My First Time Listening to Deftones (Self-Titled) | My Reaction

[@yourface8700]

Self Titled is probably one of the more underrated Deftones albums. No one ever talks about it and most forget about it. It even took myself 3 listens before I started to enjoy it. I think that Gore is the only Deftones album that is no where as good as the others. I feel like 8/9 albums could be considered someone's favorite Deftones album and I would completely be able to understand why. Each of their albums have their own theme to them and they are always good listens. Adrenaline has the heavy hits, Around the Fur has the more grungy sound, White Pony is the atmospheric sound, Self Titled is the Dark album, Saturday Night Wrist is the unpredictable curveball album, Diamond Eyes is the lower guitar register, Koi No Yokan is the cohesive/continuous ethereal noise, Gore is the laid back electronics and Ohms is the 'experimental' modern rock album. Ohms is my favorite out of all of them

[@TheWretchedMammoth]

Ohms was a solid return to form after Gore (IMHO).

[@shananhodges6367]

I do agree about gore. After their 1st 2 albums white pony is something they needed to get out. I feel the same about gore. It really is a beautiful album and the songs are incredible live. I really feel each album, while connected with the one before needs to be looked at on its own. Gore is not my favourite. But holy shit I enjoy it.

[@mollyesanborn]

Those are great descriptions for each album. You're absolutely right, so far they've all had their own unique sound that makes them all a very different experience sonically.

[@chrono050]

I think Gore is the most underrated

[@existentialhead8330]

@@chrono050 yeah, Gore way underrated. Not their best album, sure, but there is still much to love on it.

[@Redforsberg]

"We'll see if more of that aggression comes back into their music" *Proceeds to play Hexagram*

[@AndCeroUno]

You're right, this is a very dark, depressing and at times nostalgic album. Needles and pins is one of my favorite songs, and it has something very special about it, one of Chi Cheng's most catartic and wonderful screams. Battle-axe is not a catchy song, it requires several reproductions to be appreciated, once that happens it becomes a very special song in its entire discography

[@junkyardwillie8320]

The self titled as a whole was one of the hardest albums for me to get into, especially battle ax. Even after I knew I had grown to love the album I still couldn’t really do that song, but now it’s one of my favorites off the entire record

[@20tetsuo77]

Funny, battle ax is my favorite off the album, that and deathblow. Very moody songs, but then again I’m a very moody person lol

[@FattyLumpOfPoo]

I love Needles and pins and Battle-axe

[@henriquefernandes1519]

Self titled is my favorite album of Deftones, when I was young " When girls telephone boys" and " hexagram" used to be my favorite songs, now with 32 years my taste change and I love the atmosphere of " battle-axe" and " Deathblow", it's so darkness and emotional, you feel the angst in Chino's voice, I love Deftones the band of my life

[@crackaddict7190]

My first listen of battle ace added it to my favorites I love that song. Death blow,Minerva, Needles and Pins,Battle axe some of the my favorite songs in constantly playing them on my phone and guitar 😭

[@stef1651]

This is definitely Deftones' darkest album, they never released something like this one, and it's sadly underrated :/ the follow up album (Saturday Night Wrist) is another dark record, but it's also very dreamy: some songs have a similar vibe to "Anniversary of an uninteresting event", which I think you will enjoy ^^ The more experimental sound of "Lucky You" and "Anniversary" is due to Frank Delgado getting more and more involved in the band, you'll hear more of that in later albums and I promise you won't be disappointed ahahah And if you liked "Lucky You", well...there's something similar waiting for you on Saturday Night Wrist 😋

[@henriquefernandes1519]

Self titled is my favorite album of Deftones, when I was young " When girls telephone boys" and " hexagram" used to be my favorite songs, now with 32 years my taste change and I love the atmosphere of " battle-axe" and " Deathblow", it's so darkness and emotional, you feel the angst in Chino's voice, I love Deftones the band of my life

[@voxexquis]

Interest in a song like 'Lucky You' or 'Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event' means that some Team Sleep should be in your not-too-distant future. Chino's other projects are incredible.

[@mollyesanborn]

I will definitely check out Team Sleep!

[@metalboy27]

@@mollyesanborn Gotta check out Palms too if you haven't.

[@mollyesanborn]

@metalboy27 yep, I did a video for Palms a while back too! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKmaXnx6j5mgfbssi=YcpaOLYx2l5BpBBY

[@paroxysm6867]

You mentioned the darkness of this album and you're right on point - they refer to the period of making this album and their following album Saturday Night Wrist as the "dark days". The band was going through a lot of problems around this time - Chino's vocal injury which another comment mentioned, drug addictions, divorces, infighting within the band, etc. They nearly broke up while making Saturday Night Wrist. That being said, I think both are really underrated and often beautiful albums that really show off how unique of a band they are. I especially love this one as I kind of get lost in its darkness. I often look at is as White Pony's pissed-off little brother or something. Or, to break out a drug metaphor: if White Pony is like the peak of a high at its most euphoric, then S/T is like coming down from that high the next day.

[@paroxysm6867]

Oh, and if you want to hear a great "bonus" track from this album, search Deftones - Lovers (Lovers was at one point going to be the title for this album before they changed it to S/T). It was supposed to be on this album but they didn't finish in it time and it ended up being a b-side on the Hexagram single. Another really dark sounding song with a great riff.

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, there is a palpable darkness to this album. Makes sense knowing that they were going through all of that at the same time. And thanks for recommending Lovers, I will have to check it out!

