Live Review : Deftones + High Vis @ The Piece Hall, Halifax on June 24th 2025

The Deftones have always existed in a rather interesting netherworld. They emerged during the reign of nu-metal, but they were always too experimental and cerebral to be fully integrated into that scene. The frankly extraordinary “White Pony” and the 2003 self-titled fourth album, thrust them into arena land and festival special guest status, but try as they might, subsequent releases never seemed able to push them any further. That is, until now. After looking like, they were cursed to always be the bridesmaid and never the bride at a total of four Download and one Sonisphere, this summer finally sees them headlining open-air shows in the country. Piece Hall has attracted every freak, geek and Goth that call West Yorkshire home. Even beyond the confines of the awe-inspiring architectural grandeur of the venue, at least 100 or so local teenage metalheads have gathered outside to listen to the show. This may finally be The Deftones' moment, and they mean business.

However, before we get their ascension to probably something special, we have new kids on the block, High Vis to entertain the rapidly filling temporary auditorium. Hardcore punk has splintered so much over the last couple of decades that it is blatantly a calling for something or someone to unify the tribes. It may well just be that High Vis are the chosen ones. They trade in straight down the line high-energy and highly agitated blistering punk. They are pissed off with everything and everyone and spend 30-minutes making as much noise as humanly possible. Now, every few years or so, a new bunch of disenfranchised youngsters will emerge purporting to take punk back to its roots, but High Vis feel like the real deal. There is just something so raw and vital about what they are doing. Everything is stripped back and sparsely minimal. Evocative and frizzing with life, this is punk taken back to its core function of music of derision and dissent.

It is one of those magical moments. As the first notes of the opening number ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’ float out across the darkening skies, the heavens open and stay open for the entire set. The synchronicity is perfect, if rather damp. The torrential downpour means that the show could go either of two ways. Whilst it is obvious that some in attendance do think “bugger this for a game of soldiers” and bail out, the vast majority of us strap in and let the inclement weather heighten as opposed to dampen (pun intended) the experience. “Nothing wrong with a bit of wet” notes Chino when he takes a pause for breath, and that's the point. The audience and band, in startling synchronicity, embrace the elements as it becomes one of those legendary shows that never lets up in pure organic energy.

Part of its brilliance is the strength of the set list. Aside from main section closer ‘Genesis’, everything aired is at least 13 years old. The Deftones have previously vehemently avoided going down the route of nostalgia and retrospection. A “White Pony” anniversary tour playing the album in full was planned for 2020 but was sabotaged by that pesky pandemic. Tonight, we get the nearest they will skate to a Bonafide greatest hits set. Cold Stone classics like ‘Hole in the Earth’ and ‘You’ve Seen the Butcher’ return to the set after a considerable absence, and the whole air is of a band embracing their past as opposed to trying to move beyond it. The crowd reaction is nothing short of ecstatic reverence. They may well be given an early bath, but as ‘Feiticeira’ and ‘Digital Bath’ kick in, the whole front section explodes in orgasmic aggression. Piece Hall’s ancient slate flooring may not be the most pit-friendly environment, but the reaction up front is an extraordinary sight to behold.

The other brilliance of this evening is the astonishing whipped up performance of the band. It is obvious that they know that this is their opportunity to put their marker down as a serious contender for festival headliners and they don’t waste a minute. Chino is a Herculean whirlwind of pent-up energy. He bounds around the stage, exploring every inch of its split split-level set up. His verbal interactions are limited; we get the above comments about the weather and an apology for taking so long in getting back to this country, but he still manages to consistently and constantly engage with the audience. Lines are sung directly at the convulsing front rows, and he regularly encourages the melee of madness happening in front of his eyes. The only point where he seems to stand still is during ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’, where he grabs a guitar and stands at the back, silhouetted against the harsh visuals of a blazing sun.

The Deftones have evolved well beyond our ability to pigeonhole. They are metal, but they approach our music with an air of innovation and curiosity. There is both harsh corrosion and fragile beauty at play, and on a number of occasions, they happen simultaneously. ‘Rocket Skates’ and ‘Sextape’ flirt with commerciality, there are coherent melodies at play, but there is still enough nihilistic nastiness to provide the heft that us metalheads demand.

Tonight, was very much them at their best. A molten, emotive mess of musical contradictions that melt together to create astonishing cohesion. If Korn have finally been promoted to that Download top spot, then this was The Deftones own personal audition piece. Showing that they have the songs and the performance to captivate a drenched audience for an hour and a half. Long after we all finally have dried out, this will be a show that we will continue to talk about.