You pointed out how the album feels warmer than the other albums and it for sure does. They went through some dark stuff in the 00's, the worst obviously being Chi's car accident, and this album was kinda like their rebirth both personally and professionally. This album was made when Chi was in a minimally conscious state and they wanted to remain optimistic that he would one day come out of it (R.I.P., Chi) and its definitely reflected in the music. The album touches on it: lyrically, Chino sings about wanting to save Chi on Risk and some other songs. I'd say the album definitely pushed them in a bit more of a mainstream direction after the dark weirdness of S/T and SNW, not that that's a bad thing, as it's also undeniably one of their most tightest, focused records. Some other good Deftones stuff to check out: Deftones - B-Sides and Rarities (compilation album, mostly covers, also the killer b-side Crenshaw) Deftones - Can't Even Breathe (rad song from a movie soundtrack) Deftones - The Boy's Republic (rad White Pony b-side) Deftones - Lovers (rad S/T b-side) Deftones - Finger of Death (a super dark sounding song played live once in between S/T and SNW) Deftones - FYIHYD (a stunning piano instrumental by Chino) Deftones - Melanie (a live song played when they were gearing up to release their lost album Eros) Deftones - Smile (a beautiful song from Eros that Chino leaked) Deftones - Ezrin Demos (some leaked demo instrumentals from SNW, a lot of it is very bare bones but fascinating if you really want to get into the weeds of their songwriting process) And definitely gotta recommend Chino's side project albums now that you've made it through Deftones' discography, they feature his vocals over a wide array of different sounds: Team Sleep - Team Sleep (Chino and a couple other vocalists over indie rock/electronic songs) Team Sleep - Unmastered Advance (an early demo leak of the Team Sleep album with songs not on the official album) Team Sleep - Woodstock Sessions Vol. 4 (an awesome live album, all Chino vocals this time around) Crosses - Crosses (Chino on synth-wave/electronic rock songs, probably the most popular/accessible of his side projects) Palms - Palms (Chino on post-rocky kinda songs, not my favorite band of his but it has its moments)
He basically said everything I was gonna say! Lol thank you to Molly for her pure reactions. Deftones been apart of my life since 1997 When I heard them for the first time. Every album was a part of my life and what I was going through at that time. White pony was my favorite for a long time, Then Diamond eyes came out changed me life forever. The feel of it the everything about it. It’s a nighttime kinda album. Rip Chi! I’ll always hold this album close to my heart. I’m glad you enjoyed it Molly! Deftones por vida!!!!
The death of original bassist Chi Cheng hit the band and fans very hard. I was happy they decided to continue but still sad at the passing of my favorite member. Diamond Eyes is (IMHO) the most underrated Deftones album. The smooth and warm feelings you talked about were intentional as the band didn't want to make another dark album after Saturday Night Wrist, instead focusing on music to honor their fallen friend. The title track is about Chi and I still get emotional at the lyrics "Time will see us realign". A lot of really great covers came from the b sides of Diamond Eyes so I recommend you check out "Deftones: B sides & rarities". Thank you so much for this series, your coverage on Deftones music is what brought me to your channel and I'm so happy I subscribed. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!
I was 13 when I saw them the first time. I'll never forget Chi's dreads touching the floor. Best show I've ever been to Incubus opening for the Deftones in 2000
Great comment! That tone change from Saturday Night Wrist's dark melancholy into Diamond Eyes' warm, almost hopeful sound is especially touching knowing that about Chi. It makes me so happy that so many people like yourself are getting something out of these videos, I love making them and will definitely have to give B Sides & rarities a listen!
Awww, finally! Sextape is like one of my most favourite tracks ever, it still brings me goosebumps after 90+ listens. I adore its combination of that warm beauty and, maybe, simplicity. Though most of their stuff provide this combination
This album came out my senior year. It almost makes me tear up lol. Reminds me of being a dumb teenager in love, heartbreak, and of course some really good times. It will always hold a special place in my heart over the others.
