Through the decades, music fans have witnessed how the loss of a key band member can lead to a group’s demise. The Deftones have proved just the opposite. Following a 2008 car accident that left bassist Chi Cheng with a debilitating brain injury, the Sacramento, Calif. hard rock act recruited new bassist Sergio Vega and wrote its sixth studio album, “Diamond Eyes.” The set is full of the Deftones’ usual energy and showcases singer Chino Moreno’s knack for alternating between screams and sweet vocal delivery over heavy, complex guitar work. Accompanied by laid-back riffs and electronic loops on the song “Beauty School,” he croons, “I see your face and I know I’m alive.” The less delicate track “Rocket Skates” features aggressive, distorted guitars that highlight Moreno’s repeated screams of “guns, razors, knives.” The set’s title track-which includes the line “Time will see us realign”-reminds fans that the Deftones definitely miss Ching’s presence, but the group is still dedicated to rocking out until his hoped-for return. -Erin Clendaniel
