves to make it more poignant now than it was at the time. But the fact is this: Beware, Cherry Waves, Kimdracula, Combat and Xerces can share elbow space with Deftones’ best songs. “I don’t feel like it’s me, it’s this unconfident version of myself that doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Yes, it is a sprawling Frankenstein’s monster of a record and not without some missteps (Rats! Rats! Rats! – though its lightspeed ending rules). “That record is so unconfident, that’s why I hate it,” he said. In 2016, Chino Moreno confessed to K! that he can no longer even listen to it. There’s also the fact that Deftones have been so vocal about the fraught state of their relationships during its recording (hell, just re-read the lyrics to lead single Hole In The Earth.) not to mention their dissatisfaction with it overall. One factor was that it lacked the anthemic grandeur of White Pony, the bruised beauty of their self-titled record or even the sheer aggression of their first two outings.
And that mixed-reception on UK shores isn’t just because Pink Cellphone boldly reminded us of our shitty teeth and beer. Historically speaking, a lot of factors have converged to make Deftones’ fifth album the most divisive and misunderstood record of their career.
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