Ceremony

A Dork five-star record, 'Ceremony' arrives as the third single from Deftones' ninth studio album. The track distils everything that defines the band: Chino Moreno's vocals move with precision and control, pulling the song through its emotional arc, whilst the production layers texture and muscle in equal measure. What emerges is a piece that feels both rooted in the band's past and urgently present. The song builds from introspection into something heavier and more propulsive, anchored by lyrics that confront finality and departure. Moreno sings of leaving, of joining a parade of ghosts, of illusions that never held substance. It's a song about endings delivered with the kind of restraint and craft that separates Deftones from their peers. The result is one of the standout moments from an album that proved, nine records in, the band remain essential.