Keep Your Headup: On 1997’s ‘Around The Fur’, Deftones changed the alt-metal game with an absolute classic

The influence that Sacramento alternative metal icons Deftones have had on both metal and even non-metal bands since the early ’90s has been, well, astounding. Everyone from Bring Me The Horizon to Thrice counts them as a serious influence. Whether it’s their fearless experimenting with nu-metal in their early years or their more recent forays into post-metal and even sludge metal territory, Deftones have never made a truly bad or even average record. In 1997, though, the band’s sophomore effort Around The Fur truly brought them one step closer to the edge – without breaking, of course.

Going into the recording of Around The Fur, Deftones were certainly at a crossroads. They could have just released an Adrenaline part 2 and drowned in a sea of competent but ultimately disposable nu-metal bands. Sure, they probably would’ve still had a long and productive career, but the respect they’ve earned is due to their willingness to experimental and play around with genres like hardcore punk and dream pop. Even at the time of Around The Fur‘s release in October 1997, the band was breaking serious new ground in the genre, eventually leaving nu-metal behind on 2000’s career highlight White Pony.

With songs like “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” and incendiary yet catchy album opener “My Own Summer (Shove It)” anchoring the album, ATF was a more interesting affair than their debut, with vocalist Chino Moreno seeing some incredible improvement vocally. The added electronic soundscapes and ambient structures, courtesy of Frank Delgado (who joined the band officially soon after), was a vital addition to the band, but it’s the frenetic yet controlled drumming of Abe Cunningham that is a particular highlight here as well, especially on tracks like nu-metal standards “Rickets” and “Lotion”. Even the album’s title track delivered rhythmic menace but also big time sensuality, especially from a textural and vocal perspective.

The question is, is Around The Fur actually a nu-metal album? The band obviously vehemently denies this, and while it’s clear that these songs were breaking away into a signature sound for the band, there are some similarities to draw in the tempos and stylistic fusions here. Either way, though, Around The Fur is where Deftones established a very clear identity. Even better is the fact that it really was a harbinger of things to come in the music scene, and especially for the band themselves. Consider that labels were fighting amongst themselves for any band that sounded similar to Deftones and nu-metal as a whole, it’s a unique trail that Deftones blazed (haha get it, because weed?) and also one they proceeded to flip on its head multiple times, as well.

Around The Fur is an important connecting album in the Deftones discography for many reasons – it’s literally and figuratively the midpoint between Adrenaline and White Pony – and since its 1997 release, it’s hardly aged at all. Even the track “Headup” (featuring Max Cavalera) proved Deftones could do nu-metal better than almost everyone else, but it’s the dissonant and atmospheric tracks that are the most interesting here.

One love for Chi.