An intense, thoroughly contemporary US hard rock band, Deftones originally comprised Chino Moreno (b. Camillo Wong Moreno, 20 June 1973; vocals), Chi Cheng (b. Chi Ling Dai Cheng, 15 July 1970; bass), Stephen Carpenter (b. 3 August 1970; guitar) and Abe Cunningham (b. Abraham Cunningham, 27 July 1973; drums). The quartet emerged from their home town of Sacramento, California, where they enjoyed the early sponsorship of local favourites Korn. With that band they also shared a fan community drawn from skateboarders. The members of the band actually met while skateboarding, and their first rehearsals together took place in 1989, where they jammed on rough versions of Danzig’s ‘Twist Of Cain’. With the line-up complete, they began playing low-key sets, gradually building support within their neighbourhood.
Deftones eventually signed with Madonna’s label, Maverick Records, and made their debut in 1995 with Adrenaline. They then toured with Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne, as sales of their debut increased to more than half a million. By now widely championed in both the US and UK metal press, Deftones began work on their second album, 1997’s Around The Fur, which proved to be an equally solid collection highlighted by the radio favourite ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’. Regular tour DJ Frank Delgado (b. 29 November 1970) was made a full-time member of the band during this period. White Pony proved to be the band’s major commercial breakthrough, placing them at the forefront of the US rock scene in the new millennium.
The band members subsequently concentrated on various side projects, including Moreno’s Team Sleep, before reconvening to record Deftones’ fourth studio album. Released in 2003, Deftones was a solid rather than spectacular recording which failed to repeat the overwhelming critical and commercial success of its predecessor.
