I have no idea what these "sticky melodies" are that you guys are referring to. Can you cite some examples of this problem you claim he has on the last two Deftones records...?
Some of what I'm referring to is a bit intangible as it has to do with the melodic choices he makes, but I'm also referring to the vocal structure of songs. The best I can describe that "intangible element" is to say that if, for example, I were to be walking down the street singing Around the Fur or Korea, I would sound pretty awful without the context of those songs, even if I was spot on. Despite that, one listen to either song and they stay with you for a while. In contrast, vocals on much of the past two albums could be sung without that musical context and be considered catchy even to those who have never had any listening experience with Deftones. I know that it sounds counter-intuitive to suggest that the problem with the newer vocals is that they stand on their own more, but I think that in a way that's just it. Deftones of old had that "intangible" quality, and a large part of that were these seemingly abrasive vocals that somehow came into harmony with and fully realized the music below. The vocals of the past two albums, in my opinion, largely (but definitely not entirely) lack that quality. You can definitely hear that difference when you compare the most "agreeable" melodies of past albums, like Be Quiet and Drive and Change, to their current "agreeable" counterparts like Sextape and Entombed. I'm not saying I dislike those songs, but they do have a very different quality. I'm also not saying that the band evolving is bad, as the dynamism of the band is a defining feature that I love, but I can say that from Adrenaline straight through much of SNW that intangible vocal quality was much more dominant. If you look at the Self-Titled album, it is nearly entirely driven by that quality, which is why it's such a polarizing album.
The most simple and evident structural difference between the past two albums and all the others vocally is the lack of unique or contrasting bridges. I can use many of the same songs mentioned before to illustrate. Songs like Entombed and Rocket Skates don't even have vocal bridges for example. I know that a lack of vocal bridge isn't unheard of for Deftones, take Minerva and Deathblow for example, but where those bridges were lacking that intangible quality compensated. That being said, thinking about songs like Fireal, Around the Fur, Korea, Pink Maggit, and When Girls Telephone Boys, I can't even imagine them without their bridges and/or distinct mid-song changes. They would certainly be a lot less interesting. I can't think of many songs on the past two albums that had defining and surprising moments like those, or that could compensate for their absence with that intangible quality (Rosemary and Royal come to mind for example). I can think of many many songs on those albums, however, that I kept waiting for those moments to hit and they never happened. I keep digging into Entombed, but that song is just a perfect example of what I'm talking about. It's just the same thing over and over; and that one thing is pretty damn good, but not invariable throughout the whole five minutes. When the first hint of that bridge hit, I was really excited. It was musically very distinct from the minutes before it, and was generally surprising. Then the vocals come in, and it's simply the verse part, and then that exact same synth drum beat hits that announces all of the choruses, *bum-bubum-bubum-bum-bum*, and on goes the repetition. Compare that to a song like Digital Bath that just drips with that intangible quality. The bridge is basically just the verse part again, but damn does that intangible quality compensate for it--it literally makes that structurally dull bridge into this beautiful and unforgettable moment.
Anywho, I realize this is becoming too long and rant-ish, but it's difficult to describe what I meant in my earlier post. This is also just my subjective opinion, though I suspect a similar sentiment might explain at least some of the discontent in the community with the past two albums. For reference I don't dislike Diamond Eyes or Koi no Yokan, I think both have some solid songs on them, but I would have to place them below the five albums that preceded them in terms of my preferences. Lol, I have to harp on this fact to avoid flaming, but I'm not saying they're bad albums, I'm just saying I prefer the others if I had to rank all seven.
Much respect,
-Matt
