Not even Chino Moreno knows why Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter isn’t touring overseas anymore: “It’s still something that I feel he is figuring out”

Deftones frontman Chino Moreno isn’t sure why longtime guitarist Stephen Carpenter isn’t touring with the band internationally anymore.

Carpenter, who co-founded the California nu metal-era band with Moreno in 1988, announced in 2022 that he will no longer be playing shows with Deftones outside of North America.

The news followed comments he’d made on the podcast Tin Foil Hat With Sam Tripoli in 2020, where he peddled false claims that the Earth was flat and that vaccines don’t work. The guitarist later told Rock Feed that he didn’t want to be in a foreign country “and then they want to jab me with something”.

Talking exclusively to Metal Hammer, Moreno has commented on Carpenter’s absence at overseas shows, where guitar duties have been handled by Lance Jackman and Shaun Lopez.

He expresses support for his friend and bandmate, but laments not sharing the stage with him in many markets. He also confesses his confusion over what his motivations for staying at home actually are.

“I don’t want to speak for him. And even if I could, I still don't have an answer,” Chino tells us. “Really I don’t. It’s still something that I think he is figuring out. And if he does have an answer, I think it’d be great if one day he would share it. But yeah, we support him. We have to. He’s our friend. And his health, be it physically or mentally, always takes the forefront of anything.”

The singer adds: “It’s sad, I want him onstage with us at every show. If you ask me what I prefer, I want him there every day, every time we do anything, with the band. But it literally comes down to: there’s two ways to deal with it. We accept what he can and will do, or we just don’t play. And we want to play.”

Deftones will put out their new album, Private Music, on Friday (August 22). Carpenter plays on the album, as he has on every other Deftones release, and it marks the recording debut of bassist Fred Sablan, who replaces Sergio Vega. Vega announced his departure from Deftones in 2022, citing a contractual dispute with the band.

The full interview with Moreno appears in the new issue of Hammer, which goes on sale today (August 21). The issue is a bumper celebration of Ozzy Osbourne, interviewing artists and peers about his legacy. Our writers also report back from the Prince Of Darkness’ funeral procession, which they witnessed pass through Birmingham en route to a private ceremony. Order your copy now and get it delivered directly to your door.