I’ve always loved the production sound of Deftones’ White Pony in a way that borders on obsessive — whether it be the crack of the snares, the massively lush electric guitars, lead vocalist Chino Moreno’s haunting vocal performance, and the deep thump of the bass, this is one of the best sounding albums I’ve ever heard. The work of Deftones and their lead producer Terry Date has always stuck with me since I first heard it at the age of 14 years old. It’s easily to overlook the stellar sound design on this album when you see that “Nu-Metal” label attached to it– that genre is known for containing overly-compressed and in your face clearly articulated parts that sound loud and big but lack a real “space” to the sounds. In other words, they’re typically processed in a way that sucks a lot of life out of the recording in an effort to be as loud and aggressive as possible. But with White Pony you have an album that’s relatively reverb heavy and feels as if it’s a living breathing organism, filled with dynamics that elegantly take songs from low to loud, and permeated with subtle (but integral) sound effects that pan across the stereo mix and stitch everything together. It feels like you’ve entered another place in time the moment you flip it on, a world that is dark and introspective and bleak but still, somehow, hanging on to a single tenuous strand of hope. And after you’re done, it feels like a proper exit, a finality to that journey you just experienced once those final notes of “Pink Maggit” haltingly march their way out.
It’s really one hell of an accomplishment.
Along with the impeccable sound design, lead singer Moreno’s lyrical direction is another hallmark of White Pony. In lieu of writing songs that detailed specific experiences, he made the choice expand upon the themes of frustration and sadness by telling abstract stories (very much in the vein of Radiohead) which adds a sense of mystery into the entire experience and allows the listener to extrapolate their own conclusions based off the tales found within. And whether conscious or not, this allowed the band to take new direction in songs and put songs as varied as “Change (In the House of Flies)” and “Teenager” on the same album. Coupled with his vocal performance that ranges from a quiet distorted whisper soaked in reverb, to his pained yells that sound as if they’ve been screamed from six feet underground and broken through the soil, you get the real sense that you’re experiencing a form of expression vs. just simply a kick-ass record.
White Pony is an artistic accomplishment that can’t be overstated– the ambiance, the vibe, the world-building, and the spirit found within is simply gorgeous. It’s art rock masquerading as a metal album, with each song elevated above the sum of its consummate parts.
Standout Songs: “Back to School (Mini Maggot)”, “Digital Bath”, “Teenager”, “Passenger”, “Change (In the House of Flies)”