I know exactly how you feel. Sextape, 976-Evil, Beauty School... They filled me with love and hope and romance. All I wanted was to vibe to some Deftones while I held my girl and looked out over the city lights at night. Or while we cruised through the city. And then when those days came crashing down, I relied heavily on Saturday Night Wrist to catch me when I fell. So many time I wished those snakes were her arms. So many times I felt like waving goodbye. So many times I felt like there was a hole in the Earth. So many time UUDDLRLRABSelectStart accompanied me in her absence. I'm just hoping I can get back to those Diamond Eyes feelings again.
For some reason I thought there was a reaction to it but I can't find it. I only listened once though, but Ohms blew my mind it's so good and really a new direction it seemed for Deftones. Prog rocky or something I dunno...
I've actually heard Ohms, but didn't film a reaction to it (I heard it before starting my channel). It was the album that made me want to do reactions for the rest of Deftones discography.
Now that you’ve heard all their studio albums, I would recommend maybe going back to this album again to hear how they’ve landed onto their current sound. Would be interesting to hear your review of Ohms now that you know their previous work!
Be Quiet and Drive (far away) was the first song of theirs I heard. That intrigued me so much, I had to hear more of their stuff. I've been in love ever since. They've gotten me through some really tough times. They drip with emotion.
976-Evil for me is the best Deftones song. I don’t know what it is about it but it just stairs something inside me that I can’t describe. This whole album is flawless too and for me Deftones will never top this as their finest work. Remember you don’t listen to Deftones, you experience them.
Such a fantastic song, I agree! And you hit the nail on the head about Deftones being an experience. I still have yet to discover a band that makes me feel the things I do when I listen to Deftones.
Been a Deftones fan since 2000. Contributed to Chi's medical bills they were trying to raise after his crash, and this is probably my favourite overall Deftones album. It's perfect.
Diamond Eyes is an all-time album. You could do two weeks straight on it easy, but at the same time listen to it for life. (Then hit up Ohms after the two weeks and it's really cool).
@@mollyesanborn now that you've pretty much listened to their discography, what track can you say is your absolute favorite? A difficult question I know. 😊
Looking forward to your album rankings now! Deftones is one of those rare bands that, if you asked 10 people, you'd get 10 different rankings and none of them would be "wrong". My personal top 3 are: 1. Saturday Night Wrist (you'll commonly see this one ranked very low, if not last, for most people. I don't see it. This album is fantastic and Cherry Waves is just glorious.) 2. Diamond Eyes (Prince and 976-EVIL are both in my top 5 favorite Deftones tracks.) 3. Around the Fur (simply for the memories, this was back in 1997, and a cut above everything else at the time. As a guitar player, a 6-string tuned down to D flat and you can play along with the album front-to-back no interruptions.)
I plan on doing a Deftones album ranking at some point, after I've gone back and revisited each album. I agree, all of their albums could be someone's favorite and I'd understand why. It's gonna be a very difficult ranking!
Beauty School is a killer highlight off a killer album. It's Deftones at their best with a commercial edge to it, like it's most definitely single material. But what really stands out to me is not Chino's voice, the chorus or the amazing instrumentation. No, rather it's the outro. It just invokes this euphoric sense that's pretty hard to pin down and describe. But it makes you feel weightless and the way it fades out is just the best way to close out the track. Anyways, sorry for rambling, I just really love Diamond Eyes as a whole.
Thanks for the comment! Please ramble all you want about Deftones, I feel you. They're such an amazing band and I think I could write a thesis on just about all of their tracks, lol. But yeah Beauty School is somehow a really tender yet powerful song, they have a way of blending opposing elements so seamlessly in their music. That outro is indeed something ripped from a dream.
Incredible album. My favorite album of theirs frequently bounces between this, White Pony & KNY. I strongly recommend seeing them live once the pandemic starts to die down. I saw them with Thrice a few years ago and it was probably the best show I've ever seen. Chino brings the energy.
