Review
Deftones' 'Around the Fur' dropped in '97 and it's still kicking ass today. This ain't your average alt-metal record, folks. Recorded in Seattle over a month, it's where Deftones really found their groove and cranked it up to eleven.
Stephen Carpenter's guitar work on this beast is something else. Forget shredding solos - he's all about those chunky rhythms and chromatic progressions that'll make your skin crawl. Tracks like 'My Own Summer (Shove It)' and 'Lotion' are prime examples of his freaky, unsettling style. Meanwhile, Abe Cunningham's drumming is a masterclass in variety, swapping out snares like he's changing socks, and Chi Cheng's bass is right there with the guitar, punching you in the gut.
Chino Moreno's vocals are the cherry on top of this sonic sundae. One minute he's screaming his lungs out, the next he's crooning like a lovestruck teenager. 'Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)' shows off his range perfectly. Critics ate this shit up, praising the band for standing out from the nu-metal crowd. It snagged "Best Album" at the '98 Kerrang Awards and still gets mad love today. 'Around the Fur' isn't just a great album - it's a fucking time capsule of raw energy that still hits as hard as it did over 20 years ago. - Jaxx
