Deftones

Released in 2016 via Reprise Records, Deftones’ Gore is a dense, atmospheric exploration of tension and beauty, expanding the band’s signature fusion of heaviness and ethereality into new, more abstract territory. It is a record defined by contrasts aggression and delicacy, chaos and calm all balanced within the band’s unmistakable sense of mood and texture.

The album opens with Prayers / Triangles, immediately establishing its dual nature. Chino Moreno’s soaring vocals and the shimmering guitars create a sense of uneasy tranquility that soon fractures into distorted riffs and driving rhythms. This interplay between serenity and violence defines Gore, as Deftones delve deeper into dreamlike soundscapes without abandoning their metallic roots.

Tracks like Doomed User and Hearts / Wires highlight the band’s evolving dynamics. Stephen Carpenter’s riffs cut through layers of airy ambience, while Abe Cunningham’s drumming anchors the shifting moods with precision and weight. The production, handled by Matt Hyde, captures every detail Moreno’s breathy melodies, the reverb-drenched guitars, and the low, rumbling basslines that give the music its gravity.

Lyrically, Gore feels introspective and surreal, its imagery often floating between the natural and the spiritual. Moreno’s words blur the line between love and loss, light and shadow, evoking emotional states rather than telling stories. The result is an album that feels deeply internal, even at its loudest moments.

The closing track, Rubicon, brings the record to an expansive and contemplative end, its soaring climax embodying the album’s central paradox beauty through dissonance, weight through lightness.

Ultimately, Gore stands as one of Deftones’ most nuanced and atmospheric works. It refines their balance of aggression and dreamlike introspection, revealing a band still searching for new emotional and sonic dimensions more than two decades into their career.