[@sloppysteaks5813]

@@mollyesanborn oh yeah please check out Lovers

[@unrealisticcliffburton3893]

Hexagram has to be one of their best opening tracks. We love what you do.

[@junkyardwillie8320]

Few things about this album: yeah, some of those songs are actually very hard for Chino to perform, so much so that he really messed up his vocal chords just a couple years before recording this album because of not only the heavy touring, but the admittedly improper technique used for screaming over songs from the first three albums, hence why his screams from this album onward sound the way they do. Compare the screams from the first three albums to any after, you’ll immediately be able to tell the difference if you haven’t already. I’m not really sure of the details of exactly what happened, but something like a paralyzed part of his larynx and having to undergo some serious surgery. The song Needles and Pins is cool because of what probably 20 other people after me will tell you, there is no guitar in that song. The guitarist Steph is actually playing on a very distorted bass which gives it that deep menacing tone. Lastly, this is something that you might like, but if you listen very closely to When Girls Telephone Boys, you can hear the synth in the background unfortunately buried under everything else. There’s a version of that song that somebody has edited to bring out that synth, and I personally think it sounds so much better than the album version, gives it an even sharper edge. Just look up When Girls Telephone Boys 2018 version

[@andreneves33]

It's called cocaine also.. c'mon you gotta know that..

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, I can imagine all of the live performances over the years would certainly take their toll on Chino's vocals. Thanks for the comment, I will have to give that version of When Girls Telephone Boys that you mentioned a listen!

[@junkyardwillie8320]

@@andreneves33 and according to Chino himself a bit of meth, but I didn’t see that as really relevant, I was only really talking about the performances and lack of technique themselves which were the major contributing factors to his vocal situation

[@TheGoldenCapstone]

Where can I hear this alternate version of the song?

[@gustavomunoz7987]

It's my favorite Deftones' album. Underrated as everyone commented before. I like your videos keep reacting!

[@AndCeroUno]

Lucky you was originally going to be part of Chino's project, Team Sleep. Lovers is b-side song of this album, which in my opinion, condenses all the vibe of the album into a single song. Its wonderful. In fact, at first the album was going to be called "Lovers"

[@Doubledexter]

Such an underrated album man. Even I didnt give it the love it deserved until i got back into months ago. Amazing anylsis and great video :)) my favorite songs btw are Needles and Pins, Minerva, Deathblow, and Battle-Axe. All are beautiful

[@echovox76]

this is easily my favorite deftones record. just so dark and emotional and heavy. love it

[@junkyardwillie8320]

One of, if not my favorite albums from them. Can’t wait to hear what you think, good or bad

[@TheWretchedMammoth]

Thank you so much for doing this album this week! In 2001 Chino had to have surgery on his vocal chords due to paralysis. As a fan I was worried he'd never be able to scream again so when this came out and he's just going all out it blew me away. When Girls Telephone Boys is my favorite as well, he does deliver live, true sight to behold. Fun fact: Needles & Pins uses two bass guitars. If you want to hear more songs like Lucky You, you should check out Chino's side project Team Sleep. Keep up the GREAT work!

[@mollyesanborn]

Had no idea that Chino needed surgery, crazy that he can still perform with such intensity. And I definitely need to give Team Sleep a listen, everyone keeps recommending it in the comments.

[@existentialhead8330]

@@mollyesanborn Yes, Team Sleep is a treat for SURE. It is very moody and laid back. Of all Chinos many side projects, this one was by far my favorite.

[@jackoff1826]

I find Team Sleep to be boring, too boring for me...like sleepy haha Crosses was much more my style between the two side projects and I'm super excited that he's doing work for another Crosses album it seems currently.

[@WILD__THINGS]

I've been a deftones fan since '97-'98 but the first time I saw them live was in '03 in support of this record. The second time Chino screamed "AND THE CROWD GOES WIIIIIILLLLDDD!" on Hexagram, I can't even describe the pandemonium in the venue or the feeling it gave me. One of the best nights of my life!

[@mollyesanborn]

I can only imagine how amazing that must have been!

[@robertoclemente7066]

This is one of my fav records of all time. So underrated by Deftones fans and I have NO CLUE why! They all were going tru some really heavy shit. Divorces, heavy drug addiction, etc. Its raw to its core and its palpable. Thats why I think its so good.

[@ofmine08]

My favorite deftones album.. so many memories attached to this album!

[@lfcizdabest]

A moody masterpiece.

[@mollyesanborn]

That sums it up pretty well.

[@NEFFxsaVaGe]

Chino did say in an old interview around white pony days that Deftones is moody music. Honestly, music is moody music if you think about it.

[@prometheus5202]

I really do believe this is the most underated Album. People will say its Saturday night wrist but even large groups defend that album where as Self titled is just left aside cause it came after White Pony. All three are still great Imo

[@TheWretchedMammoth]

It's my favorite Deftones album and it is indeed super underrated.

[@junkyardwillie8320]

You will always find me defending both of these albums. Aside from Gore, they’re probably the two most divisive albums out of all of them, and I might consider them both my favorites. I can understand a lot more why people don’t like SNW more than I can understand people not liking ST, but to each their own

[@MrMoy6003]

Bloody cape is my fave Deftones song. Just a strong piece of art!

[@TalesfromtheCradle]

I'm pretty sure this is the roughest time the band had in terms of both being a cohesive unit and then the whole Chi Cheng deal. Quite insane they still put together such an amazing LP considering everything that was going on with them internally. (Also Deathblow was my 1st Deftones song so I'm biased :) )

[@tommj4365]

I read that Saturday Night Wrist was their hardest most problematic album to produce.

