“Produced and mixed by Nick Raskulinecz (Alice in Chains, Coheed & Cambria, Foo Fighters), and recorded and engineered by Paul “Fig” Figueroa (Alice in Chains, Bad Religion), Diamond Eyes is a powerful combination of muscular impact and expansive atmospherics clarity that charts the latest development in the band’s ever growing sonic range. Opening with the title track’s grinding riffs and near subliminal hook, the album’s range encompasses the blowtorch attack of “CMND/CNTRL” and the sinister melancholy that underpins “Beauty School”. As ever, the album blends the band’s seamless ability to float between genres; “Sex Tape” glides with an eerie, discomforting beauty, while the combination of battering rhythms and Chino Moreno’s harsh howl ensure that “Royal” demonstrates Deftones’ continuing ability to enthral with visceral sounds.”

Diamond Eyes also represents former Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega’s recording debut with Deftones, standing in for Chi Cheng, who was seriously injured in a car accident in November 2008.

Punters Pronounce:

“I read some of the other customer reviews of the Deftones’ lastest release ‘Diamond Eyes’, and I have to say I agree with the hype. This is certainly the best album the band have produced since ‘White Pony’ and a welcome return after the tragedy of losing Chi to a long-term coma. Typical of the band’s style, this album grows more enjoyable after every listen and in some ways outshines all of their other albums in that the flow of tracks works perfectly. Similarly to their previous album ‘Saturday Night Wrist’, ‘Diamond Eyes’ hits hard in some places and mellows out in others. However, whereas SNW ended up with a very bumpy ‘highs and lows’ feel to it, the tone of the music and the arrangement of the tracks on this album gives it a seamless flow.”

“Fantastic return to form after the patchy Saturday Night Wrist Album. Standout tracks Royal, You’ve Seen the Butcher, Rocket Skates and This Place Is Death stand alongside classic Deftones songs of old. Personally, my favourite album since Around The Fur. An early contender for Album of the Year.”

“If you like Deftones, this is perfect for you. If you do not like them, as with all their stuff, this will not change your mind. I found the mood was that of Saturday Night Wrist with a hint of Deftones (self-titled). Have listened to it about 15-20 times and it sounds better everytime and is getting to the really exciting period now when it feels like you will notice something new everytime still.”

“…all of which makes Diamond Eyes one of the unexpected triumphs of recent years. Throwing off the shackles of grief and getting back to what they did best on ATF and WP, all with a renewed sense of purpose and energy… well, I can think of no better tribute to their stricken compadre.”

So, what do we at Shake think? The fact that I’ve already played four track from the album on my radio shows says something (and I’m not done yet)… and that something is that this is a mercurial heavy rock album and certainly Deftone’s best. It’s a blistering album, high on melody, lyrically profound, with vocal and instrumental performances that for me match the very best ever recordedin recent years. Raskulinecz and Figueroa’s masterful recording and production have made something very special; in the way atmosphere has been created, but never let’s one miss a vocal or instrumental note, or lyric.

The song-writing here is so strong that a song-by-song analyse is almost futile, and even favourite tracks are difficult to identify - the more one listens, the more one’s mind changes. Opener ‘Diamond Eyes’ zooms in to land on galactic electronic wheels before its swaying heavy rock vibe envelopes you, and the most powerful melody grabs you by the short and curlies to drag you along for the ride. It’s the Deftone’s established signature sound, but better… ‘Royal’ is a triumph with Abe Cunningham’s drumming and Moreno’s vocals/guitar creating a sound of seismic proportions. ‘CMND/CTRL’ is a jagged and angry beast of a tune, while ‘You’ve Seen The Butcher’ is one of the record’s darkest songs and ‘Beauty School’ offers somewhat lighter respite without throwing out the baby with the bath water - stunning!

One of the above record buyers stated that if you are a fan of the band you’ll love this record, and if you’re not, you won’t. I couldn’t disagree more. Songs like ‘Prince’ and closer ‘This Place Is Death’ are emotional and melodic stunners that any heavy rock fan (and even non-rock fans) with an even slightly open-door mind would love (or at least give grudging praise). These songs are visceral listening experiences that leave no emotional stone unturned. ‘Rocket Skates’ rocks with abandon and even Moreno is taken to occasionally screaming ‘yeah’… ‘Sextape’ is an epic and open declaration of love and desire, made all the more convincing by its contemplative tone and calculating, crawling pace. The more you listen to this fabulous record, the more you love and learn, and like me, you may wonder if latter-day heavy rock can actually be any better than this. I have my doubts…

5/5