Thursday might’ve prayed, prayed every single day, to avoid any situation where they’d have to cover the 4 Non Blondes song “What’s Up,” but those prayers did not come true. The music lessons app Musora has a video series where they challenge bands to come into the studio and figure out how to cover songs that fall far outside their comfort zones. Past hits include jazz combo Generation Y covering Nirvana, folk-pop duo Fionn covering System Of A Down, and Norwegian prog-metallers Leprous covering a-ha. Now, it’s Thursday doing 4 Non Blondes’ unkillable 1993 smash.
Starting today, you can buy your tickets to the upcoming Iron Maiden documentary, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition. As such, the official trailer for the damn thing came out today, focusing on the band’s early years and the more tumultuous times within the band. It’s all chock full of drama and some familiar faces, as well.
Featuring footage from the band’s personal archives, this documentary follows Iron Maiden’s 50+ years, including all the ups and downs that would make a film like this one as interesting as it is. And that includes footage from the band’s early years in the late 70s and early 80s.
Directed by Malcom Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, the documentary picks up as Iron Maiden is out on tour for their ‘Run For Your Lives’ world tour. As such, it juxtaposes the band’s iconic huge stadium tours to the band’s early years.
As you can see in the trailer below, the documentary also features testimony from some of rock and metal’s biggest names, including Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and Public Enemy’s Chuck D.
The film will finally make its debut in theaters across the U.S. and Canada for a limited time on May 7, with a much wider general release planned for the rest of the planet. For information about where the documentary will be screened and how you can get your tickets, head over to the documentary’s official page for more detail.
I’ve a cautious relationship with melodeath (yes, yes, I know that’s not the genre tag they bear on Metal Archives, but for me it fits them much better than the alternatives I’ve seen). For me it often as not seems to describe music that takes aspects of extreme metal and contrives to make them as toothless as possible. There are obviously exceptions to this, and the genre has fans enough that this aversion is definitely more a “me” thing than a failing of the style itself, but even so, I hear the word “Melodeath” and I’m instantly wary, on guard like I’m creeping through a forest wearing pants made of bacon and someone just unleashed a pitbull. Maybe it’s just an entirely uncharitable level of musical bigotry on my part; it feels to me that a lot of melodeath lacks in a certain testicular fortitude, which grates for any number of reasons but as much as anything you don’t need to sacrifice your balls to be melodic. Take Nile for example – brutally heavy, but between “Annihilation of the Wicked”, “Masturbating the War God” and a hundred others ready proof is in abundance that you can still be unreasonably aggressive while containing deep melodicism. I bring all this unquestionably ignorant scribbling up to underline a point: Melodeath isn’t really my “thing”. So when I say that Abyssius are a good melodeath band, it should communicate one thing: If you like melodeath, you will have a hell of a time with this band.
Somewhere between older In Flames and Fit for an Autopsy, the band bolt an anthemic melodeath chainmail to the plate armour of modern metalcore and deathcore subgenres. Close your eyes when “Death Drive” is on and if you didn’t know better you could be smack bang in Gothenburg. If you love “The Jester Race” more than life itself, then there feels to be much about Abyssius that will also speak to that undying love of yours. For me though, it’s always the heavy that shall rule, and as it happens I’m in luck for Abyssius have that base covered too. “Black Dogs” is just vile. The swell of the high notes like air raid sirens while syncopated grooves gouge hasty bomb shelters out beneath you. A scattershot solo ratchets a panicked tension ever higher – klaxons and red strobes as the rumble of razing earth pushes down to terrified human huddles waiting helpless in hovels a stray hit from becoming a tomb. You can’t really have too many inches of concrete between yourself and high explosives, but if you had to put a number on it, you’d probably rather it wasn’t however much is “cost efficient”.
