It takes a great deal of patience to cope with bands who take years between releases. You try to be as supportive as possible but as time goes by, tastes change. It's the risk  that a lot of bands take, and usually the result is horrible--just listen to Metallica's last atrocity, St. Anger. 

This is especially risky when you start to rock the boat too much creatively as things can get messy and you can go down like the Titanic. Only a few bands can get away with doing something left-of-center and call it progress. Sacramento, CA's Deftones are one of those few.  

All of their albums have always maintained a certain balance, catering to the heavy and melodic alike. Their latest release Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick/Warner Bros) shows us glimpses of what used to be, and what they are capable of now. You find yourself hopeful when you hear songs like "Hole in the Earth" with the standard dynamic of singer Chino Moreno's vocals meshing effortlessly with the always heavy-ready stringwork of Stephen Carpenter. This has been a staple in their music for years, sounding as if The Cure clashed with Helmet and being proud of their tender yet bloody result. 

With SNW, they continue to make their progression into the post-hardcore vein of bands such as Far and Quicksand, while also taking a page from Radiohead and Bjork. DJ Frank Delgado layers his well-placed keyboards with subtlety, bringing to life the many sounds that seem to take you into their very own atmosphere. The song "Beware" would have fit perfectly with anything on White Pony with it's dark mood and tone, and "Cherry Waves" sounds as if Moreno's side project Team Sleep seeped into their recording sessions.

The provocative and ambient track "Pink Cellphone" goes through many twists and turns sounding like someone tripping on X while in the midst of a spiritual awakening. With all due respect to any British readers, there is an amusing explaination on why British people have bad teeth. The track "Combat" can be set side to side with anything that Every Time I Die is doing today. Very spastic yet focused, the band seem to dip their fingers into so many styles, its sonically well-executed.

The only downside that comes to mind is that the once ear-piercing screams have subsided, as you hear Moreno struggle at times like in the song, "Rats! Rats! Rats!" While the music in the song itself stills brings their 1995 debut Adrenaline to mind, his attempts to recapture the intensity and ferocity somewhat fall short. System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian supplies a cameo on "Mein" with his well-recognized baritone but it ends up sounding scattered, almost having a filler-like quality that makes it better suited for a b-side instead.  

Saturday Night Wrist may finally set them apart from that "nu-metal" tag that's been sitting on their shoulders for years as they venture into more complex music. They manage to keep the heavy vibe found in their previous work, but open a doorway to something more artistic and imaginative. A definite recommendation for any fan who wants their music aggressive and ambient at the same time.