MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN - Vocals
FRANK DELGADO - Turntables
TERRY DATE - Producer, Mixing
ULRICH WILD - Engineer, Mixing
SCOTT OLSON - Engineer
ROBERT DANIELS - Assistant Engineer
HOWIE WEINBERG - Mastering
GUY OSEARY - A&R
KIM BIGGS - Creative Director
JAMES MINCHIN - Photography
2000 CD Maverick 47667
2000 CS Warner Brothers 47667
Hard rockers Deftones take their heavy post-grunge ways to another
level on their third album White Pony. Sensing painful frustrations and
personal rediscovery with its allusive microcosm of an album title, the
Californian alt-rock five piece were periodically stifled while making
White Pony. Their 1997 sophomore effort Around the Fur was hailed to
blast out commercially, but such pressure crippled the band musically
and personally. The band struggled with leading its direction, trudging
through weighed emotion, but White Pony was the tantalizing outcome.
The Deftones went soft, but in an impressive way, to twist around its
signature punk thrash sound. Frontman Chino Moreno is still intense,
and his sour vocals throughout the entire record growl and stomp all
over mainstream movements. He is bored with it all. "Feiticeira" calls
out against authority with textured guitars and gnarling percussive
throws. "Elite" is sonically industrial and embryonic, as Moreno's
beer-soaked vocals scream like Ministry's Al Jourgensen and Skinny
Puppy's Nivek Ogre. Lyrically, Moreno is exquisitely mind-blowing, but
his fear is also evident. Check out the fierce ballad-esque "Teenager"
— the innocent days when life seemed easy can only be dreams now.
Moreno's duet with Tool's Maynard James Keenan on "Passenger" is as
equally tender. The first single, "Change (In the House of Flies)," is
hardening in the way that punk can be sultry and not just pogo-skanking
nonsense. It is honest, stripped, and exposed with it's flowing guitar
riffs and haunting orchestral back drops. There aren't any lackluster
similarities to Limp Bizkit and Korn. The Deftones have forged ahead,
unafraid to delve into the influences of The Smiths and The Cure.
Sensual and mellow haven't been adjectives associated with aggro band
Deftones--until now. The quintet's third outing finds their aural punch
softened and deepened, lending songs such as "Digital Bath" a sultry,
layered edge. More Tool than Pantera in its sonics, White Pony, in
fact, includes a collaboration with Tool/A Perfect Circle singer
Maynard James Keenan in the haunting "Passenger." Fans of the band's
earlier, harder albums will still find some satisfaction in these
developments. "Elite" boasts chunky riffing and metal/rap leanings,
while "Korea" is anguished and edgy. More striking, however, are songs
like the quirky, futuristic, fervent "RX Queen" and the gentle
"Teenager." If you're in the mood to mosh, 1995's Adrenaline and '97's
Around the Fur are better choices. For a different Deftones journey,
however, delve into this diverse, dynamic, and heady album sans
preconceived notions and let White Pony take you on a wondrous ride.
Katherine Turman, Amazon.com
Sensual and mellow were never adjectives associated with aggro band
Deftones--until White Pony, that is. The quintet's third outing finds
their aural punch softened and deepened, lending songs such as "Digital
Bath" a sultry, layered edge. More Tool than Pantera in its sonics,
White Pony, in fact, includes a collaboration with Tool/A Perfect
Circle singer Maynard James Keenan in the haunting "Passenger". Fans of
the band's earlier, harder albums will still find some satisfaction in
these developments. "Elite" boasts chunky riffing and metal/rap
leanings, while "Korea" is anguished and edgy. More striking, however,
are songs like the quirky, futuristic, fervent "RX Queen" and the
gentle "Teenager". Overall, this album is not as suitable for the mosh
pit as their previous albums, Adrenaline and Around The Fur. Instead,
it's a diverse, dynamic and heady album that avoids any preconceived
notions of the Deftones' sound and manages to provide an indication of
what this band may be capable of in the future.
