Deftones — Saturday Night Wrist

Fans expecting a return to the Deftones' heavier days will have to keep waiting, as Saturday Night Wrist offers the band's softest material to date. The album is mostly comprised of melancholic dirges and dreamy, electronic fluff that's far closer to frontman Chino Moreno's Team Sleep side project than Deftones' more metal-oriented past. In fact, Moreno only lets out his trademark shriek on four of the 12 songs. This isn't an altogether bad thing, as the focus on sullen introspection creates some truly moving moments. "Beware," for example, features some of the band's most exciting work. However, the significant lack of energy on the slower tracks, particularly the meandering trip-hop instrumental, "Pink Cellphone," makes the LP feel sluggish. Their willingness to experiment is commendable, especially considering it's their fifth album. And when the band hit their stride, they fucking kill it. Unfortunately, Saturday Night Wrist misses more than it hits.