It's pretty obvious from Deftones' albums like White Pony and Diamond Eyes (as well as his work in side projects Team Sleep, Crosses and Palms, etc.) that frontman Chino Moreno loves plenty of music that falls outside the standard boundaries of hard rock and metal. Here, Moreno shares just a few of the many non-metal albums that he loves and that have influenced his music.
The Cure — Pornography
(Elektra, 1982)
"That's my favorite Cure record. Lyrically, that record has influenced me through a lot of the things that I've done. I was 15 and living with my Grandma, and one day I sat and listened to it and wrote out all the lyrics for the record. They're totally sick!"
Helium — No Guitars EP
(Matador, 1997)
"When we were recording Around the Fur, I was staying right on the Sound in Seattle. Every morning, I'd wake up and listen to that CD, and look out at the snow on the mountains. I was like, 'Damn! I want this girl to sing on our album!'" [Frontwoman Mary Timony appears on Team Sleep's self-titled debut.]
Mogwai — EP+2 EP
(Matador, 1999)
"I went to see Mogwai at the Fillmore, and that was both the loudest and quietest concert I've ever been to. They'll start from a teeny little melody, and then build this wall of delayed-out guitars — by the end of the song, the shit's caving your chest in! I love that extreme combination of violent guitar shit and beautiful shit."
My Bloody Valentine — Loveless
(Warner Bros., 1991)
"When were doing White Pony, I played Loveless for Terry [Date, producer]. I was like, 'I want to get the record to sound like this!' After the first song, he looks over and goes, 'Are you kidding me? That's the most coked-out fucking mix I've ever heard!' It's just a wall of guitar, and it's beautiful for that reason."
Smashing Pumpkins — Siamese Dream
(Virgin, 1993)
"Billy Corgan's vocals were more soothing when Butch Vig produced him. After that, he started to get all fucking whiny. But he definitely influenced Team Sleep in the beginning. A lot of that guitar shit on that record is beautiful. When we play live, that whole wall of guitar thing that he had is what we try to go for — heavy, but also soothing, like it hugs you."
Below, Chino Moreno goes deep into his undying passion for music and the Deftones' creative process.
