The first time I ever heard Deftones, I must admit I wasn’t quite sure what to make of their music! Experimental on one part; quite heavy on the other and with a sea of influences lurking in between, 1997’s Around The Fur was by all means a metal album. It was also distinctively innovative, despite the fact that it got the band labelled as part of the (then) emergent Nu-Metal movement. While they did employ strong crossover traits, to me Deftones sounded more like Post-Punk Against The Machine than the hardcore hybrids that the media painted them out to be, as 2000’s incredible White Pony would prove even further!

I totally missed their 2003 self-titled release, so Saturday Night Wrist is a “Deftone” homecoming of sorts for me! Opening track Hole In The Earth hints at a more conventional approach on the band’s part with Moreno weaving in and out of a vocal melody that bears strong echoes of The Cure. Convention however, has never been Deftones’ forte, and they stray often enough from the norm to allow themselves fuelled blasts that maintain the balance against the more structured tracks on offer here! To be totally honest, this record could easily be Deftones’ most melodic, most eclectic and probably most accessible to date, although they have yet to write a song as intense, brilliant and memorable as Change (In the House of Flies)! Nevertheless, what Saturday Night Wrist proves above all is that Deftones just seem to get better with age!

Rating: 4

CD COURTESY OF EXOTIQUE