[@michaelmignone5869]

Chi's accident came after Saturday night wrist while recording Eros. The self titled album was during the darkest point of Chinos speed addiction though. Saturday night wrist was done in a couple different phases with different producers if i remember right. It's in the middle of that where they took a break from each other and almost broke up as a band.

[@sharinglungs3226]

The only difficulty they really had with self titled was following up on the massive success of white pony. Instead of doing the easy and predictable thing of white pony part 2 they did the deftones thing and made what they wanted.

[@DannyGrc]

My favorite Deftones album.

[@antdujar]

I love every Deftones record because it shows the kind of variety in sound and scope they have. But man, self titled was always a special album that never gets enough love as their other albums. I often times listen to this album, along with koi no Yokan the most these days. It’s just so well put together and thematic in sound and tone.

[@MadailinBurnhope]

Minerva is the song I would describe as Deftones' most beautiful

[@Agostoic]

Your video came thru right in the middle of a little deftones binge that happened quite casually, like you just want to hear a song and then another and so on.. the usual stuff. Haven't watched it yet you're absolutely right, this is their most obscure record to date and referred by the band itself as the "dark days". Love the album tho.

[@Victorvonbass]

This is my favorite album. Needles and Pins is my favorite Deftones song. Hope to see it live one day before they stop touring. They were touring this album and SNW when I found them so those 2 will always be favorites of mine.

[@Leg3ndKilla687]

Was waiting for this one lol. Minerva 🥰

[@mattaide7116]

I love the Deftones. Every album has it's own feel. This album and Around the Fur are still my favorite albums, mainly because of the aggression, but it's great how one band can have so many different types of albums that can fit your different types of moods.

[@mollyesanborn]

I agree completely, it's one of the many reasons I love their music so much. There's an album that suits any mood I'm in.

[@ponyone1]

You should listen to the B side song of this album, Lovers... it didn’t make it on the album but is an excellent song. Excellent review, please continue with the other albums... those are perfect as well...

[@mollyesanborn]

Someone else mentioned Lovers, I will have to check it out!

[@robobikenobi]

That "Mollyface" when the chorus to Needles and Pins starts! Lol I love it! I love these videos in general! Thanks Molly for being you!

[@mollyesanborn]

Mollyface, haha! Glad you enjoyed the video :D

[@robertljazz2796]

Anniversary of a Uninteresting Event, is the most Haunting song I have ever heard, its Beautiful in a way that makes you think about people you have lost in your lifetime and also what is the rest of my life going to be like before its my time to go...

[@henriquesantos664]

Great video as always! congratulations for the good work and I was already looking forward to the album "Koi no Yokan" :3

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for watching! I'll be sure to do a reaction to Koi No Yokan too, I'm looking forward to hearing it :)

[@Bulk_eats]

Love all your reviews, you do a great job at describing what you feel and how it sounds to you. Looking forward to Saturday Night Wrist - my favourite! Probably the darkest album along with self titled :)

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I am very curious to hear Saturday Night Wrist, if it continues the darkness they embraced on self-titled then I'm sure to love it :D

[@paulrhyslloyd1]

My local indie record store when they knew that there was a band releasing an album by a band that I like they used to order it in for me and more often than not I used to be able to buy it a couple of days early. I got two copies of this one early, one for me and one for my best friend and to his day it’s probably my favourite album by them.

[@concertino58]

I love this album because they showed that they were still able to retain the deftones sound, but still push themselves. So many people complained that they had softened up during White Pony, but when Hexagram was released, it showed that they still had it in them. 3 of these songs (Hexagram, WGTB, Bloody Cape), to me, are their most intense tracks in their library. With the experimentation: Keyboards being more prominent in tracks (Hexagram, WGTB) using no guitars on a track (Needles and Pins), more shoegaze/drone vibes(Minerva, Good Morning Beautiful, and my personal fave BATTLE ACE), a beautiful lullaby track that Stef (guitarist) played drums on, etc etc. This album feels like a bookend to their early era. During the writing phase of their next album, they were going to push themselves even more by creating tracks that have different soundscapes, time signatures, more ethereal vibes. Although, what transpired didn’t really happen because of production issues. What we did get was still a great album, but it felt short on some of the more grand ideas they had.

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for the comment! Sonically this album almost seems like their third, and White Pony their fourth instead of the other way around. The return to that more aggressive side of their music on self-titled was kind of a nice change up from White Pony.

[@Insignia27]

Minerva is my fav deftones song and so many other bangers too. Best album

[@d0m0b40]

This is one of my favourite deftones albums. If it wasnt easy enough to tell

[@8JFJK8]

Love this album. Hexagram is one of my favorite songs of theirs hands down.

[@shananhodges6367]

Also side note... Molly I love the way you see the world. Your gorgeous and the way you talk about what you are hearing is a ray of sunshine to a old hard core drummer like me. Thanks and keep it up

[@defsoul210]

As always dope review! This one is one of my favorites from Deftones. It’s dark and you could feel the pain from everyone on this one. They were all going through things on a personal level while making this gem of an album. Bloody cape is always and forever will be the most underrated Deftones track. Thanks again Molly for a dope review!

[@yeetyeet486]

reaally good album, would recomend tool and leprous

[@113KILL5]

This album latches to the soul. Such a specific and dark record.

[@mollyesanborn]

Very well said!

[@obenohnebohne]

I love the vibe of this album. I am a big fan of the wavy sound. But it has the darkness and energy, that I miss on the more recent albums.

