Chino Moreno, Stef Carpenter, Become Nu-Metal
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F E R A T E U V R O E C SONGS FOR THE DEF DEFTONES HAVE LIVED THROUGH SOARING HIGHS AND DESPERATE LOWS IN THEIR THREE DECADES TOGETHER. NOW, AS THEY LOOK BACK ON THE PAST AND TO A BRIGHT FUTURE WITH STUNNING NEW ALBUM GORE, THEY TELL GEORGE GARNER WHY THIS FAMILY NEEDS EACH OTHER MORE THAN EVER… PHOTOS: JABARI JACOBS (PORTRAITS), ANDREW STUART (LIVE) t started on the sun-bleached streets of Sacramento, would reinvent it so mesmerically that no-one could California. The year is 1988. A teen called Chino copy it. In truth, even from the start, the release of a new Moreno hooks up with Stephen ‘Stef’ Carpenter, Deftones album has always been an event. who lives around the corner. Stef’s a metal dude: That’s why Kerrang!’s travelled to Pollution Studios, long hair, typically seen playing guitar on his porch. located in an area of Los Angeles you’d expect to see I Chino plays drums while Stef writes riffs and lyrics – that on a show called, perhaps, ‘America’s Most Murderiest is, until he gets shifted to the microphone when they Murders’. It’s here that Deftones are recording the realise their friend, Abe Cunningham, is a much, much video for their highly-anticipated eighth album Gore’s better drummer. Gradually, Chino adjusts to his new superb lead single, Prayers/Triangles. Inside, a camera role, sometimes singing like Danzig, others Morrissey. crew is trained on Chino as he performs like he’s They find a way to make it work. Their first demo: slowly vaporising into the dreamlike lyrics. Then, as the a release by the ‘Def-Tones’. Their first gig: a friend’s song fades out… birthday party. Their dream: play the next town over. “ACTING, GARY!” Chino blurts out, quoting Team They get a bit further than that. America. Everyone bursts out laughing. With the addition of Chi Cheng on bass and DJ Frank Some people would be surprised to see Deftones Delgado, and later Sergio Vega, Deftones actually change joking right now. So far, Gore’s impending release has metal forever. Their first two albums, 1995’s Adrenaline been overshadowed by an interview. Specifically, Stef and 1997’s Around The Fur, would – alongside Korn’s telling Ultimate-Guitar.com, “I think my proudest thing The Deftones Family Portrait: (from left) self-titled debut – invent the blueprint that would about my guitar playing on this record is just playing on Frank Delgado, Chino Moreno, Stef Carpenter, become nu-metal. Their third album, 2000’s White Pony, the record, because I didn’t want to play on the record Sergio Vega and Abe Cunningham 18 KERRANG! KERRANG! 19 Chi Cheng makes for the sofa as Chino and Stef play a Tony Hawk’s game OPENING THE ARCHIVES Taking a breather during the White ABE IS DEFTONES’ RESIDENT COLLECTOR. HERE HE Pony years. No pony was harmed in the making of this lunch SHARES FIVE items FROM HIS PERSONAL ARCHIVE… DEFTONES BIKE DEMO TAPE “That was early 2000s “That is the demo for what and we okayed this [and a would become Around fingerboard] because we The Fur! We were so like skateboards and BMXs! proud of that tape because It was pretty damn cool it sounded really, really ’cause we’d all grown up good. The titles are funny! skateboarding and biking! Crenshaw ended up on How cool is that!? It was B-Sides & Rarities; MACKS nothing more than that. A became MX; but the best is lot of that stuff can be junk, Dreamboat – that became FLYER & POSTER but it was really cool!” Be Quiet (And Drive). We “That’s the first time we came over to have a long history of the the UK. It was Kerrang!-sponsored! The most ridiculous working poster, that’s our first full-on, proper UK titles – some stick and tour and it had sold out next to all the some don’t!” dates! We were so wide-eyed at the time. The shot of us all [bottom right] is from the Astoria! If you look in the background THE ART OF DEFTONES there’s an afterparty sign. It was absolutely CHINO GIVES THE STORIES BEHIND THREE CLASSIC COVERS Deftones in 2005: “The wild in those days, everything was so new! worst time of my life,” I still get those feelings – you try and never says Chino lose sight of them.” ADRENALINE (1995) AROUND THE FUR (1997) WHITE PONY (2000) “At the time, I was using that “That cover is horrible. At the “This was the only record up to [baby aspirator] on a daily basis – time, we all lived in an apartment this point where the art came I’d just had my son Christian – and complex and were partying before the music. I didn’t even I was like, ‘I think our album cover every night. We were at the hot have the actual pony itself, but I “The music is us should be this very medical, stark tub [one time] and this was just a said I wanted to call this record white thing.’ I took a picture with random shot [that] somehow we White Pony. There’s an old ’80s my camera and said, ‘I’d like you picked as the cover. On the back song that has this line in it, ‘If you CELEBRATING OUR to use this [inhaler] boogie getter,’ cover, there’s a picture of the want to ride, ride the white pony’ and they did it, but it started girl from the waist down. In the [White Horse by Danish electro looking all sci-fi. So, I said, ‘See original, Frank’s in the hot tub group Laid Back]. It’s a total drug TIME TOGETHER. IT’s this Polaroid, just use this!’ That’s next to her, so we Photoshopped reference. I looked on Clip Art a Polaroid picture of the thing! him out of it. We were all for an outline of a pony and said, It’s not what married at the ‘I want this to THE PRODUCT OF I wanted it time, so how be our thing.’ to be, but I do we explain That was the our friendship” guess we got to our wives only time we lucky and we’re in a ever did it, and STEF CARPENTER it became hot tub with it’s crazy how iconic.” these chicks?” iconic it is now.” the most. It’s so funny how things get spun out.” [for] one more record ’cause maybe the last seven For the record, then, you’re happy with Gore? [times] everyone missed it,” Stef says. “The music “Oh yeah! I went eight records before I had any is simply us celebrating our time together. We’re a kind of issue,” he smiles, “but I’ve already lived group of friends. What you hear is the product of to begin with,” later adding, “I would never leave the understand when he says stuff like that, people are through two records in the past where somebody our friendship.” band that I started, but the band started leaving me.” going to react in a certain way, but Stephen didn’t say else didn’t enjoy them at all. For me to finally hit a Specifically, Deftones’ discography is the product Ever since, people have been speculating: is there a it to make people react – he was just being Stephen. wall, I think I lasted pretty good, because I’ve seen of six friends. Tragically, one of them is no longer civil war going on in Deftones? That’s how shit is.” other people already buckle.” here. But, then again, as Gore testifies, maybe that’s If there’s supposed to be an elephant in the room, it’s There was no fight. In fact… So, can Deftones work with everyone feeling fulfilled? a matter of perspective. forgotten to show at Pollution Studios. “Not a single email, text message, phone call,” Stef “I think so,” explains Chino. “In the end, we are all Sergio Vega, for one, is smiling his arse off, walking replies, grinning. “You know what came out my end? fulfilled. I think Stephen is fulfilled. I will speak for him: moment, frozen in time. Chi Cheng is around playing bass and mouthing along to Prayers/ Straight crickets. Like nothing happened.” he fucking is! I see it in his face! We played the new flying through a room like Superman. He’s Triangles all day, even when he’s not being filmed. Sat beside him, Frank Delgado – the man responsible songs a couple of days ago and I watched him light Acompletely horizontal, both arms stretched The next day, spirits seem even higher when for Gore’s beautiful textures – nods. He still hasn’t up with excitement the same way I was realising how out in front, dreadlocks flailing behind. In front of Kerrang! rolls up to the backstage area of Musink even troubled himself to read Stef’s interview. dope some of this shit was. Straight up.” him, Chino and Stef are playing PlayStation. Frank’s Festival. Part tattoo convention, part gig, this is For 20 years and counting, Deftones have been Gore is so dope, in fact, that Abe and Sergio are beside them, eyes closed. Abe’s there, too, reading where Deftones will perform their first set of 2016. deservedly praised as many things: ‘Best Band’, ‘Best still talking about the great stuff that didn’t make the a magazine. Chino loves this black-and-white Backstage, alongside the sight of blink-182 drummer/ Live Band’, ‘Coolest Band’ and all the etceteras.