Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Koi No Yokan finds Deftones at their most luminous, a 2012 album named for a Japanese phrase meaning a premonition of love.

Their seventh record reunited the band with producer Nick Raskulinecz after the triumphant Diamond Eyes, and you can hear a group operating with rare confidence. Sergio Vega had settled in on bass, the songs were written with a clear sense of purpose, and the sessions in the summer of 2012 produced something that critics greeted with near-universal acclaim. It sits comfortably among the band's most beloved albums, and many fans rank it at the very top.

The magic is in the contrast. "Leathers" coils tight before exploding into a massive, churning chorus, while "Rosemary" stretches out over several minutes of slow-motion beauty, Chino Moreno's voice floating above waves of distortion. "Tempest" builds patiently from a delicate, chiming intro into a towering climax, and "Swerve City" kicks the album off with a lurching, gloriously heavy riff that sets the tone for everything that follows.

Koi No Yokan is heavy and dreamy in equal measure, a record that rewards both headbanging and headphones. On vinyl, its huge low end and shimmering guitar layers have the space they deserve, making it a centerpiece for any Deftones collection.