# Are Deftones metal?



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 2, 2009)

This is a question that has been plaguing me for a couple weeks now, and I think it deserves its own thread (mostly because I think The Blue Note is SORELY underused. I wish it got as much traffic as The Tube)

So, the Deftones

A band that could be classified as several things, amongst them "nu metal" and "alternative metal"

In my mind, the latter tag seems more fitting, mostly because they do not indulge in the sort of things so typical of nu metal (Drop D tuning, rapping, having a DJ in the sense that DJ Lethal was the DJ for Limp Bizkit) but yet seem to possess a few things that are (Screaming/singing with clean vocals, funk influenced basslines, though not to the extent of a band like Korn, a DJ in the sense that he manipulates samples). 

Or are they metal at all? Are they "alternative"? Hard to decide, they switch between heavy and melodic riffs (or both)

I'm not sure, so I am wondering what you, The Blue Note audience thinks


I await your reply


----------



## Aden (Feb 2, 2009)

Can't really stick them neatly into a category. Wouldn't say metal, but definitely cool music.


----------



## TakeWalker (Feb 3, 2009)

I would fit them neatly into the category of "shit".

Why is this even a matter of concern, I mean really? If you suddenly find out they're nu metal, are you going to have to stop listening to them or what?


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 3, 2009)

TakeWalker said:


> I would fit them neatly into the category of "shit".



That's mean :C



TakeWalker said:


> Why is this even a matter of concern, I mean really? If you suddenly find out they're nu metal, are you going to have to stop listening to them or what?



I just wanted to know what people think, to get a smattering of opinions 

I'm gonna keep listening to them either way


----------



## TakeWalker (Feb 3, 2009)

John_Galt said:


> That's mean :C



Well, I do like "Hole in the Earth". <3


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 3, 2009)

TakeWalker said:


> Well, I do like "Hole in the Earth". <3



are you kidding me

you call them shit and then you try to pull the old "ive got a black friend" routine

gtfo

seriously, nothing against you but just

gtfo

come back to me when you've listened to an ALBUM


----------



## E-mannor (Feb 3, 2009)

hehe, I let genres overlap, if its border metal/alt well I choose one or the other so it matches my play lists ^^

But a lot of music falls in grey zones... you can either make it stick out by putting both or suck it up and choose one XD


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 3, 2009)

E-mannor said:


> hehe, I let genres overlap, if its border metal/alt well I choose one or the other so it matches my play lists ^^
> 
> But a lot of music falls in grey zones... you can either make it stick out by putting both or suck it up and choose one XD



Yeah that's the problem I have

They are "alternative" on some songs, metal on others...

So I mean all things considered, "Alternative metal" would probably be the most fitting description


----------



## Captain Howdy (Feb 4, 2009)

I thought they were just rock/hard rock. I've never heard any of their songs, but have heard OF them, just word around town was they fit in to what I mentioned.

(I deny the existence of the alleged genre's "alternative" or "progressive")


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 4, 2009)

Lastdirewolf said:


> I thought they were just rock/hard rock. I've never heard any of their songs, but have heard OF them, just word around town was they fit in to what I mentioned.



Yeah, I don't know

On their new album, they use blast beats on a song or two, so I'm kind of confused but yeah

I don't know

I think they lean towards the rock-ish side just ever so much


----------



## Whitenoise (Feb 4, 2009)

No >:[ .


----------



## Jelly (Feb 4, 2009)

I hear 2000's (alternative) pop-rock skirting nu-metal.
I've only given it a brief play through, though. I'll listen to it later.

Let me make sure I have the album right, is it Saturday Night Wrist?
(Haven't listened to the Deftones since White Pony.)

I think I probably have the wrong album, though.


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 4, 2009)

Whitenoise said:


> No >:[ .



HAHA great post r u b& yet



jellyhurwit said:


> I hear 2000's (alternative) pop-rock skirting nu-metal.
> I've only given it a brief play through, though. I'll listen to it later.
> 
> Let me make sure I have the album right, is it Saturday Night Wrist?
> ...



Actually I would say like _Adrenaline_ and _Around the Fur_, their 90's albums, were more aggressive than their later stuff but _Wrist_ I think is like a return to that late-90's sound combined with the electronic stuff they tried on their self-titled

In other words, really good shit

But I'm not talking about specific albums, I'm talking about the band's overall sound


----------



## TakeWalker (Feb 4, 2009)

John_Galt said:


> are you kidding me
> 
> you call them shit and then you try to pull the old "ive got a black friend" routine
> 
> ...



O U 

I have a tendency to like single songs by bands I otherwise hate. I've never heard an album of theirs I like, and I've heard at least one. It was years upon years ago, don't ask me for details.

