Ozzfest veterans Incubus and Deftones step up to nab the neo-hardcore crown in the first of two Southern California shows together. Funny that, just after Zack de la Rocha drops the bomb that he's leaving Rage Against The Machine.
Though don't expect any dissatisfaction towards Bush vs. Gore 2000, the US Presidential race; both of these bands fixate on emotional rather than political turmoil for an audience barely old enough to vote.
Incubus, highly respected by the Deftones and funksters 311, who penned the tune 'Come Original' after them, wrap visual lyricism around their stony rap-rock. And since this melding of band and DJ is the new standard for moshing, the Incubus formula is hardly unprecedented. What's important about these current radio darlings is what sets them apart from the innumerable Limp Bizkit incarnations. Which in this case is their casual, almost timid demeanour, akin to a teenage band at a talent show. But singer Brandon Boyd screams like a pro, and the crowd begins to warm up to the catchy melodies before the closing of a short set with the single 'Pardon Me'.
The entire floor turns into a swirling moshpit when the Deftones explode onto stage, highlighting much of their 'White Pony' release on Madonna's Maverick label. Lead-screamer Chino Moreno, sporting a button-down shirt and mini-beard, seems better equipped for a stint with Weezer, who Deftones regard as a major influence. Pausing almost immediately to break up a fight, Chino quips at a group of large overzealous boys. "Hold up! You gotta take care of each other". The band breaks back into an abrasive groove and kickboxing ensues.
Despite the violent nature of the music, Deftones songs are brutally and beautifully emotional, none of this more apparent than in 'Teenager'. Disco balls spin, bouncing lights off tattoos and a simulated starry-sky backdrop. Chino is crawling as close to the audience as a wall of bouncers will allow. His eerie vocal abilities are well suited for an upcoming ambient side project, Team Sleep. Backed by an ethereal, trip-hop beat, he's now singing about the innocence of high school love to a placid crowd caught in nostalgic malaise.
This is the same crowd who perfected the art of throwing things at the stage, namely themselves. And when bassist Chi Chong begins thrashing his dreadlocks to the riff of 'Back To School', the moshpit swells open again.
Deftones aren't pigeonholing themselves with any particular sound tonight. While they're inevitably in pursuit of the abrasive, each band member pours pure passion into an intelligent journey that begins angry and flows creepily towards the experimental, proving them perfect contenders for RATM's throne.
Tony Bogdanovski
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