Katherine Turman, Amazon.co.uk Review
Als sanft und sinnenfroh konnte man die Aggro-Band Deftones nun
wirklich nicht bezeichnen -- bis White Pony antrabte. Bei seiner
dritten Veröffentlichung hat das Quintett seine akustische
Durchschlagskraft gemildert und abgedämpft. Songs wie "Digital
Bath" erhalten so eine verhaltene, abgestuftere Wirkung. Bei White Pony
rückt der Sound näher an Tool als an Pantera heran,
tatsächlich kam es zu einer Zusammenarbeit mit dem Sänger von
Tool und A Perfect Circle, Maynard James Keenan, bei dem packenden
"Passenger". Fans der früheren, härteren Alben der Band
brauchen jedoch nicht über diese neuen Trends zu weinen. "Elite"
ist voll von klotzigen Riffs, und Anleihen aus dem Metal/Rap Bereich
fehlen hier auch nicht, während "Korea" Stein erweichend und
hektisch klingt. Noch beeindruckender ist jedoch ein Song wie das
exzentrische, futuristische, hitzig-temperamentvolle "RX Queen" und der
dezente Song "Teenager". Alles in allem ist dieses Album nicht ganz so
geeignet für den Moshpit wie ihre vorhergehenden Alben Adrenaline
und Around The Fur. Stattdessen ist es ein vielseitiges, dynamisches
und ungestümes Album, das vorgefasste Vorstellungen vom Sound der
Deftones links liegen lässt und es schafft, einen Eindruck davon
zu vermitteln, was diese Band in Zukunft noch alles zu Wege bringen
kann.
Katherine Turman, Amazon.de
Es war klar, dass die DEFTONES nicht länger auf neometallischen
Pfaden der Marke Korn wandeln würden. Denn dieses Rezept ist
ausgelatscht, von Bands der Marke Slipknot mittlerweile gar penetriert
worden. Eine weitere Pseudopsycho-Kapelle mit Ross
Robinson-Wegwerfproduktion braucht keine Sau. Deshalb haben Chino und
Co. eine markante Kurskorrektur vorgenommen. Tief, melancholisch,
schwermütig und herzlich klingen die Stücke; Ehrlichkeit und
Verletzlichkeit ersetzen Aggressionsmaskerade und
Ellenbogenattitüde (solch Selbsterkenntnis würde deiner
wüsten Schreibe ab und zu auch mal ganz gut tun... - Red.). Wer
Chinos wüste Schreiattacken vom letzten Album "Around The Fur"
klasse fand, wird bei "White Pony" zu kurz kommen, wer die zarten,
überlegten Momente der Band schätzte, stößt hier
auf einen akustischen Lottogewinn. Anspieltipps sind ´Digital
Bath´, ´Change (In The House Of Flies)´ sowie das von
Tools Maynard James Keenan als Gastsänger superb in Szene gesetzte
´Passenger´.
Rockhard
Auf dieses neue Werk der fünf Kalifornier dürften jede Menge
ungeduldige Lauscher gewartet haben. Nach Alben wie
“Adrenalin” (1995) und dem Nach- oder besser Aufschlag
“Around The Fur” (1997) sind die Deftones in luftige
Höhen des Hardcore-Metal-Himmels aufgestiegen. Aber von wegen
Ikarus. Mit “White Pony” ist an einen Absturz nicht zu
denken. Gitarrensirenen kündigen in “Feiticeira”
liebgewonnene Härte an, die beschwörend und bedrohlich die
Traurigkeit Chino Morenos durchfließt. Auch “Elite”
oder “Knife Party” intensivieren das Gekannte mit dieser
aufgeheizten Symbiose aus Haß und Melancholie. Erstaunen und
einen fragenden Blick zwängt dem Zuhörer dann plötzlich
der Song “Teenager” auf. Denn Chino Moreno haucht
gänsehautbeschwörend Kindheitserinnerungen wach, umstrudelt
von TripHop-Beats und einer ungewohnt sanft behandelten Akustikgitarre
- weit weg von allen Roots, aber dennoch wunderschön. Sonst gibt
“White Pony” allerdings wenig Anlaß zur Ruhe.
Druckvoll jagt in perfider Manier das Pony gegen das Trommelfell und
läßt keinen Platz für Zweifel.
Martin Heiland / Intro - Musik & so mehr unter www.intro.de
White Pony effectively dispels any and all nasty rumors that the
Deftones are a Korn/Limp Bizkit rip-off or a 21st century update of Bad
Brains. By virtue of unfortunate tour associations, the Sacramento
quintet has been repeatedly lumped in the rap-core category, but The
White Pony (as well as both of the 'Tones' previous albums) is more
influenced by new wave than new metal. Pitch-shifting frontman Chino
Moreno is in touch with his feminine side. Wearing his adoration of PJ
Harvey and Sade like a badge of honor, he gives a sensual vocal
performance here. One moment, he's like an angel whispering in your
ear, but the next he erupts like he's clawing out from the bowels of
hell into your nightmares. White Pony is a masterwork of fluctuating
dynamics. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter keeps things heavy, piping out
immortal, Herculean riffs (just check "Elite") that rattle your teeth
loose from your gums. DJ Frank Delgado creates the ambience, by adding
subtle nuance and texture to the diverse spectrum of sound. This record
might confuse some Deftones fans, but if you've listened closely to the
band's past efforts, the beautiful, murky White Pony is the album
you've been anticipating all along.