I’ve seen the band referred to as a tech-death group, and while I disagree with that label Abyssius are obviously a gifted bunch. They like their pyrotechnics, shredding their fretboards at frequent intervals with huge dramatic hooks everywhere else. It tries for explosive catharsis, big emotional swells and anthemic choruses. It is, for the most part, a winning combination – “Hesitation” has all the propulsion you’d expect from a death metal relative but packs in as much sugary catchiness as it can, coming across as an adrenaline shot buried in a glazed doughnut. There’s earnestness, such honest affection for the music subsumed within every second that the album becomes impossibly endearing in spite of it’s missteps – of which there is a small but pernicious handful. “Patricide” fumbles one of the best riffs on the album by sitting it next to a verseful of awkward, unseemly whisper-mumble vocals that sound a bit too similar to Jonathan Davis from Korn chuntering uncomfortable sweet nothings to me about nibbling my earlobes and threading spaghetti through my toes. Clean vocals are in general a weak spot, though thankfully a sparse one. “L’ Appel Du Vide” fares a bit better with them owing to the blackened mood of it being a more harmonious fit with the attempts at grandeur that the vocals make on the track, but those sections still stick out as unflattering. The same, alhamdulillah, cannot be said of the harsh vocals, which are uniformly grotesque in the best possible ways. The lofty peaks of sundered-air screeches to the chasm floor gutturals and all that wanders betwixt, when the roars come forth they do so with implacable authority. On the other hand, something about the drum sound felt off to me; performed excellently, no problems there, but it sounded a bit flat and so consistent that I initially took it to be a drum machine. It seems as though the band do in fact have a real boy for a drummer, so perhaps this is more of a production quirk that I’m not especially enamoured with.
Nonetheless, “Vermin” is overall good stuff, touching on a few genres while dodging the straightjacket of rigid adherence to any of them in full. The result is an album that feels familiar without ever incurring too heavy a debt to it’s influences to stand on it’s own two feet. It’s not faultless, and some of it’s flaws do feel frustrating in how much they can besmirch otherwise great material adjacent to it, but the all-important love for the music shines through and helps plaster some of those cracks closed. Maybe you’re one of those melodeath fans whose tastes I was somewhat dismissive of in my first paragraph; if so, thank you for bearing with me so long – and give Abyssius a go while you mull over what variety of ignominious execution my words have earned me, because their talent deserves your attention, because they’re evidently passionate about their craft and most importantly – because they’re fucking good.
Olympia’s Some Velvet Sidewalk made a lot of noise between the years of 1987 and 1997. Founded by Al Larsen on vocals and guitar and the late Robert Christie on drums, the DIY band put out a bunch of lo-fi rock albums on K Records, at times recruiting associates like future Bikini Kill co-founders Tobi…
The Loaded Radio Perspective: Why ‘Koi No Yokan’ Takes the Crown
Let’s get one thing straight: White Pony changed the world, but Koi No Yokan perfected it. If you’re here for a predictable, nostalgia-fueled list, you’re in the wrong place. We are looking at songcraft, production, and the pure “ethereal vs. aggressive” balance that defines this band.
The problem with most rankings is they are afraid to touch the “classics.” We aren’t. While Around the Fur and White Pony are untouchable cultural milestones, they are also products of a band still finding their footing between nu-metal and art-rock. On Koi No Yokan, the band is in total command of their power. It is a journey, not just a collection of songs.
Fans Looking To Catch Deftones Live in 2026 Should Head To This Location.
The Full Ranking
11. Gore (2016)
Best Song: Phantom Bride
Gore isn’t a failure — but it’s the only Deftones record that feels like it never fully locks in.
There are genuinely great moments here. “Phantom Bride,” with Jerry Cantrell, carries a haunting, slow-burn weight, and “Hearts / Wires” shows how far the band can push atmosphere. But the album as a whole never finds a center.
The tension between Chino Moreno’s dreamlike direction and Stephen Carpenter’s heavier instincts feels less like chemistry and more like separation. The guitars don’t anchor the songs the way they normally do, and the production leans thinner than anything else in their catalog.
Instead of building momentum, Gore drifts. It has ideas, it has moments — it just never fully comes together as a complete experience.
10. B-Sides & Rarities (2005)
Best Song: No Ordinary Love
Not a studio album, but too important to leave out.
This collection shows just how far Deftones were willing to stretch creatively outside their main releases. Their cover of Sade’s “No Ordinary Love” is still one of the best genre-crossing reinterpretations in heavy music.
The acoustic “Be Quiet and Drive” strips everything down and proves the songwriting stands on its own without distortion or production.
It’s not cohesive — but it’s not supposed to be. It’s a snapshot of a band experimenting freely, and that alone makes it essential.
9. Saturday Night Wrist (2006)
Best Song: Cherry Waves
This is what a band on the edge sounds like.
Saturday Night Wrist came together during one of the most unstable periods in Deftones’ history, and it shows. The album moves unpredictably, sometimes feeling scattered, sometimes hitting incredible emotional highs.
“Cherry Waves” and “Beware” are among the band’s most atmospheric tracks, but the record never fully stabilizes.
