Deftones guitarist didn’t want to play on Gore

Deftones co-founder and guitarist Stephen Carpenter says he found playing on upcoming album Gore a “challenge” as he wasn’t interested in its musical direction.

Their eighth studio release is out on April 8 via Warner Bros Records. And when asked about the one aspect of the record that he’s most pleased with, Carpenter says it’s the fact he contributed at all.

He tells Ultimate Guitar: “I think my proudest thing about my guitar playing on this record is just playing on the record because I didn’t want to play on the record to begin with. It wasn’t until later once I actually got into it. I look at all the songs on the record and they were all a challenge for me to get in to.

“When we were coming up with ideas and writing the songs, the stuff that was being written – the other guys’ ideas – I wasn’t too interested in it. It wasn’t the style or the sound I was hoping we would take. It wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting.

“My band is going one direction and I am going another one currently.”

Carpenter states he won’t quit the outfit but adds: “I would never leave the band that I started but the band started leaving me, I can’t control that.”

He continues: “I have a great time for the most part. This record has been a struggle and we have issues that I do not want to leave home. But how things will be in the future, I do not know.

“I know what I will do and what I will not do and there are some things that I will not do in the future because I just don’t agree with it.”

Deftones made Gore’s opening track Prayers/Triangles available to stream earlier this month. The band have a number of live dates lined up for this year, including an appearance at Download on June 11.

Deftones Gore tracklist

Prayers/Triangles
Acid Hologram
Doomed User
Geometric Headdress
Hearts/Wires
Pittura Infamante
Xenon
(L)mirl
Gore
Phantom Bride
Rubicon

Deftones 2016 tour dates

Mar 05: Costa Mesa Musink Festival, CA
Mar 16: Mission Never Say Never Festival, TX
Mar 19: San Antonio Lonestar Events Center, TX
Mar 20: Dallas South Side Ballroom, TX
Mar 22: Houston Revention Music Center, TX
Mar 24: Lubbock Lonestar Pavilion, TX
May 08: Kannapolis Carolina Rebellion, NC
May 15: Atlanta Shaky Knees Festoval, GA
May 21: Maryland Heights Pointfest, MO
Jun 03: London SSE Arena Wembley, UK
Jun 04: Mendig Rock AM Ring, Germany
Jun 05: Nurnberg Rock Im Park, Germany
Jun 07: Milan Trezzo Sull’Adda Live Club, Italy
Jun 10: Paris Download, France
Jun 11: Donington Download, UK
Jun 12: Nickelsdorf Nova Rock, Austria
Jun 14: Cologne Palladium, Germany
Jun 15: Berlin Columbiahalle, Germany
Jun 17: Aarhus NorthSide Festival, Denmark
Jun 18: Reykjavik Secret Solstice, Iceland

Deftones went out of comfort zone for Gore

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.