Deftones

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, who began in 1988. Singer Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham were childhood friends who went to school together and were part of the city's skateboarding scene. Bassist Chi Cheng joined the group in 1990, and keyboard player and turntablist Frank Delgado in 1999. Carpenter came up with the name by combining the hip hop word def with the suffix tones, which is also a pun on tone-deaf.

Music and breakthrough

After signing with Maverick Records, the debut Adrenaline appeared in 1995. The band built up a loyal fan base by touring a great deal and through word of mouth. The second album, Around the Fur, from 1997, went platinum in the United States, and White Pony, from 2000, showed a shift from a more aggressive to a more experimental sound. In 2008 Cheng was involved in a car accident, after which he died in 2013. Sergio Vega of Quicksand took his place. Since 2010 Diamond Eyes, Koi No Yokan, Gore, Ohms and Private Music have appeared.

Influence

Moreno came from hardcore punk, post-punk and new wave, such as Bad Brains, Depeche Mode and The Cure, while Carpenter loved thrash metal. You can hear that mixture in the music: heavy guitars are combined with an atmospheric mood. As a result Deftones became one of the best-known bands of 1990s alternative metal.

Listening

• 
  My Own Summer (Shove It) · Deftones, 1997
  Apple Music ↗

Discography

Studio albums

• 1995Adrenaline
• 1997Around the Fur
• 2000White Pony
• 2003Deftones
• 2006Saturday Night Wrist
• 2010Diamond Eyes
• 2012Koi no Yokan
• 2016Gore
• 2020Ohms
• 2025private music

See also

• Deftones
• Saturday Night Wrist
• Nu metal