Occult Themes in Deftones?

[bloody_liver]

I remember when Deftones used to post cellphone pics from the studios before SNW and there were some creepy images like this...


Somewhere in passing I heard someone talking about secret cults and they mentioned how The Illuminati worships this Owl God


I was wondering if there's some overall occult theme to the music that's under the surface. I'm not saying that there is some Divinci Code or anything. But I definitely think there's an influence or meta theme that's pretty eerie.


Any thoughts?

[bloody_liver]

Here's some spooky lyrics as an example:

DIAMOND EYES
When the coffin shakes
And the needle breaks
Come run away with me
Come on you'll see
Once and for all

PINK MAGGOT
I'll stick you a little
Enough
To take your oxygen away
Set you on fire
'cause I'm on fire
And I'm with you,
Alone,

DEATHBLOW
Soon as you came in, all the beast went away
They noticed that you're warm, wait till you leave then come back for more...
The ropes hang to keep us all awake and I should have known

RIVIERE
She haunts the roads, she waits for a new face
The arms red and injured she wants to rise she cant till we have faced
I'll cut your armies down, and turn your heart!!!

KIMDRACULA
The earth
Will see
Our lives go blank tonight
The earth will rot away
Well blink tonight

I really wish these snakes were your arm
I... I really wish you'd make up your mind

THIS PLACE IS DEATH
You arrived in my dream
Beside me every night
You were me, we explode to the sea
We try to drink the knife empty

[lostpilot]

I disagree. In my personal view those are just literary techniques. It's not like Deftones are an occult-metal band or something. A couple of lines do not create a theme, sorry, dude, but imo you're digging too deep.

[bloody_liver]

I disagree. In my personal view those are just literary techniques. It's not like Deftones are an occult-metal band or something. A couple of lines do not create a theme, sorry, dude, but imo you're digging too deep.

I'll repeat myself,  I'm not saying that there is some Divinci Code or anything. But I definitely think there's an influence or meta theme that's pretty eerie.

Just because you listen to an interview where Chino says "my lyrics don't mean anything" doesn't mean people can't interpret the art.

[Crazy Breed]

I remember when Deftones used to post cellphone pics from the studios before SNW and there were some creepy images like this...


Somewhere in passing I heard someone talking about secret cults and they mentioned how The Illuminati worships this Owl God


I was wondering if there's some overall occult theme to the music that's under the surface. I'm not saying that there is some Divinci Code or anything. But I definitely think there's an influence or meta theme that's pretty eerie.


Any thoughts?

The Owl "god" is Moloch....he is a demon (the eater of children) and that statue is from bohemian grove where the world elite meet once a year and talk about how they will fuck us all.

I have seen some symbols and shit here and there with the Deftones but I don't believe they are into the occult at all...at least not Steph...he seems to be into weed & music, like me. 

[sing blue silver]

any chane you have this bigger? this has always been one of my favorite bits of art from their albums.

[lostpilot]

but that one is not the original I think, the original was the cover for one of Team Sleep's demo

[downtownpony]

It was the image that showed in their Myspace player when you played beware.

[bebo]

Brb getting my tinfoil hat

[Hesperian Death-Horse!]

I definitely think that Chino and Steph are interested in occult studies. I remember one interview with Steph where he was talking about seeing UFO aircraft on high quality photos of the moon from NASA's website. I'm pretty sure there are occult topics that they are very interested in but I don't think it quite permeates the general concept of their music to a very high degree.

[Frequency_Chemist]

I'm pretty much in agreeance with Hesperian Death-Horse. Chino writes lyrics in such a creative and vague way that I think everyone interpets songs differently.

[bodywars9000]

I think there's a bit in there for sure, mostly Chino i'd imagine.
It's some kind of subliminal subtext. There's so many themes going on all the time, most mysterious, but the occult is definitely there on some level, imo especially from S/T on.

Royal reminds me of fucking aliens, which could be considered occult depending on how you look at at, like that ancient aliens theory that gods are aliens and vice versa. And "Diamond Eyes", with the fuckin owls?
I think there's definitely something going on there, i don't care what Chino said in interviews. Not like he's going to come out and say, "yeah the concept of alot of the albums is aliens and higher life forms and our return to a primitive and enlightened state of oneness with the universe" or whatever the hell it is. He'd rather let people draw their own conclusions. I could care less, i hope to never know for sure cuz i'd prolly be dissapointed. I think he knows this by now about listeners since he's one himself.
It's like if Damone's your favorite song and you have an idea what it's about for you and it's really meaningful and then you see an interview where he says it's about Rumplestiltskin.

[from_musings]

Brb getting my tinfoil hat

[Oldnewtype]

i think they try to involve somewhat of a mystical factor in some of their artwork and stuff, but not so much the lyrics.

[Frequency_Chemist]

I think there's a bit in there for sure, mostly Chino i'd imagine.
It's some kind of subliminal subtext. There's so many themes going on all the time, most mysterious, but the occult is definitely there on some level, imo especially from S/T on.

Royal reminds me of fucking aliens, which could be considered occult depending on how you look at at, like that ancient aliens theory that gods are aliens and vice versa. And "Diamond Eyes", with the fuckin owls?
I think there's definitely something going on there, i don't care what Chino said in interviews. Not like he's going to come out and say, "yeah the concept of alot of the albums is aliens and higher life forms and our return to a primitive and enlightened state of oneness with the universe" or whatever the hell it is. He'd rather let people draw their own conclusions. I could care less, i hope to never know for sure cuz i'd prolly be dissapointed. I think he knows this by now about listeners since he's one himself.
It's like if Damone's your favorite song and you have an idea what it's about for you and it's really meaningful and then you see an interview where he says it's about Rumplestiltskin.

I'm glad to see someone else also interepted Royal being about aliens lol.

[bodywars9000]

it's kind of hard to miss.
IMO he def is, although maybe he's using it as a metaphor, who knows.

word for word it's hard to deny, and i usually don't try to read too much into shit

[Frequency_Chemist]

it's kind of hard to miss.
IMO he def is, although maybe he's using it as a metaphor, who knows.

word for word it's hard to deny, and i usually don't try to read too much into shit

I totally agree. I've said it a few times and people looked at me like I was on crack.

[Hesperian Death-Horse!]

Yes, I also feel that "Royal" at least ostensibly has an extra-terrestrial contact theme in the lyrics. I also think that Chino is very inspired by the whole Twin Peaks franchise where things like Occultism/Spirituality and extra-terrestrial contact are sort of conflated into one big mess of questions and symbols. Plus there is the white horse symbol used a few times in the film and series. I think that symbol partially inspired the titling of White Pony, not to mention them opening the shows in that era with one of the Twin Peaks themes. Combine that with the whole "The owls are not what they seem" theme from Twin Peaks and its potential correlation with the Diamond Eyes artwork. I know that's just drawing parallels between Deftones and Twin Peaks itself but I think there is a general interest amongst at least some of the band members and all the esoteric studies that are utilized throughout the film and series.

[Robotsatemygrandma]

There could be some word play used, unintentionally, to hint at occult themes. The lyrical samples bloody liver posted are good examples.

I think those images actually fit SNW as a whole. There is a very unsettling feeling in that album, just like these images portray. Those images have that vintage vibe with a very evil overtone, even though they are both in nature. I just don't think the whole occult theme fits.

[the same sound]

I was thinking the exact same thing! Their symbols for Diamond Eyes are very... different. Plus, Chino has a new tattoo of a Baphomet... maybe they're just interested in the art and history of the Occult, who knows.