Album of the Week: Diamond Eyes

Diamond Eyes – Deftones (2010)

I heard Deftones for the first time a while back when I saw them live. I had gone out that night to see another band but after being awed by the Deftones, who played earlier in the day, I was blown away and don’t even really remember much of the band I originally intended on seeing. I was completely captivated by their performance.  I had known about Deftones before that night, but I had never actually heard any of their music. That next morning I immediately bought their albums Diamond Eyes and White Pony (2000) and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed both.

Diamond Eyes is calm, yet explosive and dynamic. Labeling music into a genre has never been my strong suit but when I ask around most people generally refer to this as “alternative metal” (I say this just to give you a more precise idea of what type of album this is). Every track is different and like a new little surprise. Every song pulls you in and you don’t know whether to jump around or sway back and forth. It’s relaxing, yet energizing. When I listen to it I think “should I be running around in circles right now or should I lying on the floor with my eyes closed taking in the vibes?” I’ll leave that up to you.

I absolutely adore the vocals. Chino Moreno voice perfectly complements the tempo that helps to give the song a cosmic vibe. (Not to get all weird on you, but….) I honestly feel like I have been transported to another universe when I listen to this album. Almost like I’m floating somewhere in space and I’m completely relaxed and at peace with everything around me. I particularly feel this with the song “BeautySchool.”

If you’re not accustomed to this style of music, I urge you to give it a try. Don’t just listen to it once. Listen to it a few times and open your mind to something different. There are a lot of really great hard hitting choruses throughout the album that I think anyone can enjoy.

Favorite tracks: Diamond Eyes, CMND/CTRL, BeautySchool