So this is it, your Deftones journey is finally complete! During these last months I enjoyed watching all your reactions, also to other stuff, but it was Deftones that brought me to your channel and it was great to see you discovering their music and enjoying it so much ^^ "This album feels like a hug" you said, and I couldn't agree more: this sentence sums up pretty much all there is to say about Diamond Eyes. I feel like this sound was the inevitable consequence of what the band was going through at the time: Chi's car accident which put him in a coma (and eventually killed him years later, R.I.P.) left a deep scar on the other band members, and Diamond Eyes sounds like a big hug between every single one of them, including Chi. Speaking of less heavy stuff, seeing how big of a Deftones fan you became I think you would enjoy Chino's side projects A LOT. Team Sleep is an experimental/indie/electronic record featuring Chino's vocals along with other singers (it contains some really weird tracks but it's the one I like the most, it's so unique). Palms is what happens when Chino decides to sing on post-rock tracks (I don't like it as much as the others, but it has some very interesting songs). Crosses is by far the more pop-oriented Chino side project, featuring some of his best vocal performances, it's just great! Also, I would like to recommend some other stuff which is not Deftones related. Here are some albums that I would LOVE to see you react to: Loveless - My Bloody Valentine Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins Not To Disappear - Daughter
What a journey it has been! So glad I finally got into deftones, I'm now quite the fan, haha. It's amazing that the things going on with the band with Chi and everything are so easy to hear in the sound of their albums. Really cool how they do that! Thank you for the recommendations, I am excited to hear Chino's side projects and I'll check out those other albums as well.
You're spot on, yet again, with this one. This album really surprised me when it came out. Although I like Saturday Night Wrist I thought Diamond Eyes was better as a whole. There's actually one more Deftones album you have yet to do. Their B-Sides & Rarities (2005) album. It's far better than you'd think it would be and is generally loved by Deftones fans. It has some seriously great unreleased songs as well as acoustic versions of some of their best which are mind blowing. It has 14 tracks, is very well put together, and garnered a lot of praise. P.S. Just reminding you of my Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness recommendation. Even if you don't go through the original band's 1991-2000 discography, Mellon Collie is seriously worth doing. I'm interested to hear what you think of it.
Frank Delgado is so underrated in his contribution to the Deftones sound. Fans would be shocked listening to their favourite songs with his work removed.
This is the review I’ve been waiting for, absolutely love this record, 976 EVIL my favourite. It’s not an official release, but if you search around, you can find instrumental versions of both this LP and White Pony in full. Obviously, Chino’s eerie vocals are integral to Deftones’ sound, but when they’re jettisoned, you appreciate the records in a different realm.
You must listen to Chino's side project Palms, it was made around the same time as Diamond Eyes, it's so dream metal gazy, some tracks like Patagonia, Shortwave Radio and Tropics live rent free in my soul since I listened to it the first time
Palms is excellent its a great CD to listen to while driving on the road ! The songs are long and the haunting sound of Chino's voice mixed with the heavy guitar will give you Goosebumps!!! Nobody sounds like Chino!!!!
Another fantastic reaction! The official music video for “Sextape” is one of the most visually stunning music videos I have ever seen! Hopefully the compilation album, Covers is coming soon ;) keep up the fine work!
Yes, so captivating! It's one of the few Deftones music videos I've seen. I am extremely picky with music videos and often feel they detract from the song, however the video for Sextape pairs beautifully with the music, they really enhance each other.
Watching your Deftones reviews is very refreshing. Diamond Eyes was my entry into the band and still my favorite. I love this record and how it sounds. Excellent production (same with Koi No Yokan). Such a balance of old and new. Sextape is my favorite overall Deftones song. It’s perfect. A warm bath of sound that gives me goosebumps even a decade later. Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, this album is so amazing! They really created such a rich, layered tone across this whole project. Sextape is my favorite too, one of their more melodic songs for sure that is so smooth and etherial in its production. Absolute perfection!
I've been following your deftones reaction series. Have you reacted to their latest album, Ohms which was released in September 2020? Keep up the great work!
I didn't do a reaction to it but I have heard it. Ohms was the first Deftones album that I listened to and because I enjoyed it so much I decided to react to the rest of their discography here on my channel.
