Diamond Eyes by Deftones
Diamond Eyes is the sixth album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released worldwide on May 4, 2010 through Reprise Records. An album tentatively titled Eros was originally intended to be their sixth full-length release and follow up to Saturday Night Wrist (2006), but was not released due to bassist Chi Cheng entering a coma after a serious car accident that occurred in November 2008. The release of Eros was put on hold in favor of Diamond Eyes in June 2009. Former Quicksand bass player, Sergio Vega is featured on the album in substitution for Cheng. Diamond Eyes was a critical and commercial success; obtaining a normalized score of 78 on review aggregator Metacritic, while achieving top 20 chartings on the Billboard 200, German Albums Chart and many other European charts. It was the band's highest charting album on the Billboard 200 since their album, Deftones. Diamond Eyes debuted at Number 6, while the previous Saturday Night Wrist debuted at Number 10.
Before bass player Chi Cheng’s 2008 car accident left him comatose, Deftones were working on an album titled <i>Eros</i>. But the band didn’t feel right forging ahead without Cheng, so they shelved <i>Eros</i> and waited patiently before finally deciding to work on a different project with Sergio Vega, former bassist of the post-hardcore band Quicksand. <i>Diamond Eyes</i> was recorded with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Stone Sour) who helped give Deftones’ sixth album a much more atmospheric sound than 2006’s <i>Saturday Night Wrist</i>. “Royal” leans on dark Sabbathy sludge and a pummeling rhythm section, but singer Chino Moreno contrasts his blistering screams with breathy crooning. Moreno’s lyrical matter detours from negative themes and cathartic complaints on Diamond Eyes — he even stated in an interview that Cheng’s accident brought the band closer together, giving the album a “positive zest for life.” Standout track “Rocket Skates” best exemplifies this with imagery similar to “Knife Party” from 2000’s <i>White Pony</i>.
