Along with Limp Bizkit, the Deftones are often considered to be disciples of Korn, but in fact, they've been around for just as long (if not longer). They were also one of the first groups to alternate heavy riffs and screamed vocals with more ethereal music and hushed singing -- spawning a fair amount of imitators in their wake. The group first formed in Sacramento, CA, during 1988, when then high-school students Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Chino Moreno (vocals) first began to jam together. The young band was able to invest some heavy cash into their equipment setup early on, when Carpenter collected a substantial cash settlement after being hit by a drunk driver. The Deftones began playing out locally shortly thereafter, and went through several different bass players before finding a permanent bassist in the form of Chi Cheng.

Although the group was more heavy metal-based early on, the early '90s saw the Deftones expand their sound even further, obviously inspired by such groundbreakers as Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Faith No More. A strong four-song demo was completed soon after, and it landed the group a recording contract with Madonna's label, Maverick. Enlisting the services of Soundgarden and Pantera producer Terry Date (who would eventually become a regular producer for the group), the quartet's debut full-length, Adrenaline, was issued in October of 1995. While it wasn't an instant success, the band built a dedicated fan base the old-fashioned way -- by touring relentlessly (both on their own, and opening for such more established acts as Ozzy Osbourne, L7, and their buddies in Korn). With sales of Adrenaline topping sales of 200,000 copies on word of mouth alone, expectations were high for their sophomore release, Around the Fur. Issued in October of 1997, it more than delivered, catapulting the band to the top of the alt-metal heap on the strength of such MTV/radio favs as &"My Own Summer (Shove It)" and &"Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)," as turntablist Frank Delgado expanded the group's lineup to a five-piece.