I think the minimalist artwork that accompanied the album perfectly expresses what this album accomplishes. They play with a lot of negative space, allowing the songs to bloom or in some cases creating a vacuum that leaves you wanting. There are a lot of warm sounding tracks that play around in majors, but that cold emptiness, allowing the songs to breathe, plays a perfect foil. Diamond Eyes is kind of the antithesis to White Pony in that is way heavier and plays to their Metal roots while showcasing how they have grown as songwriters. Great review and will be anticipating your next video! ❤️
This is a really good record, with a very unique atmosphere, like each album of deftones! It's the second album I've ever heard of deftones after around the fur and I really enjoyed the difference between the two albums. That gave me the curiousity to ear the other albums and I have been really surprised: since that moment I've became a true fan of deftones! So I have an emotionnal attachment to this album. I'm happy you enjoyed it ^^
Yeah, quite a contrast going from Around The fur to Diamond Eyes. I love both though! One of my favorite things about Deftones is how each of their albums has its own sound and atmosphere, yet you immediately know its deftones as soon as you hear it.
This album reinstated my love of Deftones, when at that time I was not a fan of self titled or SNW. It was quoted by Chino that DE was ATF if they had written and recorded that album at that time in their lives. Oddly enough, you kept saying "warmth" to describe the album when it was the first album with bassist Sergio, first album out after the passing of Chi. Which Chino was really upset when writing this album, to a point, you can hear it especially if you go in correct timeline of their discog. It brought the heavy again!!! My favorites off the album is diamond eyes, royal, cmnd/ctrl, prince, rocket skates, and 976-evil. My top pick is royal, just that scream he does is one of the best screams I've ever heard and I really like metal more so now, and Chino's scream in that song is one of the greatest screams coming from a non metal group. When you can hear something like that and just get spine chilling goosebumps, it's not art anymore, it's more like you sense his real pain just from that one moment...it's the best!!! Glad you loved it, one of my favorite tones albums!!!
Nice reactions to all of the deftones catalog. I would suggest next to react to Chinos first side project, Team Sleep. Chino has a bunch of side work but none of it really compares to deftones imo. But it's all pretty good
@@mollyesanborn the unreleased [unmastered] tracks from Team sleep are much more interesting imho. Also would love to see your reaction to Crosses. Good work keep it up.
Molly, now that you’ve heard all their albums, I can’t wait for you to do tier listing of your favorite Deftones albums and songs! It’s been fun to watch you discover this band and it’s given me, and a lot of others, the chance hear the songs with fresh ears again. It’s also awesome that you’re so interactive with your subscribers. I know others feel this way too but I feel like you’re my little sister that’s discovering my music and I want to share everything with you, lol. Looking forward to what’s next :)
Thank you for watching! It makes me happy to know that people who grew up listening to Deftones and have been following them throughout their evolution as a band are getting something out of these videos. I certainly plan on getting to a Deftones album ranking at some point, that'll be a difficult task!
My favorite deftones release for sure. Its unlike any other album with its warm, rich and sometimes heartfelt tones, their most inviting and the production is superb.
Love the reaction. Big Deftones fan here and I absolutely LOVED the way you described this album! It's exactly what I thought of it when I first listened to it on release back in 2010!
I love your Deftones reactions so much. You're super chill and your personality is awesome. I'm not sure if you take requests or not, but I'd absolutely love to see you react to Underoath's 2004 album "They're Only Chasing Safety". I have a feeling you might really love it. It's one of my all time favorites
You finally covered this! This became my favorite album of Deftones after a few listens. It overtook White Pony's top spot which is something I didn't think would be possible. 😅 Great video!
Enjoyed the journey. It doesn't have to be over. You asked if there's any more content. They have some gems in non album tracks. You'd have to individually collect them for a video. Some are: "Smile", "Lovers", "The Boy's Republic", Do You Believe", "Drive". A couple are covers. They actually have a b-sides/rarities album w/ a lot of covers. Did you react to that one too? If not, maybe you could combine those.
Molly I am glad you like most of the songs. It's my favourite Deftones album. Many people have already pointed out the covers and side projects but they forgot to mention a great video on youtube. *Deftones cover of The Cure - If Only Tonight We Could Sleep* Would love to see your reaction to that cover video.
