Deftones Album: “White Pony [Limited Edition Black]”

Though not as heavy and hard as their previous albums, White Pony seems to be the most thought-out musically. With this effort, the deftones have produced an album of incredible intensity that keeps the listener entranced from beginning to end. The collaboration with Maynard James Keenan (of Tool and A Perfect Circle) on "Passenger" is particularly good. The album is full of rich melodies and harmonies, but the deftones are not afraid to be in-your-face hard rockers either, and they maintain a balance of the two on this album. The enhanced CD version contains all sorts of goodies, from personal band pictures and writings to internet links and an interactive deftones game which can keep you amused for hours (trust me, I know). All in all, I have come to like this album as much as their others, if not more, and that says something because I think "Around the Fur" is a fantastic record.

After listening to all of, and memorizing most of, Deftones' White Pony album, I have come to the conclusion that it is worthy of the title of masterpiece in my eyes and CD collection. "Feiticeira," "Knife Prty," and "Pink Maggit" are intoxicating, moody, and pleasantly unique. Also, the guitars in the extra track "Boys Republic" are very original and hypnotic. This is such a horrible review, but I'm tired. Just know that this CD is great in my book. Good. GREAT. GRAND. WONDERFUL. NO YELLING ON THE BUS!

...but this isn't worth the extra $4. The only difference from the re-released White Pony is that instead of Back to School, there's a track called Boy's Republic. Although it's a really good song, and way better than Back to School, that one track isn't worth $4. If you want a really good import from the Deftones, get the Change single, or their live album.

What can I say? The Deftones have outdone themselves entirely with White Pony. This album is a lungful of crisp autumn air in comparison to the odorous muggy gas that most of the current "hard-core bands" have been putting out. Everything about White Pony is perfect. Chino Moreno's voice soars free with incredible range like none other. Steven Carpenter finds just the right chord progressions and guitar tones to complement Chino's vocal work. Chi Cheng backs it up with low end, and Abe Cunningham creates entrancing beats that cement everything together. Topping it all off, the album is true to the Deftones's tradition of defying the gimmicky and trendy trash that plagues our airwaves.

Ok, I admit this album is less heavy than their preceding cds, but don't let that fool you into thinking White Pony is any weaker than the other workhorse-like albums. On the contrary, White Pony is their best yet. Surprisingly, "Elite", the hardest song on the album, is my least favorite. The better tracks on White Pony have more of a meloncholy melodic feel to them in a "Be Quiet and Drive"-sort-of-way. "Teenager", in particular, is a new sound for the Deftones, coming fully equipped with trip-hop beats and sweet harmonized vocals. "Knife Party" directly follows "Teenager", and the transition between the two songs is incredibly smooth. Any Tool fan will recognize Maynard James Keenan's voice in some of his very best work on the song "Passenger"; his performance on the track gives me chills every time I hear it. And for those who are lucky enough to obtain the limited editions of the cd, they'll find that the last two tracks, "Pink Maggit" and "The Boy's Republic" share choruses to allow the album flow like melted butter on Teflon.

The Deftones have truly found their niche as a band, and White Pony puts most of the newly released cds to shame. By the way, don't think that White Pony can't possibly live up to the hype that I've given it. All my friends had to put up with my ranting and raving about this album two months before it came out on cd (I had it on mp3 and, yes, I did actually buy it on cd the day it came out), and not one of them felt even the least bit let down after hearing it.

More dynamic than their previous releases - White Pony features a diverse array of tempo. From hard to soft this CDs got it all. If you are even a slight fan, I would highly recommend this album.