Deftones’ brand of nü-metal has always straddled the line between genuinely exhilarating and unintentionally funny, and
Koi No Yokan continues this dance. The band’s calling card is Chino Moreno’s voice, which is a sort of whisper/wail that echoes Fred Durst and Kevin Shields in equal parts. The record’s high point is “Entombed,” a synth-laced stunner that proves the band is still willing to experiment, and other tracks such as the opener “Swerve City” are bashed out with melodic ferocity. Most of
Koi No Yokan, however, suffers from formulaic songwriting and forced bad-ass posturing. It’s much better than Limp Bizkit, though.
Jeff Lawton
