Deftones - Diamond Eyes [Black Vinyl LP]

Diamond Eyes is Deftones' sixth studio album and their first to feature bassist Sergio Vega of Quicksand, stepping in after original bassist Chi Cheng's tragic car accident in November 2008. The band had completed recording an album titled Eros with producer Terry Date, but decided to indefinitely put the release on hold and start writing a brand new album with Vega in June 2009. Deftones wanted to make an optimistic record, as opposed to the dark and angry album they had just finished. The album was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Stone Sour) who helped give the album a much more atmospheric sound than 2006's Saturday Night Wrist. The result is what many critics consider a return to form, capturing the middle ground between Around The Fur and White Pony.

The title track "Diamond Eyes" opens with one of the heaviest riffs the band has written, while "Rocket Skates" delivers explosive energy with beautiful yet violent imagery. "Royal" leans on dark Sabbath-style sludge contrasted by Chino Moreno's breathy crooning alongside blistering screams. Other standout moments include "CMND/CTRL," the atmospheric "Sextape," and "You've Seen the Butcher." Moreno described the overall theme of the album as a "positive zest for life," noticeably lacking songs about complaining or how "life sucks," common lyrical themes for the band since the early 90s. Stephen Carpenter's woozy, undulating guitar work combines with Vega's fluid basslines to create the band's signature sound of crushing heaviness balanced with ethereal atmospherics.

This black vinyl pressing delivers the album's dynamic range with clarity and power. Reviewers praise the pressing as killer, noting it's a perfect example of how digital source cut to vinyl can actually sound great, with excellent mixing and no surface noise issues. The tangle of Carpenter's guitar work and Moreno's soaring then secretive vocal style is the bittersweet dynamic behind Diamond Eyes, with the friction driving the music as much as it does the players. The vinyl format brings out the textured layers that make this album a triumph over tragedy.

• Format: Black Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "Diamond Eyes," "Rocket Skates," "Royal"
• Pressing details: Standard black vinyl pressing, includes printed insert
• Genre/style: Alternative Metal, Shoegaze, Post-Metal, Atmospheric Rock
• UPC: 093624967330

This vinyl edition captures Deftones channeling tragedy into creative rebirth, delivering an album with newfound purpose and their signature balance of crushing intensity and atmospheric beauty.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Diamond Eyes
2. Royal
3. CMND/CTRL
4. You've Seen The Butcher
5. Beauty School
6. Prince

Side B:

1. Rocket Skates
2. Sextape
3. Risk
4. 976-EVIL
5. This Place Is Death