Deftones

Ohms

Written by: PP on 25/01/2021 18:59:30

Alternative metal institution Deftones has reached their ninth album with "Ohms". Longtime fans of the bands will be happy: Chino Moreno's haunting clean vocals are still at the center, breaking into razor-sharp, piercing screams at key moments to highlight the emotive ambiance that has always encompassed their releases. More importantly, however, the instrumentals have taken a turn towards the heavier and rawer; effectively poising a delightful throwback to the band's crushing origins on records like "Around The Fur" and even "Adrenaline" to some extent.

That said, the stylistic shift back to nostalgia isn't quite as drastic as you might imagine. Overall, "Ohms" is very much a signature style Deftones record featuring massive soundscapes, crushing alternative metal riffs, and plenty of ethereal atmospheric passages. Still, songs like "Pompeji" showcase glimpses of the past heaviness, yet delivered in an uplifting, spacious, and grandiosely dreamy manner as usual. Similarly, the brooding vibes of "Ceremony" echo early Deftones material not just in guitar distortion but also in the vocal department.

Essentially, "Ohms" feels like a bridge between the modern Deftones and the past. Familiar, recognizable, yet oozing of the same quality and consistency as pretty much all records by the band to date. It has some of the most ambitious and progressive cuts by the band to date, but simultaneously also the most simplistically aggressive material as well. Together, the two styles forge what is a quintessential Deftones sound, hitting every note and howl exactly as you'd like to remember this band by. It's no "Around The Fur" or "White Pony", but it is one of the best in their modern era since the latter, perhaps eclipsed only by "Saturday Night Wrist" and "Koi No Yokan", which just speaks volumes of how many great albums they have released over their past 25 years.

Download: Ceremony, Pompeji, Error, This Link Is Dead
For the fans of: Korea, Tool, Taproot, Chevelle
Listen: Facebook

Release date 25.09.2020
Reprise Records

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