Yes! Right in time for my one week vacation! Everything Deftones touches is pure gold. Probably my favorite album by them. I really love CMND/CTRL but it's too short. Beauty School and Rocket Skates are amazing. The last two tracks are a superb ending to the album. With how good these guys have been over the years, I hope they come out with at least one more album. I must have missed your review for Saturday Night Wrist! I need to watch it after this one. As other people have mentioned, Crosses is worth checking out.
hey girl, just discovered your channel today! yey that the world got another deftones fan! glad you enjoy their stuff! haha and I can SO relate, feeling like every deftones track is a new favourite :D keep up your great work ! :)
Thank you for reviewing this album it's nice to see bands like Deftones experimenting with albums but still keeping it Deftones underated album for sure
Oh i am loving the journey of your reactions to Deftones. Don't forget about B Sides and Rarities album, Some great covers and songs you will enjoy. And Chino has side projects and he does alot of featuring on a good amount of other artists LP's(sevendust -bender, korn- wicked,live footage of chino and abe w/Taproot.
So glad you finally got to this album. Diamond Eyes is my favorite album. It's probably because of the heaviness mixed with the warmth, which is the same reason New Bermuda is my favorite Deafheaven album. Diamond Eyes is a masterpiece album and the title track is probably my favorite song off the album (and probably favorite Deftones song overall), though it competes with Beauty School and Prince.
Great reaction as always! I think you'll enjoy Chino's other bands too (Team Sleep, Crosses and Palms). Palms and Team Sleep have a little more of that melodic sound found on this album. While Crosses is not as melodic as this, it does have a darker tone, while also being extremely chilled-out... It's hard to explain lol. My ex-girlfriend didn't like Chino's voice or any of the other bands I showed her, but she couldn't deny Crosses, she loved it. Chino has another band called Saudade, but I haven't really heard much of their music because it's not as Chino-focused with the vocals like the other bands, so I'm not as invested in it as I probably should be. A little history on Team Sleep/Deftones/Saturday Night Wrist/Eros/Diamond Eyes: The Team Sleep album was made around the time of Saturday Night Wrist. While myself and a lot of other people like SNW, the album is considered a "dark" period for the band, and as such, they don't play many songs from it live very often. There was a lot of conflict for the band during the making of the album, like differing opinions and ideas, Chino going through a divorce (I believe that was around that time), etc. (a lot of this is presented in some of the lyrical content on songs like "Rats! Rats! Rats!" and "Hole in the Earth"). Part way through, Chino left to focus more on Team Sleep, and once that was done he came back and finished his vocal work for SNW, but he was unsure on whether or not to stick around afterwards. Fast foward a few years later, the band had since made up and started working on the album Eros. Unfortunately, around 2010, Chi Cheng (the bassist) was in a car accident and was in a comatose/catatonic state until 2013 when he eventually suffered a heart attack and passed away. During the early days of Chi's state, the rest of the band met up and started writing songs as a means of comfort for their situation, and with Sergio Vega (the current bassist, who at the time was a member of another band they were fairly close with), the band made Diamond Eyes. Diamond Eyes was a huge turning point for the band, not only did it pave the way for their current style, it was also a softer and more soothing album compared to the earlier stuff. I think Diamond Eyes also shows Chino's complete change in vocal style that you can hear in things like Palms and Crosses or any of the other tracks Chino has featured on in that time. The earlier Team Sleep demos, Deftones (self-titled album) and SNW all have this very raw vocal sound which, while it sounds cool and chilling, it sounds like his voice still hadn't quite recovered yet after his vocal problems in 2001, making it sound almost forced - it's pretty clear he was trying to find a different approache to singing/screaming that wasn't going to be as much of an issue for him in the long term and I think Diamond Eyes was the point where he truly mastered his new sound. Sorry for the paragraph, I just love music and just about anything Chino touches tends to be pure gold lol. All of his vocal styles have been very unique (well, maybe not so much the (Like) Linus days, that sounds kinda "normal" for the time), and it's always interesting to see what he can do with his voice on a song, because it just seems to work every time,and it always sounds original no matter what. Anyways, I'll let you go now. Would definitely love to see your reactions to Chino's other bands!
