"Ohms" - Deftones New Album

[ANattyRat]

That was a great review, Vesanic. Urantia was a song I was kind of neutral to on my first listen, and now it's one of my favourites lol.

People talking about the mix and everything just makes me glad that the whole thing is lost on me. I can listen to Gore and not really tell the difference in how they're mixed. Which is a good thing for me, since it means none of that can ruin an album for me like Gore did for a lot of people, sadly.

[BallZDeeP]

Good stuff Ves, well written and articulate. Still got about 2 1/2 hours here, gonna be a late night! So excited and optimistic!

west coast?

[976-EVIL]

Good stuff Ves, well written and articulate. Still got about 2 1/2 hours here, gonna be a late night! So excited and optimistic!

west coast?

East Coast US

[Vesanic]

By the way, the new Sol Invicto is BANGING.

[Draken]

By the way, the new Sol Invicto is BANGING.

where ... how... when... what?

[theataraxian]

By the way, the new Sol Invicto is BANGING.

where ... how... when... what?

I gotchu fam

https://solinvicto.techitch.com/track/a-reason-for-being

[Draken]

By the way, the new Sol Invicto is BANGING.

where ... how... when... what?

I gotchu fam

https://solinvicto.techitch.com/track/a-reason-for-being

props

dang that's groovy, is it just one song so far?

[laurapalmer]

Two more hours

[2MoreHours]

Two more hours

Say my name bitch 😎

[976-EVIL]

Two more hours

INDEED!!!

[Draken]

Two more hours

Are you in the "blue balls squad" as well? 

Ugh, I have the album in FLAC just waiting on my computer, but I'm going to hold out until WB sends me my damn digital download at midnight. I'm waiting until my gf gets home from work and the midnight hour brings in my birthday. Woo I'm so excited... (I'm so excited I'm doing Chino "WOOs")

[Inkblades]

Four and a half star review from AllMusic:

https://www.allmusic.com/album/ohms-mw0003419200

[laurapalmer]

Two more hours

Are you in the "blue balls squad" as well? 

Ugh, I have the album in FLAC just waiting on my computer, but I'm going to hold out until WB sends me my damn digital download at midnight. I'm waiting until my gf gets home from work and the midnight hour brings in my birthday. Woo I'm so excited... (I'm so excited I'm doing Chino "WOOs")

Not fully, but it's getting a midnight start to finish listen for sure.

[Vesanic]

Deftones community right now

[Playhouse]

Great review Ves. Incredibly impressed you were able to hold out.
Only thing i disagree with is your review of his vox in Link and Error. (although i always seem to disagree with your take on his chino's vox hehe)
I've actually always thought they also used that filter in WGTB for the same reason your saying they used it in Link. To make it sound heavier lol
I agree WGTB does sound more like 'losing his mind screaming'. For me in Link i guess he sounds like hes 'still in control of his mind screaming but in pain' hahaha

I also definitely miss that stunning ability of his to go into the digital bath head voice. But I guess i know that was 20 years ago so I don't hang onto that as a negative aspect to this record.
Im curious, do you think hes still able to do this vocally? (This is a genuine question, no sarcasm intended)

[Inkblades]

Deftones community right now

Hahaha, that's marvelous.

[Inkblades]

92 on Metacritic, the third highest rated album of 2020:

https://www.metacritic.com/music/ohms/deftones

[Draken]

Two more hours

Are you in the "blue balls squad" as well? 

Ugh, I have the album in FLAC just waiting on my computer, but I'm going to hold out until WB sends me my damn digital download at midnight. I'm waiting until my gf gets home from work and the midnight hour brings in my birthday. Woo I'm so excited... (I'm so excited I'm doing Chino "WOOs")

Not fully, but it's getting a midnight start to finish listen for sure.

[pannch]

92 on Metacritic, the third highest rated album of 2020:

https://www.metacritic.com/music/ohms/deftones

The sputnikmusic review is well written. Now, I ain't that of a huge fan of WP, but them stating Ohms being better than WP ? Hmmm dunno about that

[Visionz]

[SPOILER ALERT FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN REGIONS WHERE IT'S NOT RELEASED YET]

I didn't really want to review it, kinda feel compelled for some reason.

Keep in mind this is my opinion, fresh off the first listen (which is probably a terrible idea), after I heard the two singles and most of Chino's stream in microphone quality. I also never review music.

Pros:

The band is back in a strong fashion. All of these cuts have something interesting to them, the flow is surprisingly steady and keeps the listener intrigued from start to end. "Ceremony" has one of the catchiest choruses I've heard them do, without falling in a cliche of formulaic composition (to which I see no problem, I just know Deftones care a lot about that). I didn't feel like skipping a single track, I enjoyed them all in a way or another.

