SNW February 1, 2007

Deftones – Saturday Night Wrist
If there’s one thing that comes through on the first listen to their latest offering, it’s that Deftones makes music on their own terms. Saturday Night Wrist (SNW) is at once quirky, edgy, and in-your-face, while still showcasing the band’s signature sound. Swirling keyboard samples, a powerful drum-and-bass backing, rushing guitars and Chino Moreno’s idiosyncratic vocals make for a simply wonderful listen. The lyrics are very surreal, and keep shifting in temperament, just as the the rhythms and chord progressions do. The first single, ‘Hole In The Earth’ does justice in an effort to showcase the essence of the album. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter isn’t afraid to play lush arpeggios to back the chorus, while also belting out grinding riffs all over the place. While the whole album is a delight, other tracks that deserve a mention include the haunting ‘Beware’, ‘Mein’ (featuring Serj Tankian), ‘Kimdracula’, and the lovely instrumental ‘U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, A, B, Select, Start’. All in all, a great package that stands testimony to the evolution of Deftones’ sound. 4 stars.