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Deftones' White Pony: Sex, Drugs & Melodic Genius
11 Aug
Summary
- White Pony marked Deftones' departure from nu-metal.
- The album blended diverse genres like trip-hop and shoegaze.
- It was recorded while the band lived on houseboats in Sausalito.
In the year 2000, amidst the diverse and often jarring landscape of nu-metal, Deftones achieved a melodic highlight with their album "White Pony." This pivotal record was conceived while the band resided on houseboats in Sausalito, California.
The album masterfully blended genres, drawing from post-hardcore, industrial, trip-hop, shoegaze, ambient electronics, and synth-pop. This sonic departure moved Deftones beyond their rap-metal roots, evident in earlier work like their 1995 debut "Adrenaline" and 1997's "Around the Fur."
The genesis of "White Pony's" distinct sound was foreshadowed by the 1998 single "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)." This track demonstrated lead singer Chino Moreno's nascent romanticism and the band's embrace of melody, setting a new trajectory.
Despite its sharper dynamics and earworm choruses, "White Pony" presented a challenge for their label, Maverick. The album's fusion of nu-metal with new wave elements, while innovative, defied easy marketability.