[@BadRager599]

I’m glad someone covered this album so other people could consider it. It’s personally my second favorite from them after white pony.

[@supersoberguy1]

I remember getting this cd the day it came out. Hexagram just punches you in the face. It’s beautifully aggressive. Brings back a lot of memories. I took a promo poster from this tour at an Austin show in 2003 and I still have it.

[@elijahlarson9003]

Been playing this nonstop, it's been my "break up" album due to my personal circumstances, this album has been speaking volumes, especially with Good Morning Beautiful and When Girls Telephone Boys

[@mollyesanborn]

It is a beautiful album, dark and gloomy yet there's something quite touching about it too. Hard to describe the feeling that listening to it gives me, but honestly that's Deftones for you, haha! Their music always seems to have that effect.

[@elijahlarson9003]

@@mollyesanborn It absolutely is, and it's dripping with it. If you're looking for more music to react to or be exposed to, I highly recommend the band Seether, and more in particular their album "Karma and Effect". That record just goes hard, front to back. Highly request this one!

[@christusregnat]

I was in high school when this one came out. Minerva was my first Deftones song. Deftones has been my favorite band ever since.

[@existentialhead8330]

Was happy to log on today and notice this new reaction video that you made! This is for sure a grower type of album, the more listens the better, especially with the slow burners like deathblow/battle-axe. The ending on the song "Bloody Cape", is quite possibly on of the best in their whole discography. Pins and Needles has been tied with bloody cape for best track on this album. Really love this track as an overall Deftones mood. Anyways I can't wait for your next reaction video Molly. Always makes my day watching a video you created. Keep up the art and journalism! ;)

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you are enjoying these Deftones reactions! I love doing them. I agree about this album being a grower, with each listen I enjoy it even more.

[@Antulanomics]

Omg yes! This made my day and I'm just about to watch this! 🔥🤘

[@hamzazulfi]

Great review Molly. Just wanted to tell you some info about Battle-Axe. It is rumored that it was an emotional song for Chino and they didn't play it live for nearly 11 years and then played it live a few times in 2018.

[@screechmunro7569]

Dude, I'm gonna go listen to this right now. Also, thanks for showing me the marias... keep up the reviews.

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@shoryuken3305]

4:34 such a good moment! thank you for this channel you have very album I like here

[@mollyesanborn]

Haha yeah, Deftones always brings the unexpected don't they? 😂

[@seabizkitsngravy]

My favorite album by my favorite band. The entire record is a mood and shows what a dark place the band was in at the time. I listen to it regularly.

[@dardo28]

With this album I had many doubts when I heard it the first time but then I said to myself "don't ask just enjoy it" 🤘😎 excelente vídeo como siempre.✨👌

[@Forgan_Mreeman]

Ayy Massive Attack reference 😎

[@ptbempire]

One of my favorite albums of all time. My 3 favorites are Battle-Axe, Minerva, and Anniversary of an Uninteresting Event. Also, fun fact Needles and Pins is played with 1 guitar, 2 basses.... Yes Steph plays a freaking bass!

[@BetaBreaking]

I remember when I first went through their discography i instantly fell in love with this album and its darkness. Maybe I related to it a bit. There's something about the uneasiness of the tracks mixed with bits of palpable melancholy that makes this album so good. My dad first recommended Minerva to me and I fell in love. Something about the massive wall of sound mixed with the wide drums and synths hit a part of my brain and it just made sense. It's definitely why I love Shoegaze and all its subgenres (Nu-Gaze, Dreamo, Dreampop). Just the palpable sadness in Battleaxe or the hate filled When Girls Telephone Boys made sense to my 18 y/o brain. This album also partially convinced me to move towards baritone guitars, inbetween bass and guitar, just to learn the songs because they're tuned to G# Standard (very low). Been playing baritone since, currently have my 30" set up to play Loathe atm. Still one of my favorites but I've moved onto Deftones successors Loathe. If you haven't listened to I Let It In and It Took Everything, you should. A Sad Cartoon is this dreamy melancholic shoegaze track that perfectly captures that sense of unrequited love, the chorus made me cry when I first heard it. New Faces in the Dark is also another that perfectly captures that sense of hate and acceptance you get from someone who's manipulative. During COVID, this album was my soundtrack as I basically exhausted myself from exclusively listening to Deftones for a good 2 years. Highly recommend Loathe! Also Chino tweeted about Two-Way Mirror by Loathe! He loves them ❤️

[@mollyesanborn]

YESSS the emotion on this album is fantastic, it's got such a strong melancholy to it as you said. It's one of those albums that I listen to when I really want to sink into my feelings if that makes sense... And Loathe is fantastic, I love their stuff! I've seen em live and they bring so much intensity to their sound but it's balanced out so well by those soft, melodic moments as well. I did an album review for I Let It In And It Took Everything a while back on my channel if you're interested :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6TGaHmOgtt6pJo

[@BetaBreaking]

@@mollyesanborn oh that's fantastic to hear! Thinking of getting the album cover tattooed on me at some point, I already have white pony so might as well. I'll give the Loathe video a watch! I saw them in Toronto, the energy they brought along with the crowded 1100 venue was unreal. I can't wait to see them again at some point, they may be releasing their new album this year so I'd be on the lookout for that! Thanks Molly

[@mollyesanborn]

oh man I would LOVE a new Loathe album this year! I'll be crossing my fingers for that to drop.

[@leoxfury]

thank you for the Deftones reactions, you got my like and my subscribe!

