If there is one thing the Deftones have made themselves known for, it is their unique sound. Their striking combination of powerful, choppy guitars with floating, almost eerie vocals has won them a diehard legion of fans and many casual admirers. With their fifth major release, Saturday Night Wrist, which dropped on October 31, they certainly offer a unique style.

Singer Chino Moreno had this to say about the direction of the album: " We've spent a lot of time going into it and making it something special, we've spent a lot more time on it than on our last record so it's going other places." In general, the album doesn't project a very special feeling. It does little to separate itself from the Deftones' previous work. It does however dabble in some interesting, ethereal tones, especially in the instrumental U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, A, B, Select, Start. Not all of the Deftones' experiments work however, like the unnecessarily vulgar Pink Cellphone, which single handedly earns the album its parental advisory warning and is the low point of the disc.

Moreno also noted that the record is more aggressive than the Deftones' previous work. While this doesn't necessarily hold true, a few select songs contain more than enough aggressiveness for the rest. Some of the songs feel far too frenetic and disjointed, relying more on Chino's offbeat style of screaming than on his fantastic semi-melodic wails. These tracks, Rats! Rats! Rats! in particular, tinker unsuccessfully with a good thing and seem more like filler than an intense emotional expression.

Experimentation aside, the Deftones offer up their usual mix of soft, floating vocals, solid guitar chords, technical drumming and powerful builds climaxing in intense guitar riffs and throaty vocals. One high point of the album is the up-tempo Mein, which features vocals by Serj Tankian of System of a Down fame, which are a pleasant surprise. Overall, there are enough tracks up to the Deftones' usual standards to satisfy Deftones fans and make it a worthwhile purchase. For fans of rock or nu-metal that haven't given the Deftones a listen, a better introduction would be one of their previous albums, like Adrenaline or White Pony. Saturday Night Wrist earns a B- while delivering just enough solid content to be worthwhile with a few noticeable blemishes that detract from what is otherwise a good album.