It’s fascinating and flawed — a record that captures tension rather than resolving it.
8. Deftones (2003)
Best Song: Minerva
Dark, heavy, and emotionally suffocating.
This self-titled album captures the band at one of their most volatile points. It’s aggressive, unpredictable, and at times uncomfortable — which is exactly what makes it compelling.
Tracks like “Minerva” show their ability to create massive, emotional soundscapes, while “When Girls Telephone Boys” hits with pure chaos. It’s a record constantly shifting between beauty and brutality.
The downside is cohesion. It doesn’t flow as smoothly as their best albums, and the pacing can feel uneven.
Still, this is a bold, fearless record that pushed their sound forward — even if it didn’t fully land.
7. Adrenaline (1995)
Best Song: Bored
This is the raw foundation of everything that followed.
Adrenaline is aggressive, stripped down, and rooted in the mid-90s alternative metal scene. It lacks the atmosphere and nuance of later releases, but you can hear the early signs of what Deftones would become.
“Bored” hits with pure intensity, while tracks like “Fireal” hint at the band’s future direction — more expansive, more emotional, more layered.
Compared to later albums, it’s one-dimensional. But that simplicity is also part of its identity.
It’s not their most refined work — but it’s where the blueprint began.
6. Ohms (2020)
Best Song: Genesis
Ohms feels like a band regaining control.
After the divisive Gore, bringing back producer Terry Date was a turning point. The album feels tighter, more focused, and more balanced between melody and heaviness.
“Genesis” and “Ceremony” bring back the band’s aggressive edge, while tracks like “Urantia” maintain their atmospheric depth.
It doesn’t reinvent their sound — but it doesn’t need to.
Ohms works because it feels intentional. It’s a late-career album that proves the band still knows exactly who they are.
5. Around the Fur (1997)
Best Song: Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)
This is where Deftones found their identity.
Around The Fur still carries the aggression of Adrenaline, but it introduces the emotional depth and atmosphere that would define their sound moving forward.
“Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” is the turning point — a track that perfectly balances heaviness with melody.
This album separated them from their peers. While other bands stayed locked in the nu-metal lane, Deftones started evolving.
It’s not perfect — but it’s essential.
4. Diamond Eyes (2010)
Best Song: Sextape
This album shouldn’t exist — and that’s what makes it incredible.
After Chi Cheng’s accident, the band was at a crossroads. Instead of falling apart, they delivered one of the most focused and emotionally powerful records of their career.
“Sextape” is one of their most beautiful songs, while “Rocket Skates” proves they hadn’t lost their edge.
Diamond Eyes feels like a reset — a band rebuilding itself and coming back stronger.
3. private music (2025)
Best Song: milk of the madonna
Private Music is not some quiet grower that only works if you squint at it long enough. This album kicks ass.
From the jump, Deftones sound locked in, confident, and fully committed to what makes them great. The riffs hit, the atmosphere is thick, and the songwriting feels sharper than it has any right to this deep into their career. This is not a band coasting on legacy. This is a band still capable of delivering one of the strongest records in modern heavy music.
What makes Private Music land so hard is that it doesn’t feel compromised. The heavy moments actually hit with force, the melodic passages feel massive instead of sleepy, and the whole thing moves with purpose. There’s mood here, sure, but it never drifts. The album has bite, momentum, and replay value — the kind of record that reveals more over time without ever feeling soft or underpowered on first listen.
If there’s a knock against it, it’s only that White Pony and Koi No Yokan still carry a little more historic weight in the catalog. But judged strictly on quality, Private Music absolutely belongs in the top tier. On some days, you could even argue it higher.
This is not just a strong comeback or a respectable veteran album. It is one of their absolute best albums, period.
2. White Pony (2000)
Best Song: Digital Bath
White Pony changed everything.
This is the album that pushed Deftones beyond their peers and into something entirely different. It redefined their sound and opened the door to everything that followed.
“Digital Bath” and “Change” are still defining tracks — but the album isn’t flawless.
It’s transitional. Important. Game-changing.
But not perfect.
1 – Koi No Yokan (2012)
Best Song: Rosemary
This is the one.
Koi No Yokan is the only Deftones album that feels completely unified from start to finish. Everything clicks — the pacing, the production, the balance between heaviness and atmosphere.
There are no weak points. No filler. No missteps.
White Pony changed the game. Koi No Yokan perfected it.