[@mollyesanborn]

Thank you!! :)

[@Campfirecow]

Personally My Favorite Album of theirs just an underrated masterpiece.

[@justenm287]

Love your perspective on their albums! 😄 Can't wait for your reaction to Saturday Night Wrists and Koi No Yokan. Also I'm sure you've been informed on Lucky you that song is on Matrix reloaded. That was the first song i ever heard from deftones when i was young and then there was chino's other band Team Sleep that i was exposed at the same time.

[@mollyesanborn]

I actually didn't know it was on the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack! That's pretty cool. I will definitely have to check out Team Sleep.

[@henrlque]

Eu não dava muita atenção para as outras músicas desse álbum só escutava Minerva e atualmente tenho ouvido muito esse álbum, considero ele e Saturday Night Wrist como os álbuns mais sombrios e pesados da banda e também os mais subestimados que se tornaram os meus favoritos! Ótimo vídeo, gosto muito das suas análises.

[@monsieurbiscuit8024]

I've listened to this Deftones album the most. However my favorite album from them is, all of them. Even Gore.

[@omarceniceros4589]

Wait for diamond eyes and SNW, love your videos!, greetings from Juárez City, Chihuahua, México, south of the border from El Paso, TX

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for watching!

[@MOGO8907]

Finally. Love this album.

[@watchdog304]

I love this album so much. So heavy.

[@CMC6996]

I love this album. Usually when discussing deftones it leads to White Pony, Around the Fur, or Diamond Eyes. But this album definitely deserves to be a part of the conversation. It's firing on all cylinders. It showcases the brutal aggression and the emotional melodic almost dream like qualities that deftones do best. Glad you liked it !

[@inphanta]

Self titled is up there with Around the Fur (my favourite) and White Pony, IMO. I even prefer it to the more celebrated Diamond Eyes. I’ve never understood why it isn’t generally rated more highly. BTW I found your channel via the algorithm and really like how you react to entire albums. Can’t wait to watch more! 😊

[@posteveryside-beatsnews]

That riff on Needles and Pins is probably my favourite Deftones riff

[@Brandon1984mn]

This album came out when I was a senior in high school ❤ special place in my cold dead heart 😅

[@TheClinophobic]

Love what you've been doing on your channel. It's awesome seeing someone react the same way to Deftones, twenty+ years after I first heard them. Hope you find the time to get around to the rest of their work. I would recommend doing the remaining ones in chronological order so you see how they progress through their prime.

[@sherwinrueben2562]

bands usually peak at their 3rd - 4th album. i may have mentioned it already. love your full album reviews 😎👍 but some banger albums to suggest; incubus - science, make yourself, morning view. guns n roses - appetite for destruction, use your illusion 1&2 alice in chains - dirt, jar of flies nirvana - bleach, incesticide, nevermind

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you are enjoying my videos, and thank you for the suggestions :)

[@User-sb6er]

Definitely their darkest...with Minerva being a thank you song for fans that stuck with them...and also was getting good playtime on the radio and lucky you was featured on the matrix sequel reloaded soundtrack...the album is still my favorite which is hard to say cause I love all their albums..but thisbone came in a turning point in my life.

[@anon1903kg]

It blew my mind a little bit when you said there were 13 years between this album and Gore... Man I'm old! This album probably got me through my final year at University, certainly have a few flashbacks to this being on while I was studying. With it coming after White Pony it's not a surprise that it maybe didn't get the same acclaim, people expect to get the same thing out of a band each release.

[@mollyesanborn]

I know, crazy that they've been going strong for more than 25 years! That's a true testament to how good of a band Deftones is, that they can keep creating music that changes tone but still keeps their fans interested.

[@TheeFinchLynch]

I don't even list White Pony when I talk about my favorite Deftones albums because it's just a given, it is the gold standard. Self-titled is one of my top 3 Deftones albums (along with Koi No Yokan and Diamonds Eyes). But depending on the week Saturday Night Wrist might end up replacing KNY or DE, but this one never budges. There is so much on this that just hits me deep. But I'm likely the exception and not the rule on that. The times and places and events of your life really can be tied to an album, and that is very much the case with this is one, for me, along with White Pony and Koi No Yokan. Enjoying your reviews. I hope you take some of these albums along in your life adventures and gain a deeper love for some of them.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

Fun experience: I was friends the music video director for Deftones’ Hexagram video, Darren Doane, so I got to go to the video shoot for it, meet the band, take a ton of photos with my nice Pentax camera (I have a trained art/photography background), and was even in the music video itself a tiny bit (as one of the crowd members). 😁 I got to go to a ton of music video shoots with that director friend of mine, take tons of photos for my portfolio, and was even briefly featured in a different music video he directed (for the band “Murder by Death” - a fantastic band that you might enjoy, with my favorite album being _“Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?”_ - the music video I was featured in is for the song _“Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue"_ [I was the woman at the end if the video haha]). They are a rock band with a cello and a _VERY_ distinct sound to them. It’s been fun watching your content after stumbling upon your channel when one of your videos randomly came up into my suggested videos feed. :) I freaking *LOVE* Deftones, and this album is bloody fantastic.

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

P.S. Here’s the Murder By Death video, if you wanted to check it out. I love the song so, so very much! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jV6xfqyFmddklaM (I start showing up at the 3:16 minute mark haha - man I wish I was that young still!)

