Adrenaline is the debut studio album by the American alternative metal band Deftones, released on October 3, 1995, by Maverick Records. The majority of the album was produced by Terry Date, while a hidden track titled "Fist" was produced by Ross Robinson.
Background and recording
Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Chino Moreno were high school friends. All three went to Sacramento's C. K. McClatchy High School together, and participated in the city's skateboarding scene. Carpenter was a fan of heavy metal; Moreno was interested in hardcore punk bands such as Bad Brains as well as post-punk and new wave bands such as Depeche Mode and the Cure. When Moreno learned that Carpenter was a guitarist, he set up a jam session with Cunningham, who played drums. The trio began playing regularly in Carpenter's garage around 1988. When Cunningham left Deftones to join Phallucy, another band from Sacramento, Garcia switched instruments and became the band's drummer. Chi Cheng filled the void as bassist, and the band recorded a four-track demo soon afterwards. Cunningham then returned to the band on drums, replacing Garcia. Moreno felt that Adrenaline was recorded "really fast", and he performed all his vocals live with the band in the room using a hand-held Shure SM58 microphone.
Although not specifically credited in the album's liner notes, it was stated that Frank Delgado contributed to the songs "Minus Blindfold" and "Fireal". He was later credited on Deftones' subsequent album Around the Fur as a guest, followed by becoming an official member in 1999.
Composition
Musically, Adrenaline has been described as nu metal, post-hardcore, alternative metal, and rap rock.
Promotion
"7 Words" was released as the first promotional single from the album in September 1995. It was followed by "Bored", issued as the second promotional single in May 1996. Music videos were released for "7 Words" and "Bored".
Deftones performed heavily throughout North America to support the album, going on tours with Handsome, Korn, White Zombie and Super 8 (whose vocalist helped discover Deftones). They also opened for Kiss on their Alive/Worldwide Tour.
Reception
Adrenaline was praised for its new, innovative sound, with critics initially comparing it to a diverse range of acts such as Helmet, Nine Inch Nails, the Cure, Korn, Nirvana, and the Smashing Pumpkins. In his 1995 review, Kerrang!s Paul Brannigan felt the album's sound "falls between Quicksand and Tool", and said Deftones "explode from atmospheric croons into buck-mad rages". He wrote, "Excellent production from Terry Date allows the crisp guitar on 'Lifter' and '7 Words' to shine", and that "Bored" and "Nosebleed" are "just as blunt and angry, slabs of guitar crashing down on swirling, hypnotic rhythms." Brannigan rated it 4 out of 5 stars, saying it was "Impressive." In critic Tim Karan's 20th anniversary assessment for Diffuser, he wrote: "For those who were swept up in the burgeoning nu-metal movement, 'Adrenaline' was a landmark, life-changing release. But Deftones never really were a true nu-metal band -- this album is more like hardcore-influenced post-hardcore than 'Nookie' -- and it only scratched at the surface of the experimental metal Deftones would soon step into".
Commercial performance
While the album was initially unsuccessful, extensive touring and word-of-mouth promotion built the band a dedicated fanbase and helped Adrenaline to sell over 220,000 copies. When asked what he attributed the album's success to, bassist Chi Cheng responded, "One word: perseverance. We've been together for almost eight years, on the road for two and we do it with honesty and integrity – and the kids can tell". The album was certified gold by the RIAA on July 7, 1999, in recognition of 500,000 units sold. It was eventually certified platinum on September 23, 2008, in recognition of 1,000,000 units sold.
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