Deftones – White Pony 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Vinyl Record Box Set

First and foremost, nu-metal isn’t exactly my cup of tea. Born in ’99 and growing up on mostly indie and alt rock, I wasn’t exposed to the genre until well-after the height of its craze. However, one of the albums that I came across years later was Deftones’ “White Pony.” A fantastic introduction to the band, this album is probably their most accessible. 

The past couple of years have been relatively metal-free for my musical pallet, however, the 20th anniversary reissue “White Pony” has brought me back to the album. Delving into it, the record transcends what is the tentative genre of nu-metal and incorporates refreshing elements from various aspects of music such as hardcore, industrial, hip-hop, ambient, electronic, and synth-pop. Though they might not have been the first to do this, I’d argue that Deftones did it the best.

The box set also comes with “Black Stallion,” the whole album remixed by a range of talented artists who bend the sounds and give “White Pony” new meaning and a great reason to revisit. As a fan of DJ Shadow and I was excited to see him on the lineup. He has worked his magic on “Digital Bath” and turned it upside-down, into a beautiful, minimal, electronic song.

Moving away from their previous two nu-metal albums was a great decision for Deftones. Overall, “White Pony” achieves more, it has strong song structures, its textured and the bands approach to sound is ambitious and exciting. The album holds charm from branching out into new territories, one that gives it great replayability and longevity. 

8/10 – Handsome Will

Manufacturer Reprise Records Brand Deftones Pennies 560 Dimensions 12″ Preorder No