Passion arises in the space between tenderness and brutality, where the
longing to succumb meets the impulse to control. Rock & roll
expresses these paradoxes, often without much forethought. But some
artists do tackle them head on, in music that not only feeds primal
hunger but tries to unravel it. White Pony is that kind of effort. The
Deftones have always skirted the arty edge of hard music. They've long
been threatening to stray from the head-and-booty-banging pimp-rock
style they helped to invent. But few could have expected such committed
experimentation from a band that has everything to gain from keeping
things obvious. Even more surprising, White Pony ends up being more
accessible than the group's two previous albums, because it's not a
half-formed mess but a classic alternative-rock album, as gentle and
catchy as it is dark. The urge to match the Pumpkins or Nine Inch Nails
for palatability is also the album's most serious artistic flaw -- its
glassy production trades nuance for studio-generated crescendos. The
monster mash of Chi Cheng's bass and Stephen Carpenter's guitar loses
impact, not because the songs are too mild, but because the polish is
too thick. Scrape off the veneer, though, and many interesting kinks
emerge. Chino Moreno starts out singing on his knees and explores
positions from there. In "Feiticeira," named after a Brazilian
temptress-cum-game-show host, he's a kidnap victim who can't even hang
on to his own point of view -- by the end of the song, he's roaring the
words of his female assailant. In "Passenger," a duet with Maynard
James Keenan of Tool, the merged male voices represent another
abductee, this time a clearly willing victim. "Knife Prty," a
tantalizing (and, incidentally, nonsexist) meditation on erotic blood
sport, merges beats, riffs and Moreno's breathy vocals in a swoon of
multidirectional lust. Beats, as in hip-hop, matter on White Pony. The
Deftones' newest member, DJ Frank Delgado, arranges sounds as ingenious
color rather than as foundation on songs like the apocalyptic "RX
Queen," to which he adds feral percussion. Delgado and drummer Abe
Cunningham link organically, making this rock-rap union more than a
pose. White Pony is Moreno's vision, though, and he keeps it complex.
His voice fluctuating between tenderness and hammer-heavy rage, he
enacts the disorientation that desire creates. This tough guy knows
that when love's arrow wounds him, his body gives. His willingness to
stay with the pain is the source of his greatest insight.
So run
Right
Right back to school
Check it
Look back I sift through all the cliques
Roaming' the halls all year, making me sick
While everyone's out tryin to make the cut
What?
And when you think you know me right I switch it up
Behind the walls smokin' cigarettes and sippin' vodka
I profess to catch a cab, ain't no one can stop us
Give me a break about some other mess
What were you?
Act like it's everything you got
Push back the square
Now that you need her but you don't
So there you go
Cause back in school
We are the leaders of it all
Stop that, quit! - All that, quit!
Who ruined it? You did! Now grab a notebook and a pen
Start taking notes, I'm being everyone who's on the top
You think we're on the same page - but, oh we're not!
I'll be the man, watch your backpack and the pencils
Just like he now flippin it, why you just keep it simple?
You just can't go wrong rocking' the clothes
Coppin' the stance
'Cause really is everything that you got!
Push back the square
Now that you need her but you don't
So there you go!
Cause back in school
We are the leaders of it all
So
Transpose
Or stop your lies
It's what you do
Transpose
Or stop your lies
So run
So why don't you run, so why don't you run
So why don't you run back to school
So why don't you run, so why don't you run
All you are - Now I'm on the next page
All you are - It's time to close the book up
All you are - I'm on the next page
All you are - Close the book up now
FEITICIERA
stop I'm drunk
but I'm off my knees
the police stopped chasing
I'm her new cool meat
she pops the trunk
and she removes me
and a machine that takes
pictures of us
now my jaw and my teeth hurt
I'm choking from gnawing on the ball
and just before I come to move to
the back of the car she makes me
touch the machine
new murderer
first untie me
untie me for now
you said you would, right?
and you were right
(soon I'll let you go)
soon this will be all over
well I hope soon
she sang
so she sang
(soon I'll let you go)
DIGITAL BATH
you move like I want to
to see like your eyes do
we are downstairs where
no one can see
new life break away
tonight I feel like more
tonight I
you make the water warm
you taste foreign
and I know you can see
the cord break away
cause tonight I feel like more
tonight I feel like more
tonight I feel
feel like more
you breathed
then you stopped
I breathed then dried you off
and tonight
I feel like more
tonight
ELITE
When you're ripe you'll
bleed out of control
you'll bleed out of control
you like attention
it's proof to you you're alive
stop parading your angles
confused?
