Happy 10th: Deftones, SATURDAY NIGHT WRIST

10 years ago today, the Deftones released their fifth studio album, and while the process of putting it together was a long and arduous one, the end result was one which pleased critics and fans alike.

After the band’s 2003 self-titled album proved to be a commercial disappointment for the band’s label, Maverick Records, the Deftones were informed that they needed to head straight back into the studio in hopes of putting together something more successful sales-wise. You can’t force creativity, however, and while the band started out in their own studio in Sacramento, they soon moved to Malibu, where they composed an album’s worth of new tunes.

The next step, however, was to record the material, which led to discussions about who would produce the sessions. Dan the Automator of Gorillaz fame was initially brought aboard, but his efforts lasted for about a week before he was out the door. Eventually, the band finally settled on legendary rock producer Bob Ezrin, but while they did manage to record the album with Ezrin, it wasn’t without tensions rising between Ezrin and lead singer Chino Moreno. Indeed, by the time SATURDAY NIGHT WRIST actually made it to stores, Moreno’s vocal performances had all been scrapped and re-recorded by producer Shaun Lopez.

In the end, it’s easily arguable that the time taken by the Deftones to finish SATURDAY NIGHT WRIST, while lengthy, was only what was necessary to have it meet their specifications. Plus, given the album’s resulting success, you probably won’t hear the fans complaining. (Well, not anymore, at least.)