It seems impossible to describe Deftones’ music for so many reasons. There is no sound like it, nothing so twisted and beautiful, so mesmerizing and haunting, or so damn engaging. ‘Around the Fur’ is the band’s second album release following the furious and eye-opening ‘Adrenaline’.
Whilst that release was a unique and almost shell-shocking musical experience, Around the Fur takes all the core elements of Deftones’ sound so prevalent on that album and develops it into a thing of incredible melodic beauty, leaving a sound that hasn’t been matched to this day.
Right from the off, the album reeks of intent and meaning. Opening track ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ comes rasping into place, Cheno Moreno’s gravelly whisper feeding off the guitar lick before a blast of intense distortion, pounding bass and pummeled drums comes crashing in, before screaming choruses and tense breakdowns follow suit. As Moreno says of their overall sound, ‘it’s sweet - ruthless’.
‘Lhabia’ and ‘Mascara’ follow the opener, the latter in particular haunting throughout, presenting less brute force than the former. Beyond this, title track ‘Around the Fur’ represents everything that makes Deftones so incredible; the strained vocals accompany the chugging guitars after an opening drum beat that wouldn’t feel out of place in a pop song. Beyond this, the cries of ‘SPEAK!’ signal the coming of the chorus, with an enormous riff and more heartfelt wailing from Moreno’s battered lungs.
‘Rickets’ is next, and is a powerful blast of industrial metal before arguably the biggest song Deftones have ever written, the awe-inspiring ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’. It’s difficult to put your finger on why this is such a great song, but it falls into place with unbelievable precision. The opening guitar line dares you not to wait and see what’s next, and then the storm comes - the simplest, most powerful riff on the entire record is thrashed out and suddenly no other piece of music seems to matter anymore. Moreno’s thoughtful vocals, calmer in parts here than on much of the record, only add to the haunting feeling. The breakdown throws up harmonics and more heavy rock sounds, and Moreno’s anguished cries (‘No I don’t care where just far!’) see out a highlight not only of this album, but of the entire Deftones catalogue.
Next song ‘Lotion’ is similar to ‘Rickets’, heavy guitar riffs proving dominant amidst another soaring chorus. Following that, ‘Dai the Flu’, one of the catchiest songs here, comes swaying melodically into place and ‘Headup’ opens with a riff that you feel might have been replicated in a dozen songs since. The lyrics are spat out quickly, as if the whole experience is driving Moreno insane, and it is only through the extended, quiet ending of the song that any respite is offered.
Final song MX features some added female vocals which sound as if they’re coming down a phone line, and some of Moreno’s lyrics give us an insight into some of the disturbing ideas that flood Deftones’ sound, (‘come here, closer to the lung, so I can shove her over the railing’) or (‘Let me think about girls, and money, and new clothes, thirty nights of violence’) provide good examples of this. The bonus songs ‘Bong Hit’ and ‘Damone’ are also included in this final track.
‘Around the Fur’ represents, in my personal opinion, the high point in Deftones pretty incredible catalogue of records. Their sound is so distinct and recognizable, and it is this album that really defines where that sound has come from. It is ruthless, graceful and intelligent, and an album that any lover of heavy music simply has to acquire.