Year in Rock 2012 Nominee: Deftones

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DEFTONES
Tempest
From: Koi No Yokan
Released: November 13

A lot of folks were happy for Deftones when 2010's Diamond Eyes exceeded expectations after a couple of uneven albums saw their stock fall; it was good for the band to move in different directions, but everyone knew that the quality decrease from 2000's White Pony was palpable. With its hard rock edges and smooth pop sheen coming together to form a uniquely digestible metallic whole, Diamond Eyes was seen (though none dared say it) as a pleasantly surprising late-career highlight, a nice one to remember them by when they eventually faded away. Needless to say, I feel like a stone cold fool for thinking that, because Koi No Yokan isn't just better than Diamond Eyes, it's the most fearsome challenger to White Pony as the best record Deftones have ever made. There's more urgency, more passion, more... everything. And, when it comes to singles, even the iconic riff of My Own Summer is trumped by the majestic and volatile groove of Tempest; it's also a showcase for Chino Moreno's voice which, at the age of 39 and through nearly twenty years of blood-curdling screams, hasn't wavered a bit.

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