The disc starts with “Feiticeira,” a song that remains faithful to the aforementioned formula. The separate elements of the song, however, fail to fuse into a coherent musical statement. The band members are as energetic as ever, but all their efforts can’t make these songs match up to the rush of “Push It,” from their previous release, Around The Fur. To their credit, the next track on White Pony, entitled “Digital Bath,” works very well, and “Change (In The House Of Flies)” also moves with ease from gentle, reverb-laced verses to explosive, distorted choruses. These songs, however, are welcome exceptions to the general feel of the record.

It was established long ago that the members of Deftones are all talented musicians and skilled songwriters, so it’s surprising that White Pony falls short. Nonetheless, the record is sure to please longtime fans with occasional sparkles of brilliance.