Camillo Wong Moreno ('Chino') - vocals, guitar
Stephen Robert Carpenter ('Stef') - guitar
Chi Ling Dai Cheng - bass
Abran Bin Cunningham ('Abe') - drums
Frank Delgado - turntables
The Deftones formed when they were at school in Sacramento, California. Chino used to skate with Abe and Stephen and from there they found out that they could play instruments. Abe and Stephen would frequently jam and Chino would sometimes do some singing. Later on Chi was recruited in on bass and the 'Tones were formed.
Stephen came up with the name when he was at work one day (in a pizza restaurant). He had been listening to 80's hip-hop such as LL Cool J. Many of these acts were signed to Def Jam Records, Def meaning "cool". The 'tones' part came from the old groups from the 50's. He liked the way the two words went together and sounded like the name had been around a while. "It sounds already known and we were just a young band, we weren't known."
They began to play a few barbeques and parties etc, building up their musical abilities and spreading their talent through word of mouth. They played accross Sacto and it wasn't long before they were in demand right across California. They then had a lucky break when a scout from Maverick, Madonna's own record label, saw them and signed them up.
Their first album, Adrenaline (1995), was sold on the strength of their live shows rather than marketing. Produced by Terry Date, it tried to capture the youthful, raw live sound of the 'Tones. I was hooked as soon as I heard the first powerful strikes of the guitar in "Bored". It also saw the guest appearance of producer Ross Robinson (KoRn, Sepultura, Human Waste Project, Limp Bizkit) on the production of Fist, the secret track.
Deftones have always been linked to KoRn. Chino had been friends with Jonathon Davis long before either groups had been signed. Chino even made a guest appearance on a cover of Ice Cube's "Wicked" from KoRn's "Life is Peachy". However, since then there has been a sort of rivalry between the groups due to the press spreading rumours about the frontmen. Also, too often do the Deftones get grouped with that whole KoRn, Limp Bizkit new metal hip-hop sound (eg "Limp Defkorn").
This really pisses me off as I think the Deftones sound nothing like KoRn, with a more diverse, original sound. They (like Tool) have grown in the alternative market by doing their own thing and developing their unique sound. I just love the way Chino can change from such a quiet melodic voice to a scream in an instant. Then there's Stef's razor guitars in the background and Abe's powerful drumming. I find KoRn's sound too repetitive, especially their recent work.
'Around the Fur', was released in 1997 to great reviews from critics, it explored a more melodic side of the 'Tones but also a seedier, darker side. The title track looked at the murky world of fashion. 'Be Quiet and Drive' was a much more slower yet equally powerful song, especially the acoustic remix found on the single, festuring Far's Jonah Sonz Matranga's beautiful vocals. Then there's 'My Own Summer (Shove It)' with it's huge chorus of Chino screaming "Shove the sun aside!".
New album 'White Pony' was released on June 19th (UK) and June 20th (USA). With production/mixing by Terry Date again, it was another leap on for the band, taking the darker melodies used on 'Around The Fur' to a further level.
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