Deftones blow us away tonight. But first, Coheed And Cambria take the stage with their anthemic progressive rock anthems including an anthemic and uplifting rendition of ‘A Favor House Atlantic‘ and a brutal and unusually lively (epic-haired vocalist Claudio Sanchez bounds around the stage with unusual vigour) version of ‘Welcome Home‘…
This isn’t the only time we have seen Coheed in action, but it is by far the best. Top marks for energy, technical skill (as if there was ever any doubting that aspect, to be fair) and overall showmanship tonight. Coheed are a band that fans of any sound within the great alternative genre spectrum can without question, appreciate and enjoy.
Our anticipation thickens the air throughout the Academy in Leeds tonight and as the band come on we are bouncing around fuelled by 90’s nostalgia. The thing is though, while (credit to the band) they do crack out all of their classic tracks including ‘My Own Summer‘, ‘Change – In The House Of Flies‘ and ‘7 Words‘ to rabid approval from the capacity crowd, Deftones are made of so much more.
Despite an absolutely storming opening with single ‘Rocket Skates‘ (which sees vocalist Chino Moreno and his band leaping all-over the stage with an energy and eagerness that many will say has been missing for years), our standout moment comes as he dedicates an emotive version of ‘Minerva‘ to bassist Chi Cheng who is currently in a coma. Though, having Moreno leap off the stage and on to the barrier to join his audience for select songs and really enjoy interacting with the crowd, comes a close second.
Tonight, the headliners put on what we will remember as one of the best shows of our year, and prove that their material, both old and new has a quality that will assure them legendary status within the metal world when they eventually leave us. Until then, long live Deftones and thank you for your beautiful and brutal noise.
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