you'll know when you're ripe
when you're ripe you'll
bleed out of control
you'll bleed out of control
you're pregnant with all this
space thick with honey
but I lost my taste
you're into depression cause
it matches your eyes
stop this faux to be famous
confused?
you'll know when you're ripe
RX QUEEN
I won't stop following you
now help me pray for
the death of everything new
then we'll fly farther
cause you're my girl
and that's alright
if you sting me
I won't mind
we'll stop to rest on the
moon and we'll make a fire
I'll steal a carcass for you
then feed off the virus
cause you're my girl
and that's alright
if you sting me
I won't mind
now look at em
look at em now
look at em sting
I see a red light in June
and I hear crying
you turn newborn baby blue
now we're all the virus
STREET CARP
It's not that I care
(truly)
but you're that girl
(with sharp teeth)
who grabs at the walls
(and pulls meat down)
well here's my new address
6 6 4 oh
I forget
it's not like I care
(truly)
but you're that girl
(with gold teeth)
who snaps at the walls
(and won't calm down)
well here's my new address
6 1 5 oh
I forget
there's all your evidence
now take it home run with it
now write it down
did you get it?
well here's my new address
6 6 5 oh
I confess
there's all your evidence
now take it home and have fun with it
TEENAGER
I climbed your arms
then you pulled away
a new cavity moved into
my heart today
the more I scream
the more it seems
that now I'm through
now I'm through
with the new you
I drove you home then
you moved away
new cavity moved into
my heart today
the more she sings
the more it seems that
now I'm through
now I'm through
with the new you
new you
KNIFE PARTY AT THE NIKO
my knife it's sharp and chrome
come see inside my bones
all of the fiends are on the block
I'm the new king
I taste the queen
in here we are all anemic
in here anemic and sweet
so go get your knife
and come in
so go get your knife
and lay down
so go get your knife now kiss me
I can float here forever
in this room we can't touch
the floor in here
we're all anemic
in here anemic and sweet so
KOREA
I taste you much better
off teeth taste
of white skin on red leather
check the claws we got
night time cavity to come in
downtown pony
work your pitch
I came to in feathers
lie leaves and you
rubbed me together
with claws like we got
night time cavity to come
in downtown pony
work your pitch daytime dancer
I'll come inside
got my teacher
now carve your niche
PASSENGER
hear I lay
still and breathless
just like always
still I want some more
mirrors sideways
who cares what's behind
just like always
still your passenger
chrome buttons, buckles and leather surfaces
these and other lucky witnesses
now to calm me
take me around again
drive faster
roll the windows down
this cool night air is curious
let the whole world look in
who cares who sees anything
I'm your passenger
I'm your passenger
drop these down and
put them on me
nice cool seats
there to cushion your knees
now to calm me
take me around again
just don't pull over
this time would you please drive faster
roll the windows down
this cool night air is curious
let the whole world look in
who cares who sees what tonight
roll these misty windows down
to catch my breath again
and then go and go and go just drive me
home then back again
here I lay just like always
don't let me
go take me to the edge
CHANGE (IN THE HOUSE OF FLIES)
I've watched you change
Into a fly
I looked away
You were on fire
I watched a change
In you
It's like you never
Had wings
Now you feel
So Alive
I've watched you change
I took you home
Set you on the glass
I pulled off your wings
Then I laughed
I watched a change
In you
It's like you never
Had wings
Now you feel
So alive
I've watched you change
It's like you never
Had wings ahhh ahh ahhh
I look at the cross
Then I look away
Give you the lungs to
Blow me away
I've watched a change
In you
It's like you never
Had wings
Now you feel
So Alive
I've watched you change.
Now you feel Alive
You Feel Alive
I've watched you change
It's like you never
Had wings ahhh ahh ahhh
PINK MAGGIT
I'll stick you a little
enough to take your
oxygen away
then I'll set you on fire
cause I'm on fire
and I'm with you alone
I'm so into this whore
be afraid
I might lose her so forget about me
because I'll stick you
pushed back to square
now that you've kneed her
in the throat
well there you go
cause back in school
we are the leaders
of all so transpose
or stop you life is what you do
all you are to me is meat
now pass the flask
THE BOYS REPUBLIC
blue star
shine your light down
on everyone cause
i don't care
their soothing me
yes tear lung
blue star
shine your light down
pierce for my face
to heal my veins
down on everyone
cause i do care
their soothing me
tear lungs
it's more it's more
down shine light
shine your light
down
it's more it's more
on everyone cause i don't care
you're soothing me their lungs
blue star
shine your light
shine your light
shine your light down
blue star down
blue star shine down
on everyone cause i don't care
you're soothing me
their lungs
it's more