An Interview With the Rock Band Deftones

2 hours ago7 min read

The notion of rock bottom being the moment you stop digging is a piece of rehab wisdom that cuts to the core of the Deftones' entire ethos, a band that has spent decades sonically excavating the darkest corners of the human experience only to emerge, time and again, with something beautiful and brutal. For this fall 2025 VICE cover story, 'The Be Quiet and Drive Issue,' diving into a conversation with the Sacramento legends feels less like a standard interview and more like putting on a cherished, slightly-scratched vinyl of 'White Pony'—the crackle and pop are part of the experience, revealing new textures with each rotation.Their career has been a masterclass in dynamic range, a playlist that swings from the sledgehammer riffs of 'My Own Summer (Shove It)' to the ethereal, dream-pop soundscapes of 'Sextape,' a testament to their refusal to be pigeonholed by the nu-metal scene they were initially associated with. Frontman Chino Moreno’s vocal delivery is itself an instrument of contrast, capable of a whispered vulnerability that can, in a heartbeat, erupt into a cathartic, guttural scream, mirroring the band's own journey through creative differences, personal loss, and the relentless pressure of the industry.Much like the way Radiohead defied the 'Creep' label to become sonic pioneers, the Deftones have consistently evolved, with each album—from the raw aggression of 'Adrenaline' to the textured, atmospheric depth of 'Koi No Yokan'—acting as a different movement in a sprawling, ambitious symphony. They are the band for the outsider, for the kid who finds solace in the heavy not as an act of anger, but as a release, a form of meditation.Their influence is a quiet undercurrent in modern heavy music, heard in the genre-blurring work of artists like Loathe and Spiritbox, who similarly prize atmosphere and melody alongside crushing weight. Sitting with them now, as they reflect on a legacy that spans over three decades, is to understand that their precious metal isn't gold or platinum records—though they have those—but the resilient, raw material of their shared experience, forged in fire and refined through time, a testament to the fact that the most compelling art often comes from the deepest digs.

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