Ohms (stylized as _Ohms on physical editions) is the ninth studio album by … Read Full Bio ↴Ohms (stylized as _Ohms on physical editions) is the ninth studio album by American alternative metal band Deftones, released on September 25, 2020, through Reprise Records. It reached number 5 on the Billboard 200.
Musically, Ohms has been described as an alternative metal and dream pop album. It is the first Deftones album since their eponymous 2003 album to be produced by Terry Date, although the last time the band had worked with him was during the sessions of the unreleased album Eros in 2008. It is also their first album on which Stephen Carpenter utilizes a nine-string guitar.
The cover art was designed by Frank Maddocks, who had worked with Deftones on each of their albums since White Pony. There are total of 12,995 dots on the cover art. Many fans believed that the design paid tribute to the band's original bassist Chi Cheng, who died in 2013, as the eyes that appear on the cover art lined up closely with a photo of him. Band drummer Abe Cunningham stated in an interview that this was merely a coincidence, however. He added that the cover art idea reminded him of the 1980s, specifically the music video for Prince's 1984 song "When Doves Cry". Shortly before the album's release, Deftones launched the "Adopt a Dot" campaign, allowing for people to purchase one of the dots on the artwork as their own. A photo of the purchaser would then appear as the dot they purchased and be a part of the "Ohms Adopt a Dot digital experience" viewable online. All of the proceeds from the campaign were given to both the UC Davis Children's Hospital and Crew Nation relief fund.
The band began teasing the album's release with a week-long digital campaign in August 2020. Deftones released cryptic social media posts, their official website and animations through Spotify's Canvas feature that when solved revealed the word "ohms" and longitudinal coordinates for a billboard in Los Angeles teasing the album artwork. The campaign concluded with a formal announcement for Ohms and a music video for the album's first promotional song, "Ohms". The music video for "Ohms" was directed by Rafatoon and featured what Rolling Stone described as, "band performance video interspersed with scenes from a dystopian world, mirroring the musically and lyrically heavy song sentiments." At the time of release, vocalist Chino Moreno described "Ohms" as a "a good scope of where this record's at," though in a separate interview producer Terry Date didn't feel like the song was a good choice for the album's lead promotional track.
Deftones were originally scheduled to tour North America in support of Ohms with Gojira and Poppy in July to September 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was postponed until 2021.
Ohms received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 88, based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". AllMusic critic Neil Z. Yeung thought that Deftones "take their signature beauty-meets-brutality assault, searching for balance across a tightly focused ten tracks." Yeung further stated: "As a unit, they haven't sounded this refreshed in years." Consequence of Sound's Joseph Schafer described Ohms as "their hardest-hitting effort in years" and "a record that hints at a purified blend of their contrasting influences in its finest moments." Ben Tipple of DIY praised Date’s production work and stated: "If any of Deftones’ previous records are guilty of lacking focus (you decide), ‘Ohms‘ is certainly safe from future vitriol."
Describing Ohms as "truly and honestly a breath of fresh air," Exclaim! critic Adam Wallis thought that the record was "just as unique and innovative as each album before it." The Independent's Roisin O'Connor regarded the album as "an intriguing addition to the band’s canon," while David McLaughlin Kerrang! likened the it to a "greatest hits from a parallel plane of existence, yet dense enough to demand deeper exploration." Writing for NME, James McMahon described Ohms as "heavy stuff, both sonically and in emotional clout." Andy Crump of Paste regarded the album as "an engrossing refinement of what they’ve become over years of risk-taking and experimentation." Sputnikmusic staff critic SowingSeason thought that the record "surpasses Deftones’ other iconic releases is in its dense, unpredictable layering and sheer intensity." He further stated: "There aren’t many traits present on Ohms that we’ve never heard from the band before,... but they’ve woven all these glimpses of previous albums together and improved upon them in nearly every facet."
In a more mixed review, The Guardian's Dean Van Nguyen wrote that the album "lacks the lateral thinking that distinguished the band’s masterpiece, White Pony." Nevertheless, Nguyen further explained: "Still, by streamlining their sound, Deftones have made an album that proves that ferocity is not a diminishing resource."
Musically, Ohms has been described as an alternative metal and dream pop album. It is the first Deftones album since their eponymous 2003 album to be produced by Terry Date, although the last time the band had worked with him was during the sessions of the unreleased album Eros in 2008. It is also their first album on which Stephen Carpenter utilizes a nine-string guitar.
