I have to admit that one of my latest obsessions has been the White Pony album by Deftones. Featuring Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, and Maynard James Keenan from Tool and A Perfect Circle, the album truly generates a dark mysterious feel that I just can't get enough of. My favorite songs are Digital Bath, Rx Queen, and Passenger. In the song "Elite" you hear the true metal nature of Deftones and then it is opposed by the softer, more melodic "Teenager". Chino Moreno's lead vocals in Knife Party particularly are quite haunting and chilling that it gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Stephen Carpenter's guitar playing in both rhythm and lead are simple but very, very effective. The first time I heard the drums by Abe Cunningham in Rx Queen, I couldn't even understand how to do the beat, which doesn't happen often for a musician. Now that I've heard the song enough, I understand what he's doing and I love every second of it. Chi Cheng's bass is also very haunting and simple but overall a great complement to the guitar. All of it was brought together by Frank Delgado who did much of the electronics in the songs as well. The album was also said to be Deftones' "Most daring and impassioned work to date." Understandably, the album went Gold in the UK, Australia and Canada, and Platinum in the United States.
The track list is as follows:
- Feticeira
- Digital Bath
- Elite
- Rx Queen (Feat. Scott Weiland)
- Street Carp
- Teenager
- Knife Party (Feat. Rodleen Getsic)
- Korea
- Passenger (Feat. Maynard James Keenan)
- Change (In the House of Flies)
- Pink Maggit
An interesting note in the album for me was the fact that one of my favorite singers from another band was in it. Coming from a much more complex and rhythmic band, Maynard James Keenan definitely influnced the entire album into what it became. Moreno himself asked Keenan to be a part of the studio work, which Keenan accepted. It turned out that he also wanted to be in a song (Passenger) and so he was incorporated vocally as well. Moreno has stated that he loved working with the great singer and who would blame him? Two great singers in one studio could only produce a great album such as this.
I have definitely enjoyed this album thoroughly and will continue to do so. If you haven't had the chance, I recommend that you listen to this album.
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