Review by Rexorcist for Deftones - Around the Fur (1997)

The whole nu metal thing is a tough scene for serious metalheads to get into beyond just a couple key bands: basically Korn and Deftones.  Usually Deftones because they're less "nu metal" than the creators of the genre.  But there is definite truth to the notion that Deftones brought something a bit more polished to the table within their short lifespan as a nu metal band.  Before the straightforward alternative metal release, White Pony, Deftones produced something freakishly heavy for the alternative scene, not from an extreme perspective, but from production and emotional perspectives.  These guys didn't just scream, they SCREAMED.  With every deep riff, shoegaze and hardcore inspired wall of sound, whisper and shout, you could feel the feelings that these guys were going through at the time just as strongly as when Jonathan Davis of Korn sings his lyrics.  I mean, the lyrics here tend to build themselves on the more realistic side of the dialogue expected from the visions one gets just from listening to them, although at the same time they're jumbled details that rely solely on the imagery.  We don't need the excess weight like "she has this," or even saying the word "the."  Simple words are displaying an effective visual trait.  This especially comes from the songs Macara and Lotion.

I wouldn't consider this a "masterpiece," though.  The truth is that this alternative band ended up making a lot of the songs feel a little too similar, a common trait among musicians.  Don't get me wrong, each song here is delievered well enough, and it has a cool blend of the punk attitude and that aquatic noise production of another alt-metal album that came out the same year: Biomech (yes, I feel that Biomech is alt-metal, and am thankful that RYM finally came to their senses about it).  Overall, this is in fact a very cool album that builds itself on effective simplicity in ways that a lot of tame and careful albums can't manage.  So I would easily recommend this for anyone looking to get into alternative stuff.