Deftones spent years chasing the sound of their own best record, and Diamond Eyes finally catches it. The album, released in 2010, takes the anomalous melodic sections from Saturday Night Wrist and builds entire songs around them. It is the band’s most hopeful, dreamy record to date, and Chino Moreno’s vocals deliver the signature otherworldly vibe that made Deftones the definitive rock act of the early 2000s.
The record runs 41 minutes across 11 tracks, and it opens with a title track that sets the tone immediately. This is not a band looking back at anger or bitterness; this is a band trying to find light in the dark.
Opening With Diamond Eyes
“Diamond Eyes” (3:08) starts the album with a shimmering, hopeful guitar line that feels like a direct response to everything that came before it. The song is a statement of intent: Deftones want to be the band that makes you feel better, even when the lyrics are about pain.
“Royal” (3:33) follows and is one of the tracks critics singled out. It is a brooding, atmospheric piece that earns its reputation as one of the record’s peaks. The song’s tension builds slowly, and when it releases, it hits with real force.
CMND/CTRL Through Beauty School
“CMND/CTRL” (2:26) is a shorter, sharper track that critics also noted. It is a burst of energy that stands apart from the surrounding material, and it shows off the band’s knack for writing concise, punchy songs.
“You’ve Seen the Butcher” (3:31) is another standout, a track critics singled out for its combination of heavy riffing and melodic passages. The song is the closest the album comes to the band’s earlier, heavier sound, but even here the melody wins out.
“Beauty School” (4:48) closes out the front half of the record. It is the longest track so far and one of the most ambitious, with a chorus that critics singled out as some of the band’s best writing. The song’s title suggests something about appearance, but the music itself is about feeling, pure and unfiltered.
Prince, Rocket Skates And Sextape
“Prince” (3:37) is a solid, mid-tempo track that does not quite reach the heights of the songs around it. It is competent but forgettable, a bridge between the album’s peaks.
“Rocket Skates” (4:17) is a highlight, a track critics singled out for its mix of heavy riffing and melodic passages. The song’s title suggests speed, and the music delivers on that promise.
“Sextape” (4:02) is the album’s most divisive moment. Critics noted that the brooding tracks were unadorned and retreads, while the heavy tracks played around with melodic passages in awkward ways. This is the clearest example of that tension, and it is a fair criticism.
Risk And 976-EVIL
“Risk” (3:39) is a strong track that critics noted for its combination of heavy riffing and melodic passages. It is not a peak, but it holds the album together.
“976-EVIL” (4:33) is a solid closer, though it does not quite match the ambition of the songs around it. It is a track critics singled out for its combination of heavy riffing and melodic passages.
This Place Is Death
“This Place Is Death” (3:49) ends the album on a note of resolution. It is a fitting closer, a song that looks forward rather than backward.
| Track | Length |
|---|---|
| Diamond Eyes | 3:08 |
| Royal | 3:33 |
| CMND/CTRL | 2:26 |
| You’ve Seen the Butcher | 3:31 |
| Beauty School | 4:48 |
| Prince | 3:37 |
| Rocket Skates | 4:17 |
| Sextape | 4:02 |
| Risk | 3:39 |
| 976-EVIL | 4:33 |
| This Place Is Death | 3:49 |
The Verdict
Diamond Eyes is a confident, accomplished record that knows exactly what it wants to be. It is the band’s most hopeful work, and it succeeds more often than it fails.
The album’s flaws — the awkward mixing of heavy riffing and melodic passages, the retreaded brooding tracks — are real, but they do not undermine the whole. This is a record that rewards patience and attention.
It is not perfect, but it is essential. Deftones have made a lot of records, and this one stands tall among them.
- Diamond Eyes3:08
- Royal3:33
- CMND/CTRL2:26
- You've Seen the Butcher3:31
- Beauty School4:48
- Prince3:37
- Rocket Skates4:17
- Sextape4:02
- Risk3:39
- 976-EVIL4:33
- This Place Is Death3:49
