Deftones always were one of the American metal bands of the 90s that stood out, and some people were wrong to include them in the Nu metal trend, which now rests in peace. In 2008 the successful course of the Sacramento group was put on hold in a tragic way when bassist Chi Cheng was severely injured in a car accident and is in a comatose state ever since. The rest of the band abandoned the sessions for the album they were writing, entitled ‘Eros’ (still unreleased) and returned at last in 2010 with the amazing ‘Diamond Eyes’, which felt like a fresh new start for the band.
‘Koi No Yokan’, which in Japanese means ‘the premonition of love’, continues in the different, renovated style of its predecessor. The first two track aren’t that special, but starting with ‘Leathers’ Deftones kick into high gear. They write atmospheric tracks, heavy but with an ever present almost romantic melancholy. They surprise us collectively with the melodic sensitivity of their songs, while individually singer Chino Moreno gives the performance of his career. Songs like ‘Graphic Nature’, ‘Tempest’ and ‘Rosemary’ inaugurate a new direction for the group, gradually enriched with many layers, gaining more and more momentum. With great producer Nick Rasculinecz’s signature (Foo Fighters, Stone Sour, Alice in Chains), ‘Koi No Yokan’ is a beautiful sonic result and the last big metal release of 2012.