Ranking a discography this deep is never just about the music; it’s about the era, the energy, and the evolution. We know our choice of Koi No Yokan as the #1 over the “untouchable” White Pony is going to spark fire.
But after 16 years of living with these records, we stand by it. Koi No Yokan is the only record in the catalog where the internal friction of the band finally dissolved into a unified, flawless sonic journey. It is the definitive Deftones experience.
Now it’s your turn. Did we bury White Pony too low? Is private music a Top 3 contender in your house? Drop a comment below and tell us why we’re right—or exactly why we’re wrong.
Deftones Albums Ranked: FAQ
What is the newest Deftones album? The latest studio album is private music, released on August 22, 2025.
Who plays bass for Deftones now? Following the departure of Sergio Vega, Fred Sablan took over bass duties, making his studio debut on the 2025 record.
Why is Stephen Carpenter missing from some tours? Stephen has sat out several international dates due to health issues, later confirmed as Type 2 diabetes, though he remains a core songwriter and played on the 2025 album.
About Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California, in 1988. The band was founded by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Chi Cheng (bass). Soon after, sampler/keyboardest Frank Delgado would also join the fold. After the tragic 2008 car accident that left Cheng in a coma, the band recruited Sergio Vega to take over bass duties. Following Vega’s departure in 2021, Fred Sablan joined as the band’s touring bassist.
Known for their dynamic sound which melds heavy, aggressive metal with ethereal, shoegaze-inspired melodies, Deftones have consistently defied categorization. Their 2000 album, White Pony, is widely regarded as a landmark release in alternative metal, earning the band a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.
Ex-Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate unveils the third chapter of his classic concept series, offering a new perspective and global recording adventures.
Organizers behind Rock Hard Festival Greece have started to roll out details for the 2026 edition, which is set for September 11–12 at the Technopolis City of Athens. The event will feature a total of 10 bands, with six already confirmed and the remaining four expected to be revealed within the next couple of weeks.
Rock Hard’s name carries weight across the metal world. Founded in Germany in 1983, the brand has long been a key voice in heavy music. The Greek edition launched in 2005 and later transitioned to a fully online format in 2011 via its official website. Alongside its presence in Germany and Greece, the publication also runs in France and Italy, reaching a wide audience each month. Over time, Rock Hard has built a reputation for direct coverage, in-depth interviews, and reviews that often fuel debate among fans. Its material is frequently picked up by other outlets, and it remains one of the most referenced metal publications on Wikipedia.
This year’s festival will also feature backing from the mobile game Rock Kommander, a title centered on rock and metal culture where players manage bands, connect with other fans, and engage in collaborations with real artists.
Looking back, the 2025 edition set a high bar. Rock Hard Festival Greece 2025 was a pure sonic assault on Athens and wow, what an absolute monster of a weekend it was! The 2025 edition delivered a masterclass in Heavy Metal, proving this new festival a serious contender to the crown jewel of the Greek Metal calendar.
From the doom-laden majesty of legends Candlemass featuring Messiah Marcolin to the anthemic, fist-pumping power of HammerFall, every moment was pure magic. Overkill brought their signature relentless thrash energy, tearing the roof off, while guitar virtuoso Gus G. & Friends shredded with breathtaking precision. The riffs were heavy, the solos were lightning fast, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. We witnessed epic singalongs, circle pits, and a crowd united by the power of metal.
A massive thank you goes out to all 12 bands, the crew, and every single headbanger who made 2025 unforgettable. If you were there, you know just how special it was. If you missed it, you definitely missed out on the party of the year!
But if you did, fear not – we are stoked to now announce that we will be staging the 2nd edition of the Greek Rock Hard Festival in 2026, again to be held at the Technopolis City of Athens, on the 11th and 12th of September.
For the 2nd edition of the festival in Greece, we already have the following 6 artists ready for announcement now:
– Blood Fire Death – performing A Tribute to Quorthon and the Music of Bathory:
Celebrating the visionary legacy of Quorthon, who proudly pioneered Black and Viking metal, this event reunites a constellation of the Norwegian Black Metal elite. Originally conceived to honor the fallen master, the project features a core line-up of Erik Danielsson (Watain), Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved), Blasphemer, Apollyon, and Faust. This immersive performance captures the spirit of Bathory’s legendary recordings, praised globally as “pure magic.” For this special Athens show, the band will be joined by iconic special guests, including Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved), Gaahl, former Bathory bassist Frederick Melander, and Mayhem’sAttila Csihar. This marks a rare opportunity for Greek fans to witness this historic homage, where the genre’s defining figures gather to celebrate the music that shaped their artistic paths.
