Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Born from heartbreak and stubborn resolve, Diamond Eyes is the 2010 album that pulled Deftones back from the brink, and this pressing includes a digital download card.

The band had been working on a record called Eros when bassist Chi Cheng was badly injured in a 2008 car accident that left him in a coma. Rather than finish those sessions without him, Deftones shelved them and started fresh, bringing in Sergio Vega on bass and producer Nick Raskulinecz for the first time. The decision paid off: the album became one of the most acclaimed of their career and sounds like a band choosing life over grief.

That resolve is audible from the first bar. The title track opens with a crushing, down-tuned riff and Chino Moreno's voice gliding over the top like smoke. "Rocket Skates" is pure, gleeful aggression, while "Sextape" drifts in a dreamy, shoegaze-tinged haze that shows off the band's softer instincts. "You've Seen the Butcher" lurches with a seductive, stop-start groove that sticks in the head for days.

Diamond Eyes balances brutality and beauty with remarkable poise, which is exactly what fans love most about this band. It remains a high point in a catalogue full of them, and proof that this band could turn tragedy into something beautiful.