Adrenaline

Released in 1995, Adrenaline is the debut studio album by Deftones, serving as a foundational text for the alternative metal movement. Recorded at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle with producer Terry Date, the album is characterized by its raw, unpolished sound and a heavy emphasis on the interplay between Abe Cunningham’s syncopated drumming and Chi Cheng’s prominent, melodic bass lines. While often lumped in with the nascent nu-metal scene due to the rhythmic vocal delivery on tracks like 'Engine No. 9' and '7 Words', the album lacks the turntables and industrial samples common to that genre, instead drawing more from post-hardcore and noise rock. Critically, it was initially overlooked but grew into a cult classic through relentless touring. It represents a temporal snapshot of the band before they integrated the shoegaze and trip-hop influences that would define 'White Pony'. AllMusic noted its 'unpredictable' nature, highlighting Moreno's unique vocal range as a distinguishing factor from their peers.