Deftones 2025 & The Songs Most Missed On A Setlist

Depending upon who you ask, a setlist could be either one of two things – a complete Godsend or somewhat of a killjoy. The latter sentimentality, much (perhaps) to the surprise of some, comes from a view of there needing to be reins installed so that nothing goes awry. And what precisely “awry” could mean at an alt-rock and metal concert summons from the peaked recesses of a bored imagination a slew of images that look – and sound – akin to a riot.

Why the Right Setlist Matters

For starters, a setlist that consists mostly of new material, and not a track or single released before that, is actually quite known to cause some stir… And at best, a sea of boos all but consumes what is to be played. Especially if none of what is heralded as an artist’s and/or band’s classics aren’t even entertaining.

You could see it now – the winding down and then inevitable dissipation of the pits altogether, from their whirling circles and their rage; whatever applause or calls for encore replaced with just screaming over the transitions of each track.

Or worse – the sporadic bubbling of fights breaking out in the audience, and the threat of them getting bigger… And bigger…

The Deftones Difference

Thankfully, in welcoming you to both the idea and gathered reality of a Deftones concert, all of the above is rarely the case as of late. This comes from it being considered that nearly all that they’ve released, between their debut and their early 2000s prime, not a single track is considered lesser than the other. Not to say that there aren’t ones that are better than the other.

One might always have the loyalist’s bias of loving their first two albums above any and all else in their repertoire, while someone on the other end of the spectrum prefers their sound that soon solidified their place within metal and rock at the turn of the century.

Whichever one may be chosen, the one thing that seems to have everyone meet in the middle is the setlist, and how absolutely no one seems to have a problem with it, seeing as that it highlights in an unchronicled but narratively rich order the best of their criteria that has captured all of curious and nostalgic ears.

That is… At first.

The Tour’s Latest Leg

As of today, the second leg of the Deftones 2025 tour commences in the northernmost part of North America (East Coast and Canada), and will dip back down into the U.S’s midwestern states upon its conclusion.

With an established setlist already being maintained from the first leg in early summer, it seems that for some fans who have already seen them, it is now set in stone that certain songs are officially offline.

And in being told exactly which songs these are, it may come as a surprise to both novices and veterans of the band alike.

The Most Missed

Cherry Waves

Coming from the ever commercially loved and yet formerly audience-debated album Saturday Night Wrist, the fourth track, ‘Cherry Waves’ can very well be considered – without even a semblance of argument – one of their most memorable and beautifully composed songs to date. And that is perhaps boldly said, considering again that it hails from the same album that ‘Hole In The Earth’ comes from.

And that track is on the setlist.

So, to not have them both be on the same plane of existence, but for a single spell of a tour, is no doubt discombobulating. Bordering on maddening, even. Their shared, syrupy sweet and languidly dripping tones meld into each other so seamlessly, and in one fell swoop, between one transition into the other showcase the effortless nature of Chino Moreno’s vocals from that era, which were impressively elongated and clear.

The lyrics themselves are infectious; the ‘vibes’ – as the young ones say – are all too excruciatingly immaculate and dangerously ethereal when paired with the dream-like additions of the percussion and guitars.

Not having it performed live at least once is certainly a choice. But, perhaps in defence of such, one must not try to recreate what was already once made perfect.

To those who had the privilege of seeing and hearing it before this current tour, bask in that memory.

What you are able to lovingly recall is a luxury not felt by all, and you are to be envied. Extremely.

Knife Prty & Passenger

Ah, White Pony – you and all of your incredibly risky children, that was your tracklist. From the vantage point of the here-and-now, rife with younger ears and mouths capturing lyrics far easier than those back then did, it is not even close to a surprise that these two songs are still treated far more gingerly than most.

Their production and what it has to offer are no issues – that can very well be assured. If anything, they have aged into something to be marveled at and taken on as a challenge to both witness and survive, or even try your hand at playing yourself.

But man… When it comes to those lyrics, it is certainly a reminder of the time in which they came.

One chanted a sort of lethal, childish taunt to draw blood in a way that could perhaps simultaneously be translated as something aggressively erotic, while the other made absolutely no effort to disguise the latter in their own verses. ‘Passenger’ was nothing but erotic and delirious with it.

And yet, even set amongst their siblings as two of the more scandalous, they are visibly missed when bridging onto their prime albums on stage. You hear the droning chords of ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ and hope that maybe – just maybe – they’ll slip either of them in if we as the audience behave just right.

Little do we remember in that moment that we are, in fact, Deftones fans.

Nothing about our nature, as well as that of the band we follow, is even remotely well-behaved.

Risk

In actuality, there are a whopping four tracks from the Diamond Eyes album on the setlist that have yet to be deviated from, as far as audience recordances have relayed. And of that, there is no room for protest or debate to go against it.

It was, after all, a sensational album – bombastic, explosive, and full of middle and exiting breakdowns that filled both the head and belly just right. Their fans and acolytes alike were indeed well-fed.

And there’s just something about the song, ‘Risk’, that is just so utterly satisfying.

To one who may have strayed off from their sound and is now utterly starving, it genuinely takes on the task of giving you your every essential, which is the sway of their beat, the hypnotism of their dissonant chords meant to lull you. Then there is, of course, Moreno’s vocals that – during this particular era – were so full of never-ending vowels and vibrato, just catching off the tail end of his words ever so teasingly.

‘Risk’ provided every bit of what made the Deftones such a feast for the one sense that does not believe it is deprived of proper nutrients, until it has heard this song, and then is swiftly told thereafter that it will not be heard again.

Not live, that is.

No Ordinary Love

To be frank, this one track has not been performed live since it last was in 2009. So the likelihood of it ever happening again is all but none.

However, this does not even closely suggest that it is because it is not sought after. On the contrary, when the Deftones were practically thrown back into the circulation of cultural relevancy, this very cover of Sade’s 1992 hit was one of the more niche gems that newfound listeners and burgeoning fans were transfixed by.

Moreno’s vocals, both so closely cherished by the band’s fans and widely gawked at by even casual listeners, were, needless to say, perfect when complementing that of the original singer. Smooth and mellow, yet so close and intimate against both the microphone and the ear as if he were whispering something to you who lingers. When indeed he does decide to unleash the might of his usual screams midway through, it even then still maintains a sensual fervency that is oh so very much in line with the nature of the song, that one might not realize is a very willing desperation.

That is, not until Moreno has had his fill with it.

And then suddenly, all who were within reach are just as desperate. And wanting.

And from what it looks like, we will continue to want to hear this one.

We, as the adoring public, have no other choice.

The Art of Yearning

Such can palpably be said, even and felt, for every single track mentioned.

Although if there is one thing a Deftones fan can withstand, and perhaps even look forward to, it is yearning.