Sometimes it’s not enough to simply listen to an album. To fully appreciate it, you must instead experience it. Get comfortable and relax, free your mind, and let the sounds wash over you and totally envelop you. Such is the case with the latest Deftones release, “Koi No Yokan.”
The title itself is intriguing. The Japanese concept loosely translates as the knowledge that you will fall in love with someone. You’re not in love yet but you know it’s going to happen, which very much fits this record. “Koi No Yokan” is softer and mellower than the Deftones of old with the music as a whole being the focal point, rather than just the heavy hitting riff with melody. Not that the music isn’t heavy. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter can still deliver a killer riff and solo on tracks like “Swerve City” and “Goon Squad” but they blend much more into the entire experience. Chino Moreno has matured and delivered his best performance to date. His vocals are amazing and he is able to emote through the rise and fall of his voice like no other. Outstanding tracks are “Romantic Dreams” and the first single, “Tempest,” which slowly leads you in before building to a grand climax.
“Koi No Yokan” is ethereal and hypnotic with its majestic layering of sounds and textures combined with reflective and at times somber lyrics. Dim the lights, sit back and experience it for yourself.