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

P.S.S. Sorry in advance that this is going to be a long comment lol... I promise it will be my last comment here though! ;) I don’t know why the Deftones uploaded such a crap resolution of their Hexagram music video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4GXlXl-iMlgn9k ), but if you play the video at a super slow speed from 2:50-2:51 (and pause it a few times as it’s playing), you can see of shot of me right up next to the band taking pictures of them haha. I’m on the right-hand side of the frame, in the light blue shirt with the black strap diagonally over my chest (it’s my camera equipment bag), and I have my camera in front of my face. As a large side note: I know this isn’t visible in the video, but in it I was wearing a band shirt for a band called “Far.” Far was also from Sacramento, like Deftones, and the band members from both bands have been long-time close friends. The Deftones band members really dug that I was wearing that shirt that day. ;) Far was signed with the Sony Music record label, and broke up whilst touring for their album “Water and Solutions.” Even though they opened for quite a few shows for a fellow signed Sony band, Incubus, the record label did a piss-poor job of promoting the band... So after working so hard to try to break through to mainstream music and get their music played on the radio (like their friends in Deftones were able to achieve, as well as Incubus), the difficult struggle got to them, and as such, the resulting band tensions got to them... I was at one of their final shows at the Roxy in Los Angeles when this happened (and was very fortunate to get to interview the band’s frontman [Jonah Matranga] right after the show [as well as video tape the whole show & interview] for a college project I was creating at the time for my portfolio)... I witnessed them being so pissed off at this point in their career, wherein at this specific Roxy show the bassist smashed his bass to pieces and stomped off the stage near the end of the planned set-list. It wasn’t done to look cool - like many bands have done when they destroy their equipment on stage - it was done in pure frustration and anger. The bandmates all went their separate ways right after the show was over, so I only was able to interview Jonah. It was very sad to witness in person the death of one of my favorite bands at the time. 😢 I think they only played one other show after that, and the band threw in the towel. _ANYWAYS,_ Jonah went on to have a very successful solo career in the underground music scene, pumping out a shitload of music, quickly garnering a cult following (and he was so very personable and interactive with his fans, whereby he would tour the world over playing tons of shows in fans’ home living rooms for anyone to come that wanted to attend, as well as constantly communicating in conversations over the internet with fans). He would even do these shows and sell his albums on a sliding scale, because he knew that many of his fans were young, perhaps still in school, and thus were broke af. How often so you see _THAT_ in music?! His shows were the most intimate shows I’ve ever been to in my life, and because of the online communications on message boards and such that he was so active in, the fans quickly became friends with one another, hanging out at shows together and after shows, etc... I even fell in love with a fellow fan who lived across the country that I had met on Jonah‘s message board, when we both helped Jonah by working on an album for him (I created the artwork for the CD, and the fellow fan I was dating mixed the music for the CD, as he had a trained background in doing that). Gotta love those long distance relationships, separated by 3000 miles... Nothing beats needing to fork out for expensive airline tickets just to see each other lol! I also became good friends with Jonah‘s girlfriend at the time, and became closer friends with Jonah. He’s a really cool and friendly guy. Long story short, you should definitely check out Far’s albums _“Water and Solutions,” “Tin Cans with Strings to You,”_ and the album they released after they briefly got back together many years later _“At Night We Live.”_ They are all great albums that have many awesome tracks on them! And if you like any that, check out Jonah’s solo stuff. There is an absolute_TON_ of it, and it is *great shit!* He went by a few different monikers as his solo career went on (with some releases having higher production value than others), but all have fantastic song writing. He went under the names “Onelinedrawing,” “Gratitude,” and “New End Original.” At the very least, check out his acoustic cover of the Deftones song _“Be Quiet and Drive.”_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKrFiImhmLKefqs _It’s fantastic!_ He has such a great loud yell in his vocals for a litany of his songs, like Chino has, but also has such a lovely singing voice. I took the time to write all of this because you’d most likely never hear about Far/Jonah Matranga’s music without someone old enough to have lived through it to suggest it to you. There was really something special about the Sacramento music scene back in the day! I hope you enjoy, Molly. 😊

[@mollyesanborn]

Your comments here are SO very interesting and insightful, thanks for taking the time to write them! I spotted you in the Hexagram video haha! I will definitely have to take a deep dive into Murder By Death's and Far's music. And that's really fascinating to read about Far's fragmentation as a band, kinda sad to think of all the great bands that this has happened to, just unable to break onto the scene. Jonah's cover of Be Quiet And Drive was great though, his voice really suits the song well. Especially toward the end where he gets louder, great stuff! Anyway, thanks again for commenting, and I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! Maybe I'll do a video doing something related to Far or the Sac music scene in general around that time, might be pretty cool. I've gotten myself absolutely HOOKED on Deftones since filming my reaction series to their albums, so any excuse to dive further into their history as a band always excites me, haha :)

[@anti-ethniccleansing465]

