A dude could get used to the practice of semi-annually checking in with loud alternative rockers the Deftones. That’s the pattern at MetalSucks: Every other season, we pry into the personal and professional business of a band destined to be remembered as one of America’s all-time greatest (srs), the post-Cobain Faith No More and canonizer of real-head hall of fame acts like The Cardigans, Duran Duran, Suicidal Tendencies, and The Cure.

And the old Deftones — which, of course, were the young Deftones — seemed just as cocksure and drama-wracked as all those. However, this new, older Deftones is grooving smooth and hanging hard, said drummer Abe Cunningham in an epic gab with MS last week. (One never runs out of conversation topics with Deftones dudes.) Animated and way too modest, Cunningham talked me through even more Deftones details than I covered last time and last last time: The fun of recording awesome cover jams, their wake-up call when bassist Chi Cheng was seriously injured, his chemistry with Cheng’s replacement Sergio Vega and with singer Chino Moreno, their record deal then and now, and silly people like Helmet’s Page Hamilton and the big fat copycats in Shinedown.

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It turns out that Refused are not reuniting after all, and while Rival Schools will release a new album soon there’s been no indication that Quicksand will also. Oh well; it was fun to think about.

Thankfully there’s at least one important late ’90s metal-ish band that will be releasing new music in 2010… and it’s Jonah Matringa’s Far. Far were another one of those bands who seemed to enjoy much more success in critical circles then in, ya know, reality. Their two records, 1996’s Tin Cans With Strings To You and 1998’s Water and Solutions, were way ahead of their time but never got quite the recognition they deserved. As Metal Insider‘s Bram Teitelman put it, Far were “Heavy, but not metal, emotional, but not emo” and for that reason while I’m sure many of you won’t care about Far I’m guessing that any fans of mid/late ’90s metal/post-hardcore bands like Helmet, Refused and Quicksand will care a great deal.

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The reactions to yesterday’s post about the Rival Schools reunion record were much to my surprise mostly positive, which I guess could just indicate that those who didn’t know the band chose to skip over the post. But I’m guessing that even more of you were/are fans of Quicksand, Walter Schreifels’ main post-Gorilla Biscuits squeeze. I discovered Quicksand after their time in the sun had come and gone, but I still find myself wishing for a reunion. As cool as the new Rival Schools record could be, I think a new Quicksand record would smoke it.

Here’s the video for “Dine Alone” from 1993′s Slip. The video is so… ’90s. I love it.

-VN

Altitude TV [via Blabbermouth] has posted some footage of Deftones performing a new song called “Rocket Skates” at the MetalSucks co-sponsored Smokeout Festival a couple of weekends back. It’s pretty fuckin’ heavy and, not surprisingly, it’s a step forward for a band that’s always sought to push musical boundaries (though it still sounds distinctly Deftones). I mean it’s not as if the Deftones have suddenly gone prog, but… you get the point… as far as Deftones songs go, this one doesn’t sound like the band is trying to re-live or re-create the past so much as take the next step.

For those wondering, I believe that’s Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega stepping in for the still-ailing Chi Cheng. And hey doesn’t Chino look like he’s in awesome shape? For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Deftones have shelved their completed but unreleased album Eros and are said to be working on something else. It’s never easy for those guys to release a record, is it?

-VN

In the “actually didn’t see this one coming” department, a press release tells us that Sacramento post-hardcore pioneers Far have reunited. The band played two secret shows last week in California and have a string of dates lined up in the UK for November; they’ve also recorded a cover of Ginuwine’s “Pony” under the pseudonym Hot Little Pony, which is now streaming on the Hot Little Pony MySpace page.

Oh, what’s that, you don’t know who Far is? Poseurs. Look it up.

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I was definitely intrigued and a little trepidatious to read from our recently-posted interview Troy from Mastodon’s explanation that their “new material is going to be more under the rock category”, but when he mentioned Yes, King Crimson, and Zappa as examples, I realized that he means progressive rock more than hard rock. That was welcome news to me, as I have found so many “hard” rock bands to be a bit too boorish in lieu of making music that inspires.

In any case, we all know how Vince feels about Quicksand, and I am again offering the band up as an example of hard rock that simply ain’t half bad, in my mind somewhat of a rarity. Some call this band “alternative metal” but since that gay-ass genre name reminds me of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, I shan’t be using it EVER AGAIN!!!

QUICKSAND – “Dine Alone”

QUICKSAND – “Baphomet”

(both tracks from the band’s 1993 album Slip)

-KW

Here’s a fucking fresh new band for ya’ll to check out. Despite their puzzling name, Don the Reader are the explosive result of what happens when you mix the dissonant, raw energy of The Dillinger Escape Plan with the aggression and riffage of the Deftones and the post-punk melodic sensibility of Helmet or Quicksand. The LA-based band have a new album called Humanesque available on October 7th via Deathcote Records — and we have the exclusive leak of their song “Teethgrinder.” Enjoy it below, and send out to the masses.

Don the Reader – “Teethgrinder” (mp3)

Listen to more Don the Reader on their MySpace page.

-VN

Yes, yes, indeed they did. And so did The Jon Stewart show, the original one, on MTV. [Never Trust a Minotaur]

-VN

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