"The Spell of Mathematics" still comes to me as the stand out. It is the one song I really, really like from start to end. The second part of the song is the kind of Deftones I wish I could hear more. Ever since songs like "Fist" or "U, U, (etc.)", or the SNW demos, or just about every time I listen to a Deftones instrumental, I have always wanted to see the full potential of this band as a full-on instrumental piece. The bridge of "Genesis", and a couple of moments I couldn't memorise, only reaffirm that wish. The use of the 9-string is really obvious on "The Spell (...)" and makes a lot of sense. The song is majestic!

"This Link is Dead" comes as the angriest song we've heard Deftones do since "Rats!". God damn does it feel good to hear Chino properly SCREAM again even for just a bit, as opposed to shouting in a bunch of saturating filters (sorry Chino, this is just my opinion, and I obviously wouldn't know what it's like to be a vocalist). This is definitely one of the most experimental things they did, the songs go in a variety of influences and styles, probably the biggest distance I've heard them walk through the spectrum.

The chorus of "Headless" had me headnodding big time. The synth solo, as I had already heard on Chino's stream, almost made me cry. They can still create doomy, heartfelt atmospheres while being subtle about it instead out outpouring obvious emotions in your ears. I saw someone drawing a similarity between "Headless" and "Rubicon" and it's no wonder: a specific part of it sounds EXACTLY THE SAME as the couple of seconds before the latter instrumental ending ("oooooh").

The opening riff of "Pompeji" is some of stuff I wish we could hear more. There's just something profoundly Deftones about it. The roll down of the song is very interesting, but that's the stuff I'd loop over and over like an autistic. Would be a beautiful sample.

Vocally, Chino taps more into his oldschool crooning than he did on the post-Chi trinity. That appeals to me because I feel it's just something he's great at. And as stated, some of the screaming performance felt absolutely amazing.

Instrumentally very diverse, very, very well composed, measured. You can tell they were very organised and all of them really into this. As a fan, it's only good things. I'm so happy my favorite band is still making music, and this album will see them riding a beautiful wave, I'm most assured!

Ohms feels like a beautiful, well-planned musical trip through many sonic soundscapes, lots of them are new and absolutely well executed in the case of Deftones.

The title track has become a favorite in the album now hearing it in context. Releasing it and "Genesis" as the singles were awesome moves, as they give you a sense of familiarity and thus, reassurance, as people like me, who have heard those, go through the full record for the first time.

Cons:

I just don't like the mix. Abe is too much in the back of the mix yet again. Where's that pop? I can't hear it. His even simpler drumming on Adrenaline or Around the Fur always amazed me by its presence and its sonic fidelity. There is almost nothing like that on Ohms in my opinion (don't get pissed, it's just my opinion). It is definitely an improvement from Gore, but this is not even close to what I expected from them working with Terry Date. And I'd be bold to criticise Terry's work: I think that's the best he could achieve with Sergio replacing Chi. Don't get me wrong: Sergio is a great bassist, I respect and admire his contribution as a band member and the enormity of the challenge in replacing Chi. I guess a part of me will never get used to pick-play over fingerplay. The sound of the band used to bathe in Chi's sound, now the bass is a complementary layer. I'll just never get used to that, this warm sound was, to me, essential to their sound. That's not saying they didn't do their best and the album is bad.

I actually like Chino's performance a lot on the record, but I'm not a fan of how loud he is on almost the entirety of the record. I don't feel like there is enough room for the music to breathe. I saw a couple of comparisons made between "When Girls Telephone Boys" and "This Link is Dead", and I think they're bogus: "WGTB" had Chino properly losing his mind screaming, the vocal effect was there only to add grit to it, the way I see it at least. "This Link is Dead" feels like the filter was put there to make sure Chino sounded heavy. And I guess I selfishly wish Chino would become again the vocalist he was during the "White Pony" days. It might be just me but the high notes on "Error" felt like Chino actually wanted to go full head voice, a la "Digital Bath", "Birthmark" or the end of "Root", instead of falsetto. I miss that stunning aspect to his vocal performance. Again, that's not to say it is bad. I just honestly have been more amazed with Chino in the past, and of course I'm just proud of that history, as a fan. I think his performance was great nonetheless and he should be really proud of it.

I didn't really feel anything listening to "Radiant City", although I enjoyed it to an extent. I wasn't really feeling "Urantia" on the leak, and that's not really changed. Probably my least favourite of the bunch.

Strongest cuts:

- The Spell of Mathematics
- Ceremony
- Headless
- Error
- Ohms
- The synth interlude of Pompeji

Ones I might skip over time:

- Urantia
- Radiant City


Again, that was my review off the first listen of the full thing. I hate reviews, but there you go. I won't compare it to other albums or anything. The fact Deftones are still making music is most amazing and this is beyond what fans could expect from a band with such longevity. I honestly would be very happy if they called it quits and this was their exit piece, obviously I hope it isn't!

Respect of your opinion v, but whip it out bc here comes the lips!