The cover art was designed by Frank Maddocks, who had worked with Deftones on each of their albums since White Pony. There are total of 12,995 dots on the cover art. Many fans believed that the design paid tribute to the band's original bassist Chi Cheng, who died in 2013, as the eyes that appear on the cover art lined up closely with a photo of him. Band drummer Abe Cunningham stated in an interview that this was merely a coincidence, however. He added that the cover art idea reminded him of the 1980s, specifically the music video for Prince's 1984 song "When Doves Cry". Shortly before the album's release, Deftones launched the "Adopt a Dot" campaign, allowing for people to purchase one of the dots on the artwork as their own. A photo of the purchaser would then appear as the dot they purchased and be a part of the "Ohms Adopt a Dot digital experience" viewable online. All of the proceeds from the campaign were given to both the UC Davis Children's Hospital and Crew Nation relief fund.
The band began teasing the album's release with a week-long digital campaign in August 2020. Deftones released cryptic social media posts, their official website and animations through Spotify's Canvas feature that when solved revealed the word "ohms" and longitudinal coordinates for a billboard in Los Angeles teasing the album artwork. The campaign concluded with a formal announcement for Ohms and a music video for the album's first promotional song, "Ohms". The music video for "Ohms" was directed by Rafatoon and featured what Rolling Stone described as, "band performance video interspersed with scenes from a dystopian world, mirroring the musically and lyrically heavy song sentiments." At the time of release, vocalist Chino Moreno described "Ohms" as a "a good scope of where this record's at," though in a separate interview producer Terry Date didn't feel like the song was a good choice for the album's lead promotional track.
Deftones were originally scheduled to tour North America in support of Ohms with Gojira and Poppy in July to September 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was postponed until 2021.
Ohms received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 88, based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". AllMusic critic Neil Z. Yeung thought that Deftones "take their signature beauty-meets-brutality assault, searching for balance across a tightly focused ten tracks." Yeung further stated: "As a unit, they haven't sounded this refreshed in years." Consequence of Sound's Joseph Schafer described Ohms as "their hardest-hitting effort in years" and "a record that hints at a purified blend of their contrasting influences in its finest moments." Ben Tipple of DIY praised Date’s production work and stated: "If any of Deftones’ previous records are guilty of lacking focus (you decide), ‘Ohms‘ is certainly safe from future vitriol."
Describing Ohms as "truly and honestly a breath of fresh air," Exclaim! critic Adam Wallis thought that the record was "just as unique and innovative as each album before it." The Independent's Roisin O'Connor regarded the album as "an intriguing addition to the band’s canon," while David McLaughlin Kerrang! likened the it to a "greatest hits from a parallel plane of existence, yet dense enough to demand deeper exploration." Writing for NME, James McMahon described Ohms as "heavy stuff, both sonically and in emotional clout." Andy Crump of Paste regarded the album as "an engrossing refinement of what they’ve become over years of risk-taking and experimentation." Sputnikmusic staff critic SowingSeason thought that the record "surpasses Deftones’ other iconic releases is in its dense, unpredictable layering and sheer intensity." He further stated: "There aren’t many traits present on Ohms that we’ve never heard from the band before,... but they’ve woven all these glimpses of previous albums together and improved upon them in nearly every facet."
In a more mixed review, The Guardian's Dean Van Nguyen wrote that the album "lacks the lateral thinking that distinguished the band’s masterpiece, White Pony." Nevertheless, Nguyen further explained: "Still, by streamlining their sound, Deftones have made an album that proves that ferocity is not a diminishing resource."
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ohms
Deftones Lyrics
Ceremony How can't you see This is the end? Let's face the truth It's…
Error Tell me something Have we escaped Are we just lost? The mirr…
Genesis I reject both sides of what I'm being told I've seen…
Headless I think it's obvious we are a mess, we cut…
Ohms We're surrounded By debris of the past And it's too late To …
Pompeji Deep in the bottomless depths of the ocean Empty bodies, we…
Radiant City There's something inside this Confusion we face We marvel in…
The Spell of Mathematics I drink the poison right from your hands A sacred vow,…
This Link Is Dead Thanks You want action? Yeah, I'm aware which form you think…
Urantia I slipped into the cloak you left I fiddle around in…
M
on Needles & Pins
The song "Needles and Pins" by Deftones, featured on their self titled album “Deftones," is a passionate plea for the intimacy and connection between two people in a crowded yet lonely world. The lyrics express admiration and awe for the beauty and charisma of the person the singer is addressing, likening them to a "star" with an alluring presence that outshines everything around them. The use of metaphors, such as "you're pins, I'm needles" and "Put the cross between me and you," suggests the two people are meant to complement each other, fitting together like puzzle pieces.
The repetitive use of the phrase "Here we are" throughout the song serves to almost anchor the two people to each other amidst the chaos of the outside world. The lyrics also encourage the two people to "tune out" from the surrounding noise and distractions and focus solely on each other, finding solace in their shared passion for music and the "sound" they create together. Ultimately, the message is one of defiance and strength against any external forces that might try to come between them.