racks – “elite” and “Korea”- seem to be less creative and thought out than the other songs on the record. This leads one to conclude that perhaps the band added those songs as appeasement to its record label and its hardcore fans. Elite does have an interesting wrinkle to it with the vocal distortion and unforgettable mind-searing hook created by Stephen Carpenter. Korea on the other hand is one of the weakest songs on the track. There is no new wrinkle here and the song sounds like a cut from a recording session for one of the earlier albums that wasn’t good enough to make the final version. Another disappointing track (in my opinion) yet critically acclaimed for some reason is the stunningly out place track “teenager”. The track is totally nothing like what the Deftones have done in the past. It is entirely acoustic and has a soft tender feel to it. This sort of material, in my opinion, should have absolutely no place on a Deftones record. If the Deftones wish to pursue this avenue of music then they might as well change their name.Despite the few disappointments, there are more than enough good tracks on this record to make it an overall success. The most impressive track on the record is “Passenger” which pairs Chino with Maynard of Tool. The song has a dark overtone and menacing feel to it, which is accentuated with the brooding voices of Chino and Maynard. A very emotional track both vocally and musically. Another standout on the record is the first single and radio hit “Change (in the house of flies)”. This song embodies where the Deftones are going with their sound- a precious blend of heavy melodies and tender vocals that fall somehow between the realm of hard and soft music. Other standouts on the record include “Digital Bath”, “Knife Party” and “Pink Maggit”. Digital Bath has an eerie, hollow, detached ...
