Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
We dont agree anymore.
We cant congregate in the spaces where we used to meet to fraternize and blow off steam.
Between the pandemic and the coming election, its hard to sit back and decompress.
I spoke to Moreno over the phone in August, whenOhms lead single and title track landed.
Its been a busy year for Deftones fans.
Starting this band, did you ever imagine it would be a 30-year journey?Hell, no.
Especially after the first couple records, I was like, Wow.
We can make another one?
But yeah, no way could I expect that this many years later, wed still be making records.
But, lucky enough, we have, and we still seem to enjoy it.
Your bandmates all have different specialties in metal, hardcore, and hip-hop.
Weve found, after all these years, that those are the moments that really count.
Thats a good feeling.
Its best when it happens organically like that.
It doesnt always happen that way.
Sometimes we get together and we talk shit for hours and not come up with anything.
Or we do, but nothing sticks.
And we dont write many songs.
We literally write ten songs.
Thats how we work.
Your band adds depth and unusual textures to heavy music.
We all love heavy music.
I cant say Im just a huge heavy-metal fan.
I like shit thats good.
I like any kind of music.
I dont care what genre it is as long as theres good songs.
Were open-minded, I guess.
Our music doesnt have to be any one thing ever.
And it shouldnt, I dont think.
That works for some people.
If you want to listen to Cannibal Corpse, you listen to Cannibal Corpse.
The new album reunites you with Terry Date, who produced your first four albums.
With Terry, I can come in and work my way through something.
Hes very much there to allow you to do that.
When we get together to work, we literally have to fly into a certain city.
Im not sleeping in my own bed.
I cant cook my own food.
Im living like Im on tour.
Im in the studio every day.
We gotta get this done.
But this is not my element.
Maybe we hadnt actually explored and allowed what would happen naturally to happen.
It was like, We have to finish this.
We have enough songs.
I think we learned from that process.
We were able to finish the songs [this time] and explore all the avenues.
How far into this year were you still working on the album?
When this year started, I had to go back to Terrys house.
He lives in Seattle, and I live in Portland so its about a three-hour drive to his house.
I would just drive up to his house, and it was just me and him in the studio.
He doesnt go anywhere; I dont go anywhere.
So I felt pretty safe with just me and him.
Other than that, I havent even seen my other bandmates in almost half a year now.
Its kind of crazy.
Its an unusual circumstance.
We were set to leave to go on tour, starting in Australia, which was in March.
Literally the day before we left for tour, everything got shut down.
We were well rehearsed and ready to go, and it was just like,boom!Everything stopped.
In Genesis, the opening track of the new album, you say, I finally achieve balance.
Ill be completely honest: I havent actually achieved complete balance.
I have moments where I feel that.
Some days Im closer to it than others.
Some days Im miles away from it.
But yes, the song is acknowledging that.
Everybody has an opinion.
Everybodys barking at each other through the fence, and it drives me fucking mad.
I dont want to have to pick a side.
You know what I mean?
That song actually also speaks to that, I guess, whatever.
Everything is so polarized.
What are you listening to this summer?Just random shit.
Ive really been engulfed in working on thisBlack Stallionalbum, which is
TheWhite Ponyremix album, right?Yeah.
Ive been listening to a lot of remixers, DJs, and a lot ofBoiler Roomshit.
I love live manipulating, especially vinyl.
I just watched DJ Shadows Boiler Room set last night.
Hes one of the artists thats on theBlack Stallionalbum.
Ive been collecting vinyl for years.
Im trying to get my daughter, whos 15, into that mindset of listening to records.
Everybody right now is spoon-fed singles, but listening to records is an experience.
Pick it out just because you like the cover of it, blah, blah, blah, whatever.
I was like, Whyd you pick that out?
Shes like, I just liked the cover.
Then we put it on and listened to it.
Thats the way we used to pick out music.
And then because you spent your hard-earned money on it, you kind of made yourself like it.
Can you give any details about who might be involved withBlackStallion?Trevor Jackson did an awesome remix.
I was so stoked on it.
Its almost hard to figure out what song it is.
I love remixes like that, where its a whole new take.
So him, DJ Shadow, Clams Casino, people whose music I liked and I like working with.
They always felt guilty about listening to certain things.
I dont think its us so much but definitely Limp Bizkit and shit like that.
I think motherfuckers were embarrassed for that shit back then, too.
You cant deny it.
Its fucking stupidly good, some of it, but they knew back then that it was stupid.
I mean, listen to the words.
So its not like in retrospect theyre like, I cant believe I listened to that.
No one should be embarrassed by shit they like thats dumb.
Just like what you like.
Dont take a stab at be holier than thou.
If you liked it then, dont be embarrassed, because it wasnt any smarter back then.
Its the same music it was 20 years ago.
And you know what?
Theres nothing wrong with that.
