I'll admit that i've already made a couple of prefabricated opinions to what the album will sound like. In the case of Deftones; violent, melancholic, beautiful, delusional, somewhat promiscuous and a tinge of positivity. I had also taken to account from what angle they were coming from while making this record; Chi's absence, stand in Sergio Vega, and Eros on hold.
After listening to the album i must say that i was not suprised, which is both good and not so bad. Good because they're still making music that we love and not so bad because it's nothing to brag about.
The album's opener and title, Diamond Eyes, probably isn't the strongest opener as compared to Hexagram or Feiticeira but it gets the job done. Royal reminds me of Rapture, off Saturday Night Wrist. It's got the same agressiveness. CMND/CTRL and YOU'VE SEEN THE BUTCHER gives me reason to belive that Deftones made these two songs without thinking for once that they were going to be judged. I think that's cool. Probably 2 of the best faster songs on the record. Beauty School's a beautiful song. One thing that Deftones have succesfully achieved is portraying the essence and emotions on this record. Although i wouldn't dare dub any of Deftones songs as fillers, i do find that to be the case on Prince. The intro for Rocket Skates, the first single, reminds me of Slipknots Before I Forget. A very typical deftones song with lyrics composed of a delusional romance; screams "GUNS.RAZORS.KNIVES". Sextape, despite the title, i must admit is a brilliantly composed song (coalesce of lyrics and music) that PARTLY declares the unspoken in betweens of "intimacy". Risk is probably the most positive track on the record. 976-Evil musically screams ambivalence. Lastly, This Place Is Death is a dark delusional song that doesn't really hit the spot and is a poor closure to a rather positive record.
Personally, this record probably wasn't Deftones at their finest but it is definitely them with their most polished sound ever, both vocally and musically. In conclusion, i would have to say that Diamond Eyes is NOT the record that Deftones fans have been waiting for.
It's the in between.
