Koi No Yokan

Although not my favourite Deftones album, they did well to follow up the brilliant Diamond Eyes with this and there’s plenty for fans to enjoy. It’s probably got a bit more in common with White Pony, Saturday Night Wrist or Gore than say, Around the Fur but that’s definitely not a bad thing and there’s a few brilliant songs. Solid album.

After so many fantastic albums I felt Deftones latest release 'Koi No Yokan' wouldn't be as good as previous albums. How I was so wrong as it is possibly their best work yet. It is effectively a combination of all their best sounds from all their albums. Raw heaviness, delicate noise, shoegaze feel, powerhouse instrumentation and romantic lyricism are mixed flawlessly. It's easier to call it a heavier and more controlled Saturday Night Wrist, as it carries the dreamy vibe but with a much heavier sound. It is a heavy album that has tons of beauty.'Swerve City' opens and has one of the bands catchiest riffs, it shows straight away how tight and controlled the band are. 'Romantic Dreams' is as the title suggests with slick guitar work yet its Chino's wonderful vocals and lyrics that make it standout. Single 'Leathers' shows the band haven't lost their heaviness with hammering guitars and unworldly shrieking yet retaining a beautiful chorus. 'Poltergeist' might be my favourite track, the verses contain blistering guitars and pounding drums and the breath-taking Dream Metal chorus is incredible. 'Entombed' is simply gorgeous and the guitar riff and softer vocals are amazing.'Graphic Nature' has a brilliant guitar line and powerful vocals, 'Gauze' is similar as it manages to balance the heaviness of the verses and romanticism of the chorus perfectly (something the album excels at). Single 'Tempest' is bordering on Prog-Rock as it shows the bands versatility. 'Rosemary' is another highlight, as it starts and ends with an alluring guitar hook yet it contains a number of superb heavy hooks. The penultimate song 'Goon Squad' is another standout as it mixes crunching riffs with a spacey atmosphere.'What Happened To You?' is an incredible closer and words can't describe how beautiful it is.I'd go as far as to call Koi No Yokan Deftones best album which is some achievement, simply an incredible album.

+ Great album, bought it on MP3 and decided to buy the Record.+ Album artwork looks awesome, folding Record sleeve just look cool.+ Got it on sale very cheap!- The record is a little on the quiet side though.Overall 8/10Just buy it, you won't regret it when you turn it up loud - like Metal music is meant to be played!*WOULD RECOMMEND*

"Koi No Yokan" sees the Deftones' music reach a maturity that allows them to navigate rougher textures and beautiful soundscapes with great dexterity. Very much building on from previous album "Diamond Eyes", the subsequent evolution and refinement of their sound makes "Koi No Yokan", to me, one of the Deftones' stand out works.Lead single 'Leathers', which caught my interest and pulled me into buying the album almost on the weight of it alone, is a key demonstrator of this prowess. Refinement for the Deftones does not mean losing the edge which hooked so many in with the visceral anger on songs like 'My Own Summer' and 'Back to School'. 'Leathers' haunting opening is violently punctured by the full weight of the band and Chino Moreno's vocals, and the song continues with these harder elements, soundscaped by a melody which is never overpowered, only matched; but then, a bridge which is both seductive and insidious really demonstrates the skill of these musicians.Album highlight for me is 'What Happened to You?', a dynamic, soaring masterpiece whose only fault it that it is just under four minutes long, when it could easily be the same length as 'Rosemary' due to its scale and scope.The Deftones' original bass player, Chi Cheng, passed away about six months after "Koi No Yokan" was released. Sergio Vega is a great replacement and his contribution is more noticeable here than on "Diamond Eyes", but listening to the album again in light of Chi's death, there is a certain poignance I found which was not immediately apparent in the album, but gives it a moving extra layer.

This was also purchased for my younger daughter's partner, for his birthday. He asked for it. He likes it and is impressed that it is 180g. I know nothing about this band or this album It warrants 5 stars because the partner likes it and Amazon's delivery was, as usual, excellent.