– Angra – performing Holy Land 30th Featuring Kiko Loureiro
Rock Hard Festival Greece 2026 will host a truly historic event as Brazilian power metal legends Angra return for a special 30th-anniversary celebration of their masterpiece Holy Land. Performing the seminal 1996 album in its entirety alongside career classics, the show features a rare temporary reunion with acclaimed guitarist Kiko Loureiro. This performance is one of only two European dates honoring this landmark record, making it an unmissable event for fans across the continent and beyond. Renowned for blending technical metal with Brazilian rhythms and orchestration, Holy Land holds a cherished place in Greek metal history. The powerful line-up includes founding guitarist Rafael Bittencourt, Felipe Andreoli, Bruno Valverde, Marcelo Barbosa, and vocalist Alirio Netto. The concert will of course also pay tribute to the late Andre Matos, whose voice defined the band’s early era. Fans can expect an unforgettable, once-in-a-generation experience honoring one of melodic metal’s most visionary albums.
– Stratovarius – a travel through time with a Special 1990s Set:
Stratovarius, formed in Finland in 1984, stands as a titan of European melodic power metal. Shaped by guitarist Timo Tolkki, the band reached their peak in the mid-90s with the classic lineup featuring vocalist Timo Kotipelto, keyboardist Jens Johansson, and drummer JörgMichael. This golden era produced seminal albums like Visions and Destiny, blending neoclassical speed with symphonic arrangements and hits like “Black Diamond.” The band shares a deep bond with Greece, where they enjoyed massive popularity in the late 1990s, immortalized by the partly in Athens-recorded live album Visions of Europe. For this festival appearance, Stratovarius will deliver an exclusive set dedicated entirely to their 1990s masterpieces.
Expect a journey through the decade that defined them, showcasing the technical brilliance and melodic power that made them icons and inspired a generation of metal fans.
– Dirkschneider – performing Special Best of Accept Set:
Rock Hard Festival Greece proudly welcomes heavy metal icon Udo Dirkschneider and his band Dirkschneider for a rare performance dedicated to the legendary songs he recorded with Accept. With a career spanning nearly five decades, Udo’s gritty, raspy voice defined the sound of German metal on classic albums like Balls to the Wall and Restless and Wild. Following his departure from Accept in 1987, he enjoyed massive success with U.D.O., but this event focuses on the timeless anthems that started it all.
This exclusive show will feature a true powerhouse line-up including Udo’s son Sven on drums and longtime Accept bassist Peter Baltes, reinforcing the connection to the band’s golden era. Audiences will experience a celebration of Udo’s legacy, delivering the high-energy hymns that made him one of the most distinctive voices in European heavy metal history.
– Primordial:
Formed in Ireland in 1993, Primordial has forged a unique identity within the extreme metal underground. Merging the bleak intensity of black metal with Celtic heritage and epic storytelling, the band transcended genre boundaries early on. Built around founding members PólMacAmhlaigh and Ciarán MacUiliam, alongside commanding vocalist Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill, they became one of the first Irish representatives of the global black metal scene. Over three decades, albums like The Gathering Wilderness and To the Nameless Dead have cemented their status as one of the most respected and authentic acts in metal. Their latest release, 2023’s How It Ends, proves their uncompromising vision remains vital. For Greek audiences, who have long revered the band, Primordial’s return promises a performance of raw intensity, ritualistic atmosphere, and profound emotional depth that few bands can match.
– Triumpher:
Athens-based Triumpher has rapidly emerged as a leading force in modern epic heavy metal, transcending their local underground roots to gain international recognition. Formed in the early 2020s, the band blends epic metal with black metal intensity and a theatrical atmosphere. Their debut, Storming The Walls (2023), and follow-up Spirit Invictus (2024) established their powerful sound, featuring towering vocals and sharp guitar work. In 2026, they released their third album, Piercing The Heart Of The World. This ambitious record showcases cinematic arrangements and monumental performances, further solidifying their status. Having already conquered major festivals like Keep It True and Up The Hammers, Triumpher proves their rise is no coincidence. With an uncompromising vision and undeniable talent, the Athenians are carving a distinct path in the global epic metal landscape.
The final 4 bands to complete the 2026 festival 10 band lineup will be announced in the coming 2 weeks.
Ticket sales for the festival will be starting on April 1, 2026 here.
