(Artist Report)

Written by: Cody Denning  

Iconic alternative metal pioneers Deftones have officially kicked off their massive 35th anniversary world tour, with the first North American leg already selling out in record time. The Sacramento-bred band, formed in 1988, continues to defy easy categorization and generational boundaries, blending nu-metal roots with shoegaze atmospheres, post-hardcore intensity, and dream-pop melodies into a sound that remains unmistakably their own.

The current lineup in 2025, vocalist Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, turntablist/keyboardist Frank Delgado, drummer Abe Cunningham, and bassist Fred Sablan (who replaced Sergio Vega in 2022). This is widely regarded as the most energized and cohesive version of the band in over a decade. Early reviews of the 2025 tour describe setlists that span the band’s entire catalog, from early classics like “7 Words” and “My Own Summer (Shove It)” to atmospheric deep cuts from White Pony and Diamond Eyes, closing most nights with the perennial anthem “Change (In the House of Flies).”

In a interview with Rolling Stone last week, frontman Chino Moreno confirmed that the band has been quietly working on the long awaited follow up to 2020’s critically acclaimed Ohms. “We’ve got probably 20 songs in various stages,” Moreno said. “It’s the most collaborative we’ve been since White Pony. There’s heavy stuff, there’s beautiful stuff, there’s weird stuff; it’s Deftones.” While no official release date has been announced, industry insiders suggest new music could surface as early as spring 2026.

The band’s enduring influence was further cemented this year when they were announced as 2026 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on their first ballot, alongside Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, and Rage Against the Machine in a class being dubbed “the class of alternative nation.”

Deftones’ 2025–2026 world tour will hit Europe and the UK in early 2026, followed by Australia, Japan, and South America. Remaining tickets are extremely limited and available through the band’s official site.
35 years in, Deftones aren’t just surviving; they’re still evolving, still loud, and still creating.

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