White Pony (2000)

While many peers relied on unbroken nu-metal pummelling, Deftones borrowed space and texture from dream pop and trip-hop. Chino Moreno moves between breathy, sensual murmurs and anguished screams, while Stephen Carpenter's low-tuned riffs hold back until the moment of greatest impact. Digital Bath and Change (In the House of Flies) show the balance at its best.