While Sacremento-based band Deftones have since distanced themselves from the nu metal label, there is no denying their roots in the genre. Adrenaline, the debut studio album from the quartet, became very influential on the future of nu metal. While initially not successful, the determination and perseverance of the band to get their name out there through touring and promotion, paired with the dedication of their fans spreading their name through word-of-mouth and on the Internet, Deftones became a household name in the alternative scene by the time their sophomore effort, the critically acclaimed Around The Fur, was released two years later.
Released on October 3rd, 1995 via Maverick Records, Adrenaline was produced by Terry Date, with a hidden track called "Fist" being produced by Ross Robinson. Both producers have worked with some of the biggest names in the nu metal scene, including Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Incubus, Staind, and Soulfly. The album would go on to be certified gold by the RIAA on July 7th, 1999 and eventually certified platinum on September 3rd, 2008. "7 Words" and "Bored" were released as singles for the album with music videos accompanying the tracks. Their debut, like it is for many others, was the band discovering who they are and what they wanted to sound like.
This album differs from the rest the Deftones catalog, as in it is their heaviest effort and the influence of the hardcore punk scene that frontman Chino Moreno was a fan of is very prominent, especially with his ear-piercing screams. Almost every song features the vocal style that the band would become known for, alternating between Moreno's hypnotic, breathy singing and raucous, frenzied screaming. Future albums show how his style and technique have been refined, but on Adrenaline, his vocals are more raw and brash. Tracks such as "7 Words", "Engine No. 9", and "Nosebleed" are great examples of Deftones at their most aggressive.
"7 Words" deserves its own paragraph gushing about how amazing it is. Personally, it is my favorite Deftones song, and I've told myself that I'm so jealous that I didn't come up with this masterpiece myself. It is a combination of everything I love about the band and the genre at large. All of the instruments balance each other out to build anticipation for the explosion of energy that is to come with Moreno's vocals during the chorus. The cycle repeats, and after the second chorus, the interlude brings it down to almost a zero before blasting through the roof straight to 100. The bridge is where Moreno shows off his rapping skills, before ending with another verse and repetition of the chorus. This song is about police brutality, "7 Words" being a reference to the phrase "you have the right to remain silent", and growing up in the skate scene in California in the 90's allowed Moreno to bear witness to racism and hostility shown by law enforcement. Having being written by a sixteen year old skate kid, the song expresses anger in a vulgar and perhaps juvenile manner, but the message is loud and clear. There is a reason why this is one of the very few songs from Adrenaline that is played live to this day, even closing out the show. The track is packed full of aggression and energy that translates to the crowd, who goes crazy during the live performance. I had the pleasure of seeing them on their most recent tour, and the crowd was the most alive during "7 Words" more than any other song, and it was the final track on the set list. The amount of mosh pits was astounding, and the wave of people jumping was a beautiful sight to behold from the seats. This song clearly resonates with newer fans as well as those who have been there from the beginning.
While there are standout tracks on Adrenaline, the aforementioned heavy songs as well as "Minus Blindfold" and "Bored", a full listen through from start to finish reveals one drawback of the album. Approximately halfway through the album, a lot of the songs start to sound formulaic. The guitar tone sounds similar in a good majority of the songs, and Moreno's vocals start to feel repetitive. That's not to say the songs are bad, I think every song on this album is decent at the very least. However, some of the songs do get kind of difficult to distinguish from each other at times. Shout out to the hidden song, "Fist", though. It doesn't sound like any of the other tracks, it gives more of a proto-White Pony vibe which is cool to see this early on in their career. The best way to enjoy this album would be to add the songs to a larger playlist and appreciate them in a shuffled manner rather than the full album at once. I'm a firm believer in the lost art of consuming an album from front to back, and I still think every Deftones fan should do that once with Adrenaline, but this is one of the few instances where I am glad to have streaming and would prefer a mixed playlist.
Even though the band may not relate to this album anymore, there are plenty of young fans who can connect with the teenage angst and resentment at display. Moreno didn't come into his own as a lyricist until later on around the White Pony days, so some of the lyrics don't really make sense (or are even decipherable), but this album is more pleasurable if you don't focus on the words and just enjoy the wonderful eclectic sounds Deftones strung together. Adrenaline deserves praise for its musical extremes and various influences, helping to pave the way for the nu metal genre to skyrocket in popularity. At the time, there was no other album quite like this one. They pulled from a variety of different influences and threw it all together in a manner so innovative and unique, everything from hardcore punk, funk metal, heavy metal, new wave, and hip-hop. Their sound could be comparable to a combination of bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Helmet, Korn, and Tool, but it was clear that Deftones had set out to do their own thing and make a name for themselves, not piggy-back off of the popular bands of the time. If there is one aspect of the bands decades long career that has been consistent, it is that they have never been one to shy away from being experimental. The (Like) Linus demo tape compilation is a great example of this, even including a reggae-inspired song.
Adrenaline is the humble beginning of one of the most mainstream rock acts in the world. It's unrefined quality adds a gritty, punk rock aspect that would slowly be phased out with each subsequent album released, but it from these roots that we start to see the characteristics that have come to define Deftones. Around The Fur takes the juxtaposition of the serence and melodic with the maddened outbursts from Adrenaline and improves upon it, while White Pony could arguably be the peak of this technique. Songs such as "Lotion", "Elite", "Mein", "CMND/CTRL", "Swerve City", "Doomed User", and "Ohms" have elements of Adrenaline sprinkled throughout, showing that even though the band has grown and experimented greatly throughout the past three decades, they're not as far removed from that nu metal sound as they claim to be.