So yeah, here I am. :3


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 4, 2009)

TakeWalker said:


> O U
> 
> I have a tendency to like single songs by bands I otherwise hate. I've never heard an album of theirs I like, and I've heard at least one. It was years upon years ago, don't ask me for details.
> 
> So yeah, here I am. :3



I don't know about that though

There are a lot of songs that they do that have that same sound

So it's weird that you wouldn't like those as well

Like, listening to "Hole in The Earth", it reminds me of "Minerva"

So you know, 

Maybe check that out


----------



## Jelly (Feb 4, 2009)

John_Galt said:


> But I'm not talking about specific albums, I'm talking about the band's overall sound



Oh, sorry. It's just no one really seems to talk about them anymore.

Also, weren't you the one who said you listen to the Residents?

So, to that end: fuck you.

In that case, I consider them to be late-90's alternative rock skirting nu metal.
They tend to be alternative, but close contemporary at the time they exist.

I'll give their albums a re-listen and tell you if I missed anything (because its not like I was descript).


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 4, 2009)

jellyhurwit said:


> Oh, sorry. It's just no one really seems to talk about them anymore.
> 
> Also, weren't you the one who said you listen to the Residents?
> 
> So, to that end: fuck you.



That's harsh

:C

Yeah, I do have a bunch of their albums, DVDs, and I even have the Freak Show CD-ROM even though my computer can't play it

What does it matter if I enjoy both The Residents and Deftones

Does that make me less of a Residents fan

I don't think so

I enjoy them in different ways

You know, Andrew WK says you shouldn't have "guilty pleasures", you should like things that you like, and not be ashamed of them



jellyhurwit said:


> In that case, I consider them to be late-90's alternative rock skirting nu metal.
> They tend to be alternative, but close contemporary at the time they exist.
> 
> I'll give their albums a re-listen and tell you if I missed anything (because its not like I was descript).



Yeah, that's kind of what gets me, because they had no other bands that sounded like them

So I mean, "alternative", as awful a tag as it is, would be what I would call them, if I had to pick one thing to call them


----------



## Jelly (Feb 4, 2009)

John_Galt said:


> That's harsh
> 
> :C
> 
> ...



Actually, I was talking about the fact that Residents albums are eclectic, on theme, and have an almost schizophrenic progress quality (so you could call Residents "experimental," "avant-garde" even, but to describe their sound and method you have to go by album and what they are); not your taste in music.

I'm guessing that was a music forum knee-jerk reaction from you, though.

As for them being alternative, I guess I know how you feel. Genres are pretty sloppy, but when it comes to alternative, that's the worst. There were a lot of 80's and 90's bands that were fusing some underground music alternatives with mainstream pop and rock.

But then it seems like in late 90's, early 2000's alternative basically meant "anything new." Not even that particular blend that was previously "alternative." Vocabulary in the mainstream really fell apart. Then again, that's when I did most of my independent growth in music - most of my musical taste before then came from my dad and friends.

And I don't really know how unique they were for the time. There were a lot of local bands and small regional acts that were a lot like them. I wish I could remember any of them, really. I'd hate for you to take my word on that.


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Feb 4, 2009)

jellyhurwit said:


> Actually, I was talking about the fact that Residents albums are eclectic, on theme, and have an almost schizophrenic progress quality (so you could call Residents "experimental," "avant-garde" even, but to describe their sound and method you have to go by album and what they are); not your taste in music.
> 
> I'm guessing that was a music forum knee-jerk reaction from you, though.



That's alright

If you pop on over to the Now Listening thread in Forum Games you can kind of get a taste of what I like to listen to

When I was growing up, I really liked Primus and They Might Be Giants, bands that took ideas from The Residents, so it just made sense for me to check them out

I used to be big into them, but now I'm kind of off exploring other things: metal, neofolk, etc.

I'll probably get back into them soon

I mean, I listen to some pretty arty stuff (John Zorn), but at the same time I like, you know, Mindless Self Indulgence or whatever

Chat me up sometime, I'm all about music trivia and things like that



jellyhurwit said:


> As for them being alternative, I guess I know how you feel. Genres are pretty sloppy, but when it comes to alternative, that's the worst. There were a lot of 80's and 90's bands that were fusing some underground music alternatives with mainstream pop and rock.
> 
> But then it seems like in late 90's, early 2000's alternative basically meant "anything new." Not even that particular blend that was previously "alternative." Vocabulary in the mainstream really fell apart. Then again, that's when I did most of my independent growth in music - most of my musical taste before then came from my dad and friends.
> 
> And I don't really know how unique they were for the time. There were a lot of local bands and small regional acts that were a lot like them. I wish I could remember any of them, really. I'd hate for you to take my word on that.




I just like the tag "college rock" and then anything that's not that or Matchbox 20 would be "alternative" 

Either way, the whole thing is a load of rubbish but I like to use genres when I think or talk about music because it makes me sound like a music critic prick *coughRobertChristgaucough*

But now, though, "indie" is the new alternative, which, they mean the same thing, but "indie" is just so much more objectionable to me than "alternative" for a number of reasons


----------

