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38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, I Needed That., November 1, 2006
It's been a long time since we last heard from the Deftones. Too long, as a matter of fact. After dropping 2003's less-than-amazing self-titled album, the band pretty much dropped off the face of the Earth. Despite the fact that not even a year after that album came out, it was announced that they were recording a new album, trouble still seemed to be brewing in the Deftones camp. In fact, the way they would tell it in their own words, in interviews and such, they nearly broke up. But, together with production from legendary producer Bob Ezrin (who they ditched half-way through) and Shaun Lopez (guitarist and vocalist for Revolution Smile/ex-Far) the Deftones overcame adversity and have overshadowed just about anything you have heard all year. Yes, "Saturday Night Wrist" is indeed an instant classic.
Sounds Like: The Deftones have returned and are back on the right track.
The Good:
- Stephen Carpenter's hypnotizing riffs, Chino's crazy vocals, it's all there!
- Plenty of diversity. Some of their most experimental and edgy material sits well amongst the darkest and heaviest. Much like "White Pony."
- It sounds nothing like any other Deftones album, but still sounds like the Deftones. Go figure.
The Bad:
- It probably didn't need to be delayed as much as it was.
Hits: "Hole In The Earth," "Rapture," "Cherry Waves" and "Combat" are about the most conventional the album gets. "Mein" is the closest to punk the Deftones have come, with a guest spot by Serj Tankian. "Beware" remains my favorite of the album, with plenty of ambience and slowbuilding tension. Oh, and let us not forget "Rats!Rats!Rats!" -- the most evil Deftones song to date.
Misses: "Pink Cellphone" may throw a few people off. I like it, especially the over-the-top ending, but it might have fit in better at the end of the album.
Future: Face it, the Deftones will never be a household name, just because they are too quirky and don't write hit singles. But I think "Saturday Night Wrist" will become a fan favorite in time.
Personally: I am in love with this album. It evokes the same feelings I got when I first heard "White Pony" over six years ago. This is the Deftones back in action, doing what they do best. I'm sure no one could have imagined where they would be in 2006, but here they are, going stronger than ever before. Hopefully they can continue getting along and keep the excellent music coming. No one does it like the Deftones.
Best Listened To When: Ever. This album is the perfect Deftones album.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They've aged VERY nicely, February 9, 2007
I consider myself a fairly well-rounded musician: I'm equally happy studying an Antonio Carlos Jobim chart as a Stravinsky ballet or a Dillinger Escape Plan song. And over the last 10 years, Deftones have somehow kept me hooked. I was drawn in by the raw emotion of "Adrenaline," then the too-slick-for-its-own-good sound of "Around the Fur." Then "White Pony" caught me blindsided with an album filled to the brim with mysterious, beautiful and catchy songs. But then there was the self-titled album, which just felt sort of aimless, and never really gripped me. To be honest, I thought I was too old to rock, and didn't even know if I would purchase "Saturday Night Wrist."
But what a great purchase it was! This album shows a Deftones that has matured both as people and as musicians. The thing that made them so unique--dark, heavy riffs and intricate, stylish drumming underneath hauntingly beautiful melodies--is really brought to light on the album. Clear examples of this unique style are: "Hole in the Earth," "Beware," "Cherry Waves," "Xerces," and "Riviere."
But even the heavy songs like "Combat" and "Kimdracula" hit their marks well, not to mention the brilliant "Rats, Rats, Rats." The surprise of the album is definitely "Pink Cellphone," which, at certain points, sounds like it fell off a Peter Gabriel album. (And the ending IS funny, but like all jokes, the humor wears off after you hear it a few times. Eventually, you skip that part of the tune, and wish they'd just cut it out to begin with). In my opinion, the only real uninspired track is "Mein," which--to me--just sounds like one of those songs that 'isn't quite there' so you throw as many tricks at it as you can, and in the end, still just isn't all that good of a song.
Every Deftones album takes a few listens all the way through to really be appreciated. This one is no exception. After a while, you start noticing Abe Cunningham's flashy ghost notes tossed in all over the place, where before all you heard was heavy banging. You start noticing that Stephen Carpenter is playing far less power chords, and more counter-melody. You start noticing that Frank Delgado is a great addition, and some of those keyboard and ambient parts really bring the songs together. And finally, you notice that you're singing along with Chino, and you think, "Man, these are some strange melodies." I don't know if he knows he's doing it, but Chino has a real gift for coming up with melodies with all sorts of awkward intervals, and unpredictable chord tones (major 7ths and 9ths abound, among others).
My only complaint about the album is the same complaint I have for all new rock albums: it's mixed too loud, and some parts distort (that aren't intended to). It's a shame they dropped Terry Date for this album, but if it got them out of the slump of the self-titled album, it was completely worth it! Bless those Deftones. There really is nothing else like them!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Took some time, but didn't disappoint., February 1, 2007
Although I'm still a fairly new fan of the Deftones, having only purchased their fantastic album "White Pony" a couple of months before this album's release, I still greatly anticipated it. And, whether you're new to the band, or a die hard fan that anxiously waited three years for this, "Saturday Night Wrist" is definitely more than worth the purchase.
I must admit, this album took a few spins to really sink in for me (as opposed to "White Pony", which I loved from the first listen), but it was worth the effort, because this is great stuff. While not quite as eclectic as "White Pony", there's still plenty of diversity here. You've got psychotic heavy tracks like "Rapture" and "Rats! Rats! Rats!" (best title ever), dreamy epic tracks like "Beware" and "Cherry Waves", and melodic hard rock like "Mein" (featuring Serj Terkian from System of a Down), "Kimdracula", and "Hole in the Earth". "Pink Cellphone" is mostly straight-up electronic, bringing a bit more of the Team Sleep influence to the table. This song also features spoken-word vocals from Annie Hardy, from the band Giant Drag, and if you're familiar with this band, you probably know what a naughty little girl she is, and thus her contributions here won't surprise you.
More eclecticism comes with the slightly jazzy "Xerces", and an ambient instrumental track, whose name is a big long video game code that I can't remember offhand. Nice peaceful track, though. The album ends nicely with "Riviere", which starts off soft and elegant, and subtly builds up toward the end.
Overall, this is a really solid and well-accomplished release. While I think I still prefer "White Pony" on the whole, I still think this album is a definite progression in sound, especially Chino's vocals, which are more polished and dynamic than ever. Musically they're staying fresh and trying new things, while retaining their signature style. Yep, these guys are clearly far from out of ideas. If you're even remotely interested in the Deftones, definitely pick this up. Hell, even if you don't like them, give it a try anyway, because you never know...
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