Thanks for the comment! It's crazy that Diamond Eyes could have never been made if the band had broken up. So glad they regrouped and got Sergio on board because they came back with such a great sound! I agree, Chino's vocals on Diamond Eyes are great, he definitely managed to find a hard/melodic combo that works great with his voice.
I agree with the warmer tone on this album. Maybe that’s why I don’t listen to it as much as the older ones. Or maybe it is because like the first half a bit less than the middle and ending. I usually listen to albums from start to finish and rarely skip a track. But «Diamond Eyes» still has great tracks on it. My favorite tracks are Beauty School, Prince, Sextape, Risk, 976-Evil. It is fantastic to discover this album through fresh eyes. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Now I am looking forward to your journey with System Of A Down.
I am a hardcore Deftones fan, and I just found your channel today. One of my favorite bands ever. Needless to say, I was very excited to watch your reactions to every Deftones album. It's hard to find Deftones fans in the real world. Most people have never heard of them, or have only heard one or two songs on the radio. I'm so happy you have gotten to know and love them as much as you have. It makes me happy. There's just something we Deftones fans have in common that no other fanbase has. I can't put my finger on it, but we all relate and connect to each other and to the music in ways that you'll never see anywhere else. You should check out Deftones' album "B-Sides and Rarities". It's awesome. Lots of covers on that album. After that, I think you've pretty much completed all Deftones required-listening. lol I have a band I'd love you to review. It's a band nobody knows, but the deserve all the attention in the world. They are also one of my favorite bands. If you could listen to the album Death Spells by Holy Fawn, I'd love to see your reaction to it. They have a dark, depressing, beautiful, witchy vibe. I think you'd like it. Anyways, thanks for what you do! You have my subscription. xP
Glad you found the channel, thanks for the sub :) I will definitely give their B Sides and Rarities album a listen, I'm very intrigued to hear it. And I've actually heard Holy Fawn, really loved Death Spells! Right up my alley in terms of etherial yet dark, atmospheric music. I think my favorite track is Dark Stone. Blows me away every time I hear it, I kinda go into a trance haha. I may have to do a review video for that album now that you mention it!
@@mollyesanborn That's awesome! I saw them live as an opener for Thrice a while back, and have been in love since. I've always been fond of Sleep Tongue, personally. Sends me into a trance every time. Lol How did you happen to stumble upon them? And I'm assuming you've heard their album "Realms"? Also, (staying on the dark theme) do you like The Cure? I feel like reviewing Disintegration would be an awesome video as well. Lol Anyways, thanks for your time Molly!
I think Spotify shuffle played Dark Stone one night while I was half asleep and the beginning of that track was so amazing I made sure to like it so I could remember the artist. I actually haven't heard Realms yet, I need to get on that! I'll be honest I'm not all that familiar with a lot of The Cure's stuff, but I do enjoy what I have heard. I'll keep them in mind for future videos :)
Since you asked, might I suggest 2 of Chino's side projects, Team Sleep and Crosses. Both have different but similar flavor to Deftones. Team Sleep is more experimental and Crosses is more darkwave. Either one would be quite an experience to listen to.
The Deftones reviews have been awesome! You should check out some of Chino's side projects like Team Sleep and Crosses. A Team Sleep review would be great
Love your videos! Here's an album suggestion: So Hideous - Laurestine. They're about to release their new album soon, which seems to change their sound a little bit, but I've been obsessed with Laurestine on and off for the last few years. They play uh... cinematic orchestral post-black metal I guess? Keep it up!
I'm going to look forward to you reviewing Chino's side projects...mostly because I didn't get into Team Sleep and Palms. But the Crosses one blew me away a bit and when they did a tour it was awesome because they traveled around performing at smaller venues and Chino would come down and walk around the crowd while singing, it was awesome. You'll have to rank the side projects too please. And obviously you've got the hard task of ranking The Deftones albums in due time as well. Good luck with that haha
I'm looking forward to hearing all of his side projects and what sounds he goes in the direction of with them. I will certainly have to do an album ranking for deftones, gotta go back and listen to all of them again first though! :)
