This debate seems to come up routinely when people discuss or rank the biggest legacy names in the genre. Vocalist Chino Moreno and guitarist Stephen Carpenter have both waded into the discourse in the past a few different times with often disdain for the genre and/or being confused as to why Deftones gets lumped into the movement to begin with.
In 2017 via an intevriew with Metal Hammer Carpenter stated, “We didn’t really pay much attention to that. I remember when these subgenre names didn’t exist. It was just metal. So I don’t think we made a decision to step away from it—we’ve “We never paid attention to what anyone else was doing. We just did what we thought was right, and tried to make a killer album.” Moreno additionally explained, ““We did make a very conscious choice of who we were going to play shows with. It was hard to be this young band and having to turn down tours. I can’t remember how many times I turned down Korn! And they got pissed at us. Jonathan would say, ‘Why do you hate us?’ and I didn’t know what to say.
I’d tell him, ‘Dude, I don’t hate you. I love you guys, you’re my friends. But I don’t want to tour with you. I don’t want to be on the Family Values with you and Limp Bizkit.’ The name of the genre was nu metal, so anything that is new is one day going to be old. And I didn’t to be old with it.”
Despite these statements and some of their differences from other legacy nu acts, Deftones is unabashedly lumped in with the likes of Korn and Limp Bizkit due to their emergence during the genre’s rise in the 1990s and their incorporation of several defining characteristics. Their early albums, such as Adrenaline and Around the Furwere released at a time when nu metal was gaining prominence, and the band frequently shared the stage with other key acts in the scene.
Adrenaline specifically it was quintessential nu-metal. It featured detuned guitar riffs and dissonant, chunky chord progressions that pulled listeners into its chaotic energy. The album combined sharp hip-hop beats with raw hardcore breakdowns, while Chino Moreno’s vocals shifted seamlessly from breathy murmurs and rap-like delivery to piercing screams and guttural, percussive outbursts reminiscent of Jonathan Davis’s style, especially in contrast to Deftones’ later records.
Around The Fur expanded its soundscapes and dynamics compared to the debut record, but still supremely fit into the nu metal genre. With unique vocal cadences from Moreno, sludgy chug fests from Carpenter, Cunningham’s experimental and syncopated drum delivery, Cheng’s bass grooves, and the incorporation of Delgado with the use of keyboards, samples, and turntables (although not officially a member at the time), the band was undoubtedly coming into their own unique sound, but fit squarely into the scene, whether they liked it or not. Musically throughout their catalog from then on, Deftones’ use of heavy, guitar riffs, syncopated rhythms, and a strong focus on groove aligns with the hallmarks of nu metal. And while albums from White Pony all the way to Ohms definitely play with more experimental sounds and influences, the nu metal genre at large has done the same. Also, for what it’s worth one of the lead singles from Around The Fur, “My Own Summer (Shove It)” appeared on The Matrix: Music From The Motion Picture. And if that’s not nu, nothing is.
Starting as a more squarely aligned hybrid of hip hop and metal, nu metal has become a more fluid movement and scene, particularly after its peak in commercial success. Many guitarists from more modern nu metal and adjacent nu metal bands will singularly reference Carpenter’s style as the primary influence for a lot of their directions in songwriting and tone preferences. Mitch Stark as one example from modern metalcore act Silent Planet you have referenced Deftones as the inspiration for their band to take on a more nu metal vibe over their most recent releases, which can be heard both in the band’s latest album Superbloom and more recently in their single, “Mindframe.” Bring Me The Horizon‘s later catalog and catapulting to broader success can be often attributed to the band’s more direct Deftones inspired songwriting and production, which often has BMTH labeled now as nu metal or nu metal adjacent, whereas they originally started as a deathcore outfit. Regardless of the influences in Deftones‘ music themselves, when people take influence from the band, the output IS nu metal without question.
Similarly, Deftones’ lyrics throughout the years often explore themes of alienation, mental health, personal struggles, and many other more introspective elements, which while universal across a lot of heavier and alternative scenes, was at the absolute forefront of the nu metal scene at its peak and still to this day.
So while maybe listeners, fans, and the band themselves can debate to what degree the band singularly falls into the umbrella of the nu metal movement throughout their career, there is no question that Deftones is forever aligned with movement and in fact created a pathway for expanding what nu metal can be. And if any further convincing needs to be done, re listen to what is with out a doubt the most nu metal Deftones song of all time.
