New Deftones

[SteveXFR]

I finally got around to listening to the new Deftones record and what a let down. I think they must have got Lars Ulrich to do the mix. The bass is just buried and only really appears to be mirroring the guitar part.

The best bit about Deftones for me was always Chi or Sergio's bass grooves so its a real let down. 

 

 

 

[MyNameIsMark]

I love Chi’s playing on ATF & WP, interesting, tasteful, solid. White Pony & Abe Cunningham in general are incredible. I sadly lost interest after that era, snippets like the one above don’t appeal 

[uncle psychosis]

Exact opposite experience for me. I think this is their best record in years. 

[HeadlessBassist]

I just listened to that track on headphones. The bass sound is actually very good and defined. The problem, as you say, is that it does get buried to an extent by that awful distorted rhythm guitar.

 

This is why I like playing in trios. More space to play with. 

[Chris2112]

From what I've heard so far, it's typical Deftones. You usually get a few bangers per album with great catchy riffs from Stephen and a few plodders/filler tracks. I haven't heard a track as good as 'when girls telephone boys' or 'CMND / CTRL' yet though. 

 

The bass work sounds absolutely fine to me, which is what I expect. The appeal of Deftones for me has always been the interplay between Abe and Stephen, particularly the way that Stephen is often happy to play in quite a 'sparse' fashion and really get his amp going. His style of riffing is like an elephant falling on your head, but even when Chi Cheng was on the bass, I always just found the bass parts to be functional but never with any particular flair. They fit alongside Stephen's parts and that was it. 

 

I'd love to hear them play with Ryan Martinie on the bass (with a Warwick Thumb rather than those weak-sounding Foderas he's playing at the moment). He wouldn't have to go full Mudvayne, rather just do enough to get some great growling bass tone and presence on the tracks.