Koi would be pushing boundaries if this wasn't the band that gave us ATF, WP, S/T and SNW. When you know the unorthodox directions they've gone in the past, KNY just seems staid. DE didn't really take them in new directions either, but it was more successful because it was a "back to basics/recharge" kind of album, which was necessary after Chi's accident (and also because DE is the more cohesive album). I don't think the reviewer is saying KNY is a bad album, but it's just not as left-field as we know they are capable of being. KNY was Deftones resting on their laurels a little bit. Anyway, this review is exciting, because it seems Gore is a little more dark, haunting, experimental and complex.