This reaction was expected and it's very fair, I sure am very active in the community so I understand the confusion.
I haven't enjoyed any of their music the way I enjoy the one they made with Chi. I had a quick phase with Diamond Eyes that didn't last too long. Sorry to sound dramatic but a part of me died when Chi died. I knew it was never going to be the same.
Me keeping up with them despite my "high standards" was a way to move on. I still enjoy going to their shows. I also still find a lot of satisfaction taking care of DeftonesLive. Besides, I got into the community mostly to find a live version of Pink Maggit, hence DeftonesLive. And I still haven't found one, in 15+ years.
I think it was this year that someone uploaded a video of the show of the (possibly) only time they played it live. Security was tight on that day and the guy was cut short, so I'm slowly starting to accept this quest shall remain fruitless. The only way for me to hear that song live would be to gain access to the SBD of that show (if they even kept it), or see Deftones play it live in the present. I'm not hopeful for either of those two.
By being a part of this community and creating DeftonesLive, I learned a lot as a human being and as a professional, and I was able to do that while focusing on my favorite band. It ain't so bad. DeftonesLive is the main reason I'm still here. I like digging into their live history, it gives me a drive.
The evolution of this band, no matter my possible dissatisfactions, remains one of the most interesting things in the history of music. It's just fascinating to me. I am critical (I don't like Black Stallion as a whole, I don't understand the prod on Gore, I don't get why they're not more daring live, etc.), but that's part of the trip. Deftones are like a beautiful dysfunctional, illogical family. On paper, they're a band that does not work. The fact they got as successful, despite their hard work, was a long shot and I'm sure they know that to an extent. They're like a beautiful accident. SharingLungs user musteatbrainz put that in a brilliant way a few years ago, check out their post history.
I don't know the band personally, but they're metaphorically an extension of things I know, and I guess a bit of myself. To get a little more personal, I had an important love story on this forum. We bonded over this band.
If Deftones were the perfect band with rad setlists, Chino on top of this game all the time, 10/10 music every time, I can't imagine how boring it would be for me. Being critical is part of who I am. I know it sounds weird but that's psychology for you. Them being the way they are with setlists makes it so much more rewarding when they actually do something special and you happen to be there. Hearing Combat live premiere in 2011, and Battle-axe in 2018 after 11 years of not being played, are two of the moments I'll never forget. Those occurrences being so rare make it much more personal in a strange way. Can you imagine how boring the sky would be if you could see shooting stars all the time?
Additionally, regarding DeftonesLive again, so much has been done. My White Pony video was pretty successful, I heard they watched it. I hate to sound like a fanboy but fuck it, it feels great. Not to mention the big following we built over time who like the editing and historian works we provide.
Didn't mean to get too deep but there you go. They're the best band ever. Fuck what everyone says.
And yes, I am super obsessed with Pink Maggit. That doesn't stop me from discovering lots of other beautiful music. But there's nothing like this song. There will never be. It's like that one-in-a-billion shot. And the mystery around it (they almost never played it live - they never talk about the demo they used to play live when they talk about the pre-White Pony days - there's a version on YouTube you can't find anywhere else, etc.) makes it so much more fascinating to me. I don't need an excuse.