Deftones - Adrenaline

I've mentioned previously how Deftones was regarded as nu-metal despite being generally much more interesting than the usual band with that label. But White Pony was their third album, while Adrenaline is their first. It still has its moments and is pretty decent for a debut, but there's clearly much work to be done to get their sound to where it ends up. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar and lack the subtle touches that give them a little more quality. It really is basically nu-metal. It's not bad, and pretty good for the subgenre. But this is definitely a band that benefited from stretching out a bit creatively.

The guitar part in "Bored" is a bit typical, but contrasts well with the voice of the singer, which I think is a huge part of their appeal to me. Even though a lot of the songs don't have a whole lot going for them, they still show some potential for the future with extended softer sections, and the rise and fall of tension is handled fairly well throughout. "7 Words" is one of the more aggressive, with a chorus consisting mostly of one word being shouted repeatedly, but it works pretty well. "Fireal" is a very deliberately paced song, and is more interesting for it, as the drawn out buildup makes the whole thing seem more epic and satisfying. "Fist" is a slightly different kind of song, it still has some anger behind it but still has a more mellow feel to it. It's a bit more passively unnerving. Adrenaline isn't bad but shows definite room for the band's improvement.