Deftones’ Koi No Yokan is an exercise in dynamics, atmosphere, and overall mood. Following up a record like Diamond Eyes was always going to be a difficult task, but it’s one of the band’s most diverse records – doing so in an impressive fashion. Whether it’s the tense, crunchy alt-metal of “Poltergeist”, the dream pop-esque “Entombed”, or the more expansive cuts on “Rosemary” or “Tempest”, the album flows impeccably well.
Once again, to no one’s surprise, vocalist Chino Moreno manages to sell every track you hear. But it’s not every track that he dominates, either. On the more progressive and expansive tracks like “Rosemary” and “Tempest”, they’re just as instrumentally-driven, and even get unexpectedly heavy at times. It’s this heavy-light dynamic that has become one of their trademarks over the years.
Besides flowing very well as an album, there’s plenty of highlights as well. Whether it’s the pounding alt-metal of “Gauze”, the slow-developing but excellent post-rock buildup of “Tempest”, or the hypnotic guitar of the last 90 seconds of “Rosemary”, there’s plenty of diversity to be found on Koi No Yokan. That’s not even counting the initial single “Leathers” or the calming album closer “What Happened To You”. In fact, there’s not a bad track here – only fluctuating levels of excellence.