@@mollyesanborn Awesome! Man, that would be fantastic for you to dive into that band on your channel. You might introduce them down to a whole bunch of people that never found them, or simply were too young/not born yet to have learned about them… I will definitely be paying even closer attention to your channel in hopes that you decide to do so. 😊 I’m glad to hear you liked Jonah‘s cover “Be Quiet and Drive.” To be honest with you, it’s not my favorite iteration of the song (I prefer his recorded version and other live versions of the song he has done, but that video is the one that I found easily). His singing was a bit off-pitch to me in this version (which is extremely uncharacteristic of him), but he still bloody nails it at the end when it gets loud. That cover was a huge fan favorite most requested at his shows, by myself included! Side note: In case you were wondering, the bridge that Jonah performs before he builds up at the end of this iteration are lyrics from one of Far’s songs. I’m sure you were like “what the fuck lyrics are these??“ when he sang that part lol. But yeah, I would always get chills when he would build up and belt out that last part of the song, and I _STILL_ do, even on that iteration I sent you… He is definitely up there with my favorite vocalist yells/screams, along with Chino ofc and Maynard from Tool. A few others off the top of my head would be the singers from Refused, Snapcase, Grade, The Beautiful Mistake, Silent Majority, Quicksand, and the Toadies (have you heard of any those bands? They are also from the 90s - and they are _AWESOME)._ Maybe one of these days I will give you a long list of recommendations, since you and I share a deep love for some of the same bands/music, as not only have I been a lifelong super passionate music fan, but I was also exposed to an absolute shitload of bands/artists that most people haven’t heard of because I used to work in the music industry myself, until it sadly imploded in 2003. Ironically, one of the labels I worked the longest for was Sony Music (the label Far and Incubus signed to, as I mentioned before)… Because of working in the industry, I was so very fortunate to be able to go to an *enormous* amount of shows for free during that period of time, either getting tickets from the label I was working for, or getting hooked up with them from friends who worked at other record labels (so many of us knew each other). Of course I still paid to go to tons of shows in the underground/indie scene, but most of those shows were cheap because they were all at small venues in Los Angeles. So because I was exposed to so much insanely good music, I could really put you in a fabulous rabbit hole of “new” stuff for you that you might never come out from. 😂 You will see just how sad it was that the industry imploded, and like you mentioned, just how many extremely talented bands/musicians didn’t break through to the mainstream (through no fault of their own, as it wasn’t a lack of talent; it was a lack of promotion by the labels), just like what happened with Far. The amount of good music out there today is seriously nothing - just _NOTHING_ - compared to what it used to be before piracy brought down the industry back when Napster/Limewire came to the scene... In fact, people’s greed with piracy is what ended my career in the industry. I was laid off with the majority of employees worldwide at Sony Music, and the label had to merge with BMG Music in order to just survive. After that, the record labels no longer took any risks with who they signed/what music they put out. They overwhelmingly simply stuck with the bands who were already signed and had sold tons of albums. It just became a stale-fest, with the record labels putting out compilation albums of successful bands, with maybe one or two new tracks added that were dug out from an old recording session (which were almost always shit songs, as they were cut from their earlier album releases for good reason), or the labels only put out music that sounded just like everything else that had already been proven to be successful/sell well. There really was just no new styles of music coming out anymore at that point. For a huge music fan like myself, it became really fucking depressing!! No new stuff would come up on the radio, and to this day, when you tune in to the radio, the majority of what is played is very old music that has been played to death! 😢 I’m glad to hear that you appreciate my comments, because I feel bad for writing so much. Haha. ;)

[@NehemiahRyan]

12:50 “I have never heard a Deftones track like this.” Wait until she hears Pink Cellphone.

[@existentialhead8330]

lol, pure evil

[@traviscue2099]

Steve Carpenter's 7 string sound is iconic. So many people make the argument of just down-tuning a guitar to replicate the sound.. But its not about "Heaviness" its about versatility. I still have my Ibanez RG-7 Prestige, and still to this day.. My wrists and arms are damaged, and I can't play anymore.. But the guitar itself is till pristine.. And the sounds I used to get from it.. Mmm.. Like melody/emotion and heart.. Just a great sound.

[@MisterMcKnight]

I love this deftones album. Deathblow, Lucky you and minerva were the standouts for me. My favorite deftone songs are the more experimental stuff they do. Really like Team Sleep and Crosses A LOT. Dark ambient vampire club music is my favorite haha.

[@mollyesanborn]

YES, I feel you on the "dark ambient vampire club music" thing. If I had to pick a favorite genre of music that would be it. You're like the only person other than myself who seems to love Lucky You on this album, haha! I love it too though, it's so experimental and has a great dark, electronic vibe to it. I can definitely hear a lot of similarities between that track and Chino's Crosses project.

[@MisterMcKnight]

​@@mollyesanborn Looking through your videos our music taste is crazy similar. If I can make a suggestion-you'd probably like the smashing pumpkins alot and if that's not on your radar I highly suggest "Ava adore" and "the end is the beginning is the end" (from batman and robin) and "everlasting gaze". Good songs to try out, you wont regret!

[@mollyesanborn]

Thanks for the suggestions, Smashing Pumpkins has been on my list for a while now, I just haven't gotten around to diving into their albums yet.

[@itschavez115]

My favorite Deftones album!!! I am enjoying so much this Deftones reaction series!!!! This album have a lot of curiosities that I am going too share here!!!! -The album was going to be named Lovers but the title was going to be so obvious -Is Chino 2nd album playing guitar for the band -Stephen Carpenter first album playing 7 string too, he also playd bass on needles and pins and drums - Chino play 7 string in Deathblow -

[@josephnajda9605]

Great review as always!!!! :) Definitely one of their darker albums. But that's what makes it so good.

[@hoju6796]

Lucky you Is pretty much a team sleep song. Chinos side project with their mates.

[@mollyesanborn]

I've got to get on Team Sleep, everyone keeps recommending them!

[@shananhodges6367]

Awesome review. I enjoy the way you look at the world and what you hear. I'm looking forward to you playing Saturday night wrist. It was an album that was kinda panned but it really is my favourite. It's both dirty and beautiful. Anyway, great reaction. Take care

[@christystaude7835]

First time i heard bloody cape in 03 i wide eyed smiled too.

