Deftones

About

Also known as: Def Tones, The Deftones, デフトーンズ

Few bands have pulled off the kind of stylistic reinvention that Deftones managed over their career. Formed in Sacramento in 1988, they came up alongside the nu metal wave but consistently pushed further, blending crushing riffs with atmospheric textures, shoegaze melodies and Chino Moreno's striking vocal range. Their third album White Pony marked the sharpest turn, trading aggression for something more cinematic and experimental, and the track "Elite" from that record won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Their self titled fourth album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200. The band navigated genuine tragedy when bassist Chi Cheng was left in a minimally conscious state after a traffic collision in 2008, eventually passing away in 2013. Rather than stall, Deftones kept creating, with Sergio Vega stepping in on bass. Since 2010 they have put out five albums including Diamond Eyes, Koi No Yokan, Gore, Ohms, and most recently Private Music in 2025, each one proof that their restless approach to heavy music never really stopped evolving.