The Deftones' third album White Pony follows Around The Fur which was polled as Best Heavy Metal Album of 1998 by Brit-voters, but success hasn’t pushed them over the ego precipice.

The band toured Around The Fur for over two years, as they had done in the wake of the debut album 'Adrenaline' (1995) while finding time to contribute songs to the movie soundtracks 'The Crow: City Of Angels' and 'Escape From LA' (both in 1996), plus cover songs 'The Chauffeur' (Duran Durban tribute) and 'To Have And To Hold' (Depeche Mode tribute, both 1998).

Singer Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, bassist Chi Cheng and drummer Abe Cunningham hail from Sacramento, California; not far from the home of their once-friends, Korn. The Defs attribute the great gap between studio albums to their working method rather than to any creative block. Moreno picks up the story.

"We've always had too many ideas. We kept on coming up with so many ideas in the studio that it was incredible. Every day we thought to replace a song or two we'd already recorded. It was mad and we had to stop and concentrate on finishing some of the ideas we had put down. Even then, nothing was finished until the master-tapes were delivered to the record company."

Playing to survive

The band are known for long and hard touring all over the world but it might prove more difficult now a couple of members - Cheng and Cunningham - have kids. Still they continue with a heavy schedule and you wonder how they amuse themselves during such gruelling stints...

"I skateboard and have always carried my 'board on tours," says Moreno. "Stephen likes cycling and, for the past two or three years, has been bringing his own bike on tour. He goes out and finds a skateboarding ring to ride and I occasionally go with him. Chi likes reading and spends all his time with books. Abe... I don't really know what he's up to but on the last tour he spent all his time phoning his wife because she was expecting a baby. These two are family people and when we are off tour they spend all their time with their loved ones."

"We need to tour extensively because that's the only way to make people aware of our music; we've never had support from MTV or radio..."

Modestly to the stars

At a time when hyperbole has become a bate to the consumers' attention, The Deftones rarely shout but humbly get on with their business of making great music; Korn, by contrast, named their previous album 'Follow The Leader'.

"Well, that's the road they've chosen, and the attitude... We haven't been in touch for a long time and I don't know what's going on there now. You'll never catch me talking bad about any bands and especially not Korn. People like to see it like a competition but it's not like The Deftones versus Korn. It's not like that with us. If I feel like dissing them I'll do it, in the press or to their faces."

"But, because they've got a new record out ('Issues') everybody wants to know what I think of it. I guess it is understandable... The record doesn't suck but, to me, it is nowhere near as good as their debut album was. I don't get that feeling that I had when
listening to their first record. Despite all, I can't possibly diss it. If I compare Korn to Korn, it's not as good but, compared to anything else in that genre, it's miles better." And The Deftones' stance? "We don't like to make no big proclamations because we might change our mind and look stupid."