With a career spanning three decades and eight full-length albums, Deftones have given the world of metal more than their fare share of legitimate anthems. Influencing thousands of bands with their atmospheric, alternative metal, the Sacramento five-piece are deservedly one of the biggest, most successful bands in heavy music. Aussie brutes BLKLST are biiiig fans of Chino Moreno and co., so we asked vocalist Joshua Westwick and drummer Drue Herring to pick their ten favourite Deftones songs of all time. It's a pretty strong list tbf.
Passenger
Joshua: "I have always been a massive fan of Tool and Deftones, so naturally this song had me in as soon as I heard Maynard’s verses. The way the lyrics explain the interior of a car I just found amusing; who else but Maynard can turn a description of a car's interior into a verse and still be so good? Also Chino's voice works so well before Maynard’s – this track still just blows my mind to this day."
Diamond Eyes
Drue: "I really like the heaviness off the guitars that constantly come in and out of the song, ending on the simple but very effective breakdown. Also the chorus melody gets stuck in my head for days."
Back To School
Joshua: "I think it was the clip and the overall attitude of this song that really got me with this track. The ideas of rebellion and not caring about fitting into a clique, this is something I can relate to as a teen smoking cigarettes and getting drunk rather than studying. I hated school and this song made me feel like I wasn’t fucking up so bad if I wasn’t fitting in."
You've Seen The Butcher
Drue: "This was actually the first Deftones song I heard, and I was instantly a fan. I think the thing that won me over was how melodic yet so heavy they are at the same time, and this song definitely shows that. Abe’s snare in this track is up there with my all-time favourite snare sounds; the way he complements the guitar throughout is spot on."
Bored
Joshua: "This was the first Deftones song I ever heard that I could get into instantly. A lot of the other tracks I had heard as a kid, I didn’t really get them at the time. But then hearing such a low-tuned guitar with that palm-muted verse instantly caught my interest; I was shocked to hear vocals so sick and twisted, yet pretty and with melody. I think it was the first time I realised music could be heavy without just being screams and breakdowns. This will always be one of my favourites as it opened my eyes what Deftones we’re bringing to plate."
Beauty School
Drue: "I like how melodic this song is – between the vocals and guitar leads, there is plenty going on. I also like a bit of a slower jam every now and again, and this is definitely a go-to."
Minerva
Joshua: "Minerva is just one of those songs that I want to sing along with every time it comes on. There's an amazing feel and dynamic to the track with a structure that just complements every section perfectly. It really pulls at the feels."
Change (In The House Of Flies)
Drue: "I love the clean yet distorted guitar tone in the intro. The eerie sounds that come in and out of the song build the suspense very nicely."
Knife Party
Joshua: "It has such a great dynamic and feel, but along with that I think what really stands out to me are the guest vocals. It’s incredible, it reminds me of the female vocals from Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig In The Sky. Just pure feel, no lyrics and an amazing range. It’s impossible not to get goosebumps if you listen to this on a good system."
Digital Bath
Drue: "I definitely rate the drum groove in the intro that progresses throughout the song highly. I love Chino's vocals in this song because they definitely show off his vocal range."
Watch BLKLST's new video for Hypocrite below.
