Deftones
Koi No Yokan
Reviewed by: Joe Tingle
Deftones are a band true to themselves. Their seventh studio album, Koi No Yokan, sees the quintet sticking to their guns once again with a performance that is stylistically similar to previous records, but in no way deprived of Deftones’ trademark melodic aggression.
While Koi No Yokan isn’t as swirling and hypnotic as the 2000 masterpiece White Pony, it stands among the best work of the band since the untimely departure of bassist Chi Cheng. Synthesizers and other effects make intriguing musical additions to some songs on the album, like “Entombed”, and, as is the case with every Deftones’ album, vocalist Chino Moreno is ever-present, crooning over almost every bar of music in his characteristic poetic tenor.
Although always admirable, Deftones are also known for their inconsistency. They usually take several years to produce quality albums, and I’ve heard some Deftones fans claim that, despite their love of the band, they feel that only every-other Deftones album is truly great. But with Koi No Yokan, Deftones manage to follow-up 2010’s Diamond Eyes— an album which found itself on more than a few “top 10” lists– with another album of almost equal quality. While Koi No Yokan isn’t a better album than Diamond Eyes, it’s certainly the best follow-up to a quality album that Deftones have ever written. Deftones fans definitely need to check out Koi No Yokan, and so does anyone that likes good experimental rock music.