[@michealray4895]

Sick seeing a new generation getting into 90s and early 00s post grunge

[@sit1815]

Been listening to DEFTONES since Adrenaline. Self titled easily my favorite/their best. Dark moody and harsh. ✌️🖤🤘

[@dulcecorazon8735]

Great review! 👍

[@mollyesanborn]

Thank you! :)

[@TanaQz]

anniversary of an uninteresting event is definitely my sob song 😭

[@frightenedsoul]

A ton of the dark atmosphere and the background noises and soundscapes you picked up on are from their DJ who also worked with Chino on Team Sleep

[@alexandredesmonts35]

This album was the best record of 2003 with a perfect circle thirteen step album also

[@gymonstarfunkle136]

Self-titled was the album I liked least at first but easily the one I've listened to the most. I mean White Pony has my favourite Deftones song ("Street Carp") but yeah I thrashed the living fuck out of this album back in the day. It's so romantically fucked up.

[@deckofcards87]

Interesting that you think is a dark album, on the contrary I find this album to be more melancholy, even when Chino's screaming his guts out on "Hexagram" Stephen's guitar has a chilled melodic hook in the background, and throughout every track he keep this consistent. The exception being "When Girls Telephone Boys" which is straight up sinister.

[@sheldonbenton5278]

love this album. now you have to listen to Koi no yokan, probably my favorite album and it is the most dynamic album i think

[@Wasabi88998]

the best album imo

[@samuelyurchak9468]

Bloody Cape is such a banger 🔥

[@dastardlygonzo]

I've always loved this album. I was surprised when I heard some fans don't care for it.

[@ThEmB0nEz]

If you dig Lucky You, you should check out one of Chino's other bands Team Sleep. They released their only album right after this this self titled Deftones album in 2005. Very Experimental. Also love the reviews keep it up.

[@JAP-td5ot]

Love your videos because you are diving into deftones, which is one of my favorite bands. Although, the only thing that keeps throwing me off is I think in another video and this one you have rundown what albums you have went through...I'm not seeing a review/reaction video of OHMS. I know you have said you had listened to that one, I believe you said that was the first album you heard. Even though it would not be a reaction video I'd still love to see and hear your thoughts on that album as well. Can not wait to see your videos for Saturday night wrist and diamond eyes as well!

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, I listened to Ohms a few times when it came out last year, but I haven't listened to it since going through their whole discography. It wouldn't necessarily be a true reaction video but I may do a video re-listening to Ohms after I've finished with the rest of their albums.

[@JAP-td5ot]

@@mollyesanborn I say I am a deftones fan, but how could I forget koi no yokan which happens to be one of my favorite albums of theirs as well! That would be a cool video to see what your thoughts on it is after hearing their prior work. They are like a rollercoaster ride when it comes to their discography. Started off strong, then kind of slowed down, then picked back up on back to back albums, then slowed down again, and on ohms I feel like they had a nice mix of both. I will say Saturday night wrist is my least favorite album of theirs. I felt the same with self titled and gore but I really really like self titled and gore had grown on me since it's release. Plus, once done it would be cool to see a ranking video. I enjoyed watching the one for gojira cause you have to have a palette for their work, so it was interesting to see that video.

[@mollyesanborn]

Glad you're enjoying the videos! I've thought about maybe doing a Deftones ranking when I finish reacting to all of their albums, but man that would be a hard video to make! I have no idea which album would be my favorite, they're all so unique.

[@JAP-td5ot]

@@mollyesanborn I've stressed it to friends who may have never given them a try, that they are one of the rare bands that has changed their sound or vibe from album to album and can pull it off almost flawless! Sorry if this gets reply is lengthy, I get excited talking about music. I'd imagine there would probably would be a lot of a+, a, or b's on the ranking. I'd say at worst a C for saturday night wrist. I'm trying not to cloud your mind of judgement on that album. They got a producer for that album that is well known, his work is eclectic from all different types of bands so in this album that's where I get the "pop" vibe from. Not to mention that one of Chinos bandmates from Crosses is a producer on that album as well and his band, revolution smile is good and tends to have pop elements. It's different to say the least and not self titled or gore different. Has it's gems, and if you like lucky you then you may enjoy what this album has in store. Teenager, lucky you, and there is a song on Saturday that holds the same water as those 2, I'll let you be surprised. Also, this is the last studio album that was made with the original bassist Chi Cheng before his unfortunate accident. There is one more album that was shelved and still not planned to be release called Eros that is technically the last album with Chi. With that said, the band has released only 1 song from that vaulted album called, Smile. If interested give it a listen and maybe it's credit in a video with saturday night wrist review!?!? It gives you an idea where they were headed and it felt a lot like a mix where they headed in koi no yokan and a little resonance of saturday night wrist and white pony. Other than that, enjoy!!!

[@mollyesanborn]

Appreciate the reply, I love that we're all passionate about music and Deftones here :) I agree, a deftones ranking would mostly be a+/a/b I think, although I find it almost sacrilegious to even attempt a ranking.

[@KnotTime]

You might like Glassjaw if you like Deftones a lot, more post hardcore but their first 2 albums have a lot of Deftones stuff going on. Loved your reaction!

[@mollyesanborn]

Yeah, Glassjaw has been suggested by some others as well. I'll definitely have to check out their music soon! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@Z06PSI]

Best album they made. Deathblow is severely underrated.

[@processingghostbuster4787]

Probably the most badass comment to ever exist