The rip that's been floating around is good for the sort of rip that it is - it's not like you get nothing from it or anything. That's why people are happy to listen to it. It's just that the pristine, official sound is obviously going to be much better - I mean the 'proper' release of Hearts/Wires is MUCH clearer and better sounding than the vinyl rip that's going round.
I'm only halfway through this, but I didn't like the A-side too much outside of "Hearts/Wires" and "Prayers/Triangles" on first listen. "Xenon" and "(L)mirl" are great though, hopefully these last three tracks are as good as everyone is saying. Also the combination of how muddy the mix is and the ass-quality rip makes this kind of a tough listen, would highly encourage waiting for HQ if you feel so inclined
Oh my god "Hearts/Wires" is incredible. Definitely waiting until we get a high quality album stream before i hear the rest though.
I must be crazy, but "Hearts/Wires" feels a little underwhelming to me, alongside "Prayers/Triangles" and "Doomed User." It's like 60-70% of this LP finds them taking this very new twisted, Smashing Pumpkins-influenced direction with a sense of cohesion - and then that small group of tracks is totally different, and to me, not nearly as interesting. "H/W" is the best of that bunch, for sure - but it still feels like retreading old territory. I might even call it a weaker sequel to "Battle-Axe." But it's early yet, and my opinions of Deftones records have been known to change markedly even years after release.
Okay, this is pretty good overall. Really enjoyed the second half in comparison to the first, just wasn't into "Acid Hologram" or "Geometric Headdress" at all tbh. I think this album works best when it's utilizing electronic components and shoegaze elements I'd probably put it on par with KNY on first listen, an album I finally really came around to earlier this year
I'm really loving this already, and based on the low quality of the leak, I'll love it even more when the proper release comes out. I hate to echo what the popular consensus seems to be, but Hearts/Wires and Phantom Bride are my clear favorites so far. I also really like Prayers/Triangles, Rubicon, and Geometric Headdress, and I liked but didn't love every other song except for Doomed User, which I think is kinda boring. I love this darker, grimmer Deftones.
Yeah even with the low quality I can tell this album is gonna be really fuckin' fun to relisten through multiple times and dissect, it's almost ethereal and takes you on one hell of a journey.
this spin interview is great The SPIN Interview: Deftones | SPIN That record, to me, will probably always be my least favorite record because of that. Regardless of the songs, the quality of the songs, I just feel like the way it was made, it was so half-assed that there’s no way that the record could notshow how pieced together it was.
I was just going to post this. The article is great. It's refreshing to see a band reflect honestly on their material. However, I enjoy SNW.
Definitely not going to bother with the leaked vinyl rip, I can wait for the full release. Hearts/Wires however, I am absolutely loving.
Sucks not having a real leak yet, since I can't stop listening to the crappy one. I'm feeling pretty confident this will be in the top 3 Deftones LPs for me when the dust settles. KNY had my favorite song in their catalog ("Rosemary"), but at the same time, it had too many tracks that I eventually started skipping; an uneven listen with high highs but low (read: boring) lows. This one feels a lot more balanced, save for "Doomed User," which is a regrettable effort from this band. DE to me was also balanced with no real skippable songs, and it's one of my favorites, but Gore is substantially more atmospheric and unique among their catalog. The chord progressions are interesting and different, which is a big thing I look for in music. The only fans I can envision being let down are those still longing for wall-to-wall aggression and screaming - admittedly, that aspect is in shorter supply here than on any other LP to-date. (Every Deftones LP had to have its "Rickets," "Elite," "WGTB," "Rapture," "CMND/CTRL," or "Poltergeist" ... but it's just not here, unless you count the chorus of the title track). The best part of this new music, to me, is how seamlessly the beautiful and adventurous melodies blend into songs that are also heavy and/or dark. At least on recent albums, it seemed common for the beauty to be separated out and focused into a few dreamy but slightly hollow songs - "Sextape" or "Entombed" - and then the next track would be something dark and heavy but melodically bland, like "Rocket Skates" or "Tempest." At least half the tracks on Gore do a good job of pulling off both things at once.
eh, "Tempest" probably wasn't the best example of a heavy song, but I'd definitely say both of those have bland melodies/chord progressions. Doesn't automatically mean it's a bad song (although I do find "Tempest" to be among the weakest in their catalog), but melodic complexity is a big draw for me in any type of music, and every record needs at least some of it. For a reference point most Deftones fan will understand, I'd point to Glassjaw's Worship and Tribute - it's a crazy whirlwind of key changes and unexpected chords. While Gore isn't quite like that, it's at least a little closer